Chapter 250

The morning sun cast golden streaks across Evelyn Sinclair's penthouse as she sipped her coffee, scrolling through her phone. The tabloids were buzzing—another scandal involving Harrison Montgomery and his mistress, Vanessa Sterling. Evelyn smirked. Oh, Natalie Whitaker must be fuming.

Her phone buzzed—a message from Lillian Graves, her ever-efficient assistant.

"You won’t believe what just dropped. Seraphina Delacroix was spotted leaving Sebastian Hart’s penthouse at 3 AM. And guess who else was there? Adrian Cross."

Evelyn’s perfectly manicured fingers flew across the screen. "Send me the photos. Now."

Within seconds, her screen flooded with blurry but damning images—Seraphina, wrapped in Adrian’s jacket, sneaking out of Sebastian’s building. The entertainment world was about to implode.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the chime of the elevator. Nathan Blackwood strode in, his tailored suit accentuating his broad shoulders. His sharp gaze landed on her phone.

"Reading gossip again?" His voice was laced with amusement.

Evelyn tilted her head, flashing him a knowing smile. "Not just gossip, darling. Leverage."

Nathan arched a brow. "Do I even want to know?"

She leaned back, crossing her legs. "Seraphina’s playing both Adrian and Sebastian. If this gets out, her career is toast."

Nathan exhaled, shaking his head. "You enjoy this too much."

"Someone has to keep Hollywood interesting," she purred.

His phone vibrated—a message from Marcus Donovan, his brother Julian’s agent. Nathan’s expression darkened.

Evelyn caught the shift instantly. "Problem?"

"Julian’s being blackmailed. Someone has photos of him and Genevieve at that private club."

Evelyn’s pulse quickened. "Who?"

"Vincent Holloway."

She scoffed. "That playboy? Please. He’s all bark."

Nathan’s jaw tightened. "Not this time. He’s demanding Julian drop out of Preston Whitmore’s film."

Evelyn’s mind raced. This wasn’t just about Julian—this was about Nathan. Vincent had always resented the Blackwoods.

She stood, smoothing her dress. "Tell Julian not to panic. I’ll handle Vincent."

Nathan caught her wrist. "Evelyn—"

She smirked. "Relax. I have dirt on him too."

His grip loosened, but his eyes remained wary. "Be careful."

Evelyn winked. "Always."

As she strode out, her phone buzzed again—another message from Lillian.

"Breaking: Vanessa Sterling just announced she’s pregnant. Harrison’s name is all over it."

Evelyn’s grin widened. Oh, this was going to be delicious.

For the first time in her life, Lila felt the sting of humiliation. Tears welled up in her eyes as she glared at Vivian. "You're insane! Can't you see what this witch is trying to do?"

Vivian smirked, her gaze sharp as a blade. "Oh, I see exactly what you're trying to do. You wanted to dump that wine on me, didn’t you?"

Under Vivian’s piercing stare, Lila’s heart skipped a beat.

She had wanted to—desperately—but she hadn’t dared. Instead, she and Grayson had taken the coward’s route, using Gwendolyn as their scapegoat. After all, tormenting Gwendolyn came with no consequences.

Noticing Lila’s guilt, Vivian didn’t hesitate. "Apologize."

"What?" Lila gasped.

"Apologize to her. What’s the matter? Do you need me to spell it out for you?" Vivian crossed her arms, radiating an aura of unshakable authority.

Gwendolyn looked up at Vivian in shock, her eyes widening at the sight of Vivian’s unwavering stance. For the first time in ages, she felt protected.

Cornered by Vivian’s dominance and the judgmental stares of the onlookers, Lila couldn’t take it anymore. She turned to Grayson, her lower lip trembling.

Grayson, however, was baffled. Why was Vivian defending Gwendolyn again? Seeing Lila on the verge of tears, his frown deepened.

"Must you always be so dramatic?" Grayson said, irritation lacing his voice. "It’s just a minor incident."

The moment the words left his lips, Gwendolyn’s head snapped up, her eyes locking onto his.

A pang of guilt twisted in Grayson’s chest, and he quickly averted his gaze. Did I hurt her? But then, he steeled himself. It’s her own fault for being difficult. Besides, she’s nothing compared to Lila in status.

Standing beside Gwendolyn, Evelyn could practically feel the resentment rolling off her. She mentally cursed Grayson.

Before this moment, Evelyn hadn’t thought much of Grayson’s behavior. Sure, he was arrogant and delusional, but she’d dismissed him as harmless. Now, though? His words revealed his true colors.

Even if Grayson could afford to offend Lila without repercussions, his hierarchy of values was crystal clear. He might have some feelings for Gwendolyn, but deep down, he still looked down on those without status.

Because hurting her has no consequences, he doesn’t care. Defending her would only bring him trouble.

The realization made Evelyn’s blood boil. The gap between their morals is staggering.

Then, in the midst of her fury, a stray thought slipped out. Nathan would never be like this.

Nathan, who had been silently listening to Evelyn’s mental tirade, froze at the sudden compliment. His thoughts short-circuited, warmth flooding his chest.

Of course, Evelyn would be the only one thinking about me in the middle of all this chaos.

Meanwhile, the tension in the room thickened, the air crackling with unspoken accusations.

Hearing Grayson's reply, Vivian was so furious she let out a bitter laugh.

With a careless shrug, she said, "I'm actually relieved we broke up back then. I always knew we weren't meant to be."

That struck a nerve. Grayson's expression darkened. "Vivian, you—"

"Save it. This has nothing to do with you," Vivian cut him off sharply.

Grayson trembled with barely suppressed rage.

Done with him, Vivian turned to Lila with visible irritation. "When you're in the wrong, you should own up to it. Why are you hiding like I'm the one bullying you?"

"Vivian, don't push it."

"So you can bully others, but they can't stand up to you?" Vivian scoffed. "And let’s be clear—this isn’t bullying. This is justice."

Unable to hold back any longer, Lila snapped, "Vivian, are you blind or just playing dumb? She’s your stand-in, a cheap imitation trying to take your place. Why are you even defending someone like her? Don’t you see how she’s been using her resemblance to you to cling to Mr. Hart? How else would a nobody like her stay by his side for so long? You should be punishing her, not protecting her!"

Vivian fell silent, her gaze shifting to Gwendolyn.

Though it was an open secret, hearing it laid bare was painfully awkward. Under Vivian’s scrutiny, Gwendolyn stiffened. A surge of emotion welled up inside her—she didn’t want Vivian to dislike her, but she understood. Anyone would despise their own doppelgänger.

She braced herself, expecting Vivian to at least slap her.

What she didn’t expect was kindness.

Yet, a part of her mourned the possibility of friendship. They looked alike, and Vivian had been so warm toward her. Gwendolyn had even admired her, feeling an inexplicable pull. In another life, maybe they could’ve been close.

After losing her parents, Gwendolyn had never longed for family—until she met Vivian.

"I—I never meant to replace you," Gwendolyn stammered. "And I certainly wasn’t trying to seduce anyone. I just…"

If not for the NDA, she would’ve screamed the truth: I was hired by Grayson!

But she couldn’t.

And Evelyn, who was supposed to know nothing, couldn’t help her either.

The real villain here is Grayson. He paid for this charade but acts like it never happened. Disgusting. Evelyn sighed. I just hope Vivian doesn’t misunderstand Gwendolyn.

Vivian studied her, then smiled wryly. "True or not, my advice? Pick someone else. This man isn’t worth it."

Evelyn smirked. God, I love Vivian’s attitude.

Because honestly?

Grayson wasn’t worth it.

The moment those words left Vivian's lips, the entire room fell into stunned silence. It sounded as though she disapproved of her best friend's boyfriend and was fabricating lies to convince her to end things with him. Wasn't she supposed to be at odds with Gwendolyn?

At first, Vivian had simply assumed Grayson had a preference for women who resembled her, dismissing Gwendolyn's similarities as mere coincidence. But after observing the way Grayson and Lila interacted with Gwendolyn, doubt began to creep into her mind.

When Lila finally spilled the details, everything clicked into place for Vivian.

Yet, she still wasn’t entirely sure about Gwendolyn’s feelings toward Grayson. In moments like these, she always trusted her gut. And since she genuinely liked Gwendolyn, she made up her mind to shield her from any unnecessary drama.

"Oh, absolutely, you're completely right," Gwendolyn stammered, clearly caught off guard—likely because she had never been in such a bizarre situation before. "But I swear, there’s absolutely nothing between us right now!"

A satisfied smirk curled on Vivian’s lips.

The exchange between Vivian and Gwendolyn left Grayson flustered. No one had anticipated that the two women would team up to embarrass him.

"Vivian, Gwendolyn, you two—"

Finally realizing they’re working together, huh? Isabelle smirked to herself.

Vivian shot Grayson a sharp glare, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Why are you even talking? Can’t you, as a man, stay out of women’s business for once? It’s beyond annoying."

With that, she turned her piercing gaze back to Lila. "Your turn."

Lila, now fully aware of Grayson’s unreliability, took an involuntary step back, her face paling in shock.