Chapter 47: Quite A Night
"Laila?" Avery’s brow furrowed as she played along with Evelyn’s ruse. Evelyn had already told her the recently discovered truth that Annabelle might have been hired by her stepmother. "Isn’t her name Annabelle?" she added, her gaze shifting between Annabelle and Director Niah.
"Seems like you’ve got secrets to hide too, Annabelle," Avery continued, her tone seeding doubt in the minds of everyone present. Even Director Niah’s brows creased, making a mental note to dig into this girl’s past. The company had weathered enough scandals; he couldn’t afford another one bubbling to the surface.
"La-Laila is just my nickname," Annabelle stammered, her expression shifting to one of distress. In a soft, shaky voice, she added, "Evy’s real mother used to call me that."
And there it was again—the traumatized victim card. Evelyn thought and had to give her credit; Annabelle was quite the actress.
"Stop using it, Evelyn. We’ve warned you so many times that she gets triggered by it," Sophia interjected, trying to keep her composure intact. She was too close to victory to let it slip through her fingers now.
Evelyn merely shrugged, knowing she had successfully planted the seeds of suspicion. This would force the board members from making any hasty decisions, especially when they weren’t ready to entrust the company to a mere 17-year-old boy or the sweet, just-discovered Wright’s daughter. If anyone could win their trust, it was Evelyn—and she would start pitching to them once the DNA results were confirmed.
The doctors finished briefing their parts and quickly left the mansion. Elias accompanied Evelyn and Avery to William’s room. As soon as they were alone, Sophia’s polite smile twisted into a sneer, and she grabbed Annabelle’s arm, dragging her upstairs.
"Miss Evelyn," a maid greeted as they passed her in the corridor—someone who had been working here for as long as Evelyn could remember.
"Darah," Evelyn acknowledged her with a small smile. As they continued walking, Evelyn leaned in slightly and whispered, "I’ll be needing your help again."