William Walters’ brow arched, confusion flickering in his cold eyes as he looked at her.
Evelyn’s lips curved into a slow, mocking smile when she looked at her father’s face, which was already turning crimson.
For a brief mont, she imagined faint smoke curling from his ears.
The thought almost made her laugh out loud, but she bit it back, savoring the mont.
"You an after everything you’ve done?" she continued, her tone sharp but calm. "You think I don’t know why you dragged them into this? You actually thought I’d co running the mont you used them as bait?"
William’s jaw clenched.
"You’re still as bold as ever. After so many years, you haven’t learned anything."
Evelyn didn’t rush to respond.
Instead, she walked closer.
Now, only a coffee table separated them.
Alicia and Stella stood not far from her, pale and frozen in place, as if fear had turned them into statues.
Her gaze locked on William’s face, steady, cold, and unflinching.
"Oh, I’ve learned plenty," she said softly. "I’ve learned that so n are so blinded by their mistresses that they forget what it ans to be decent. And I’ve learned that so fathers truly don’t deserve to be called one."
Instead of getting angry, William suddenly laughed.
It was loud, harsh, and cruel. The kind of laugh that made the room colder.
"Bwahahaha... Eve, Eve," he said between laughs, "you’re still the sa as ever."
He walked to the single sofa and sat down, crossing one leg over the other like a king about to lecture his subject.
His chin lifted slightly as he looked at her with mocking amusent.
"You’re so stubborn and arrogant. Just because you own a few shares in the Walters Group, you think you have power over ?"
Evelyn’s expression didn’t change. Her calm smile returned, though her eyes burned with silent fury.
However,
Before she could answer, Stella’s voice broke the tension.
"Sister, please... don’t provoke him. He might—"
Evelyn turned her head just enough to et her sister’s tearful eyes. Her tone softened for a heartbeat. "It’s alright," she murmured. Then her gaze snapped back to William, her composure sharp as a blade.
"Let them go," she said, her voice cold and commanding. "Whatever you want, whatever twisted deal you think this is about, it ends here."
William chuckled again, but there was no humor in it this ti. His eyes glinted with malice.
"You think you can just walk in here and tell what to do?"
Evelyn’s lips curved slightly. "Try ."
Silence fell over the room.
Even the six bodyguards shifted uneasily, their eyes darting between William and Evelyn as if waiting for a signal.
The atmosphere in the living room gradually becos tense.
Evelyn didn’t look away. Her gaze held firm against her father’s. The years of hurt, rejection, and anger no longer weakened her; they fueled her.
Finally, William broke the silence. A slow, cruel smirk spread across his face.
"Eve, sit," he ordered, his voice low and sharp. Then he turned his glare toward Stella and Alicia. "You two, sit as well! And don’t say a word. Just listen."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow but didn’t move. She remained standing, her arms loosely folded, her chin lifted in quiet defiance.
The room grew heavier, the unspoken war between father and daughter tightening like a noose around everyone inside.
And in that mont, it was clear to everyone that Evelyn wasn’t the frightened girl who had once been thrown out of this house.
She had co back stronger, sharper, and ready to face the devil himself.
William Walters could see the fire in her eyes. He ground his teeth in frustration and snapped, "We won’t settle anything if you don’t sit!"
Evelyn smiled slightly, pretending to consider his demand.
"Fine," she said at last, her tone dry. "Let’s give the royal court its formality." She sat down not far from Stella and Alicia.
Stella and Alicia were silently panicking, trying to signal her with wide eyes and subtle gestures that practically scread, "Don’t push him!"
Evelyn caught their looks but pretended not to see.
Her ex-father wanted a show? She’d give him one.
"Mr. Walters," she deliberately used his last na. "It’s been years since I’ve had the privilege of sitting in this family room with you. So please, do enlighten . What do you want this ti? Why the theatrics with Stella and Alice?"
The air thickened.
William Walters’ jaw twitched as if he was about to blurt sothing out, but he didn’t utter a single word.
Instead, he raised his hand in a sharp gesture.
One of the bodyguards—a tall, bald man with shoulders like a side-by-side refrigerator—stepped forward.
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed.
Beside the doorway, Lisa shifted instantly, her hand subtly brushing the inside of her blazer where her weapon was holstered. Evelyn raised her hand slightly, signaling her to stop.
’Not yet,’ she thought. ’Let’s see what kind of circus her father wanted to put on before taking action.’
The bald man placed a few neatly stacked docunts on the coffee table in front of her.
He then stepped back, staying close enough to lunge forward if his boss needed him again.
Evelyn didn’t touch the papers. She simply looked at them, then at William Walters, as if silently asking, "What now?"
William smirked, the corners of his lips twitching upward in that familiar, annoying way.
"There are two agreents there," he said. "First, you drop the lawsuit against Lana. And second, you will reinstate as CEO of Walters Group."
Silence.
Evelyn blinked.
She leaned back, folded her arms, and said slowly, "That’s it?"
William frowned, not expecting her calm reaction. "What do you an ’that’s it’?"
"Oh, I just thought you were going to ask for sothing more creative. Like maybe I sell my soul or na my next child after your mistress."
A soft chuckle escaped Stella before she clamped a hand over her mouth.
Alicia also held her laugh, but hurriedly pressed her lips.
William’s face, on the other hand, turned the exact color of ripe tomatoes.
"YOU!" He slamd his hand on the table. "You think this is funny?"
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