Chapter 156: Was She Really Dead?
"No, I did not!" Evelyn replied in a cold voice. Her nails dug into her palms, turning her knuckles white as she barely held back her emotions. "I did not kill Annabelle, Elias. And I don’t know why that maid committed suicide."
"Oh," Elias leaned back on the couch, a sad pout spreading across his face. "Then it must really be Brenna’s plans. Luckily, you got out of it."
"Stop acting like that, Eli! You’re making my skin prickle," Avery grumbled in frustration. "Just tell us what your mom is up to. Why did she kill Laila? Don’t cover up her sins, please."
Elias’s eyes darkened, a strange kind of protectiveness filling them. "Don’t accuse my mom without proof, Ms. Cartwell," he glowered, his words surprising everyone again.
"So you’ve been with her all this time?" Zevian asked, piecing things together. As much as he hated to doubt Elias’s loyalty, the younger man’s current attitude suggested his years of support might have been an act, something he’d staged alongside his mother to plot against Evelyn.
"Which son wouldn’t side with his mother, Brother-in-law?" Elias snickered, staring as if the trio sitting before him were fools.
Turning to Evelyn, he added, "Even though he hated you so much, Dad still thought of giving the company to you. I had to be nice and pretend I didn’t want it so you’d hand it over to me."
Evelyn’s heart felt like it was being crushed to pieces by his cold remarks. Holding back her tears, she dared to ask, "So... you never saw me as a sister?"
A slow, mocking smirk lifted Elias’s face. "Funny, it took you all these years to finally realize it... Sis," he replied, pressing on the last word to sting Evelyn harder. He leaned back and added, "Ah, I’m glad it’s finally over now!"