Inside the Winston family villa.
"You and Liam must attend next week's charity gala and auction." Mrs. Winston's icy gaze swept over Chloe Evans. "Don't embarrass the Winstons again."
She took a sip of tea, her voice dripping with frost.
"I can overlook last time's incident, but don't think you can walk all over me."
Chloe blinked innocently. "Mother, I truly had nothing to do with that."
Her fingers absently traced the business card in her pocket—Amelia Sullivan's contact information, carefully preserved.
The glittering brooch now rested in her jewelry box. Like a key, it had quietly unlocked the door to the Sullivan family.
She'd once thought Liam was her sheltering tree, but now realized the Sullivans offered an entire forest.
"Nothing to do with you?" Mrs. Winston slammed her teacdown. "That lie might work on Liam, but don't play innocent with me!"
Recent events had left her seething. Those illegitimate children now lived openly in the family estate.
She remembered when her husband would at least maintain appearances with perfunctory phone calls, cold but proper.
Now even that pretense had shattered. The scandal at Mr. Winston Sr.'s birthday banquet—all Chloe's doing!
With no outsiders present, Mrs. Winston dropped all pretense, her words sharp as knives.
"If you hadn't leaked that video, how would those old company records have surfaced?"
Her burning glare pinned Chloe in place.
For days she'd waited for this moment alone with her daughter-in-law, but Chloe proved slippery as an eel. Now, finally, she'd have her reckoning.
"Feeling proud of yourself, Chloe? Think overthrowing me means controlling the Winston family?"
Mrs. Winston's chest heaved. She regretted ever letting this viper into their home.
If only Sophia Sullivan were still here—none of these scandals would have happened!
"Dream on! As long as I live, you'll never have a say in Winston affairs!"
Truthfully, Mrs. Winston kept lovers of her own. Her husband knew and turned a blind eye—their mutual indifference had maintained peace.
But Chloe's meddling dragged everything into the open. Mr. Winston Sr., furious, froze the accounts she used to support her relatives, prompting endless complaints from her siblings!
Since Chloe's arrival, the Winston household knew no peace.
She couldn't help remembering Sophia's gentle grace—at least that girl knew how to please the family patriarch.
"You're not fit to lick Sophia's boots! She knew how to make Mr. Winston happy, while you only bring trouble!"
Disgust colored every word.
Instead of anger, Chloe smiled sweetly at the insults.
"If Mother misses Sister Sophia so much, why didn't she save you when you fell critically ill?"
She tilted her head with feigned innocence. "Could it be... no one in this family truly cares for you?"
Covering her mouth in mock regret, she sighed.
"Oh dear, I shouldn't have said that. But Sister Sophia herself told me—she'd rather give medicine to strangers than use it to save you."
Each word struck like a venomous needle, piercing Mrs. Winston's heart.