Chapter 185: Ending Things In A Better Way
Evelyn declined the call, putting the phone on silent. She was angry, hurt, and, most importantly, disappointed in him. Whatever the reason, Elias should have never allowed his mom to toy with Annabelle’s life. The fact that he was a part of it made it even more unbearable.
"Pick it," Gracia suggested, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. Sophia had left so many open wounds on her—both physical and emotional—that anyone related to her only reopened those scars, dragging back all the memories and pain.
Evelyn glanced at her mother worriedly, noticing how she seemed on the verge of breaking down. Gently, she held her hand, offering silent support. Gracia heaved a shaky breath and forced out a smile, trying to assure her daughter she was fine. But when the phone rang again, Evelyn groaned in frustration and put the call on speaker.
"What do you want?" Evelyn questioned, her voice colder than Elias was used to hearing all these years.
There was a long silence on the other end before Elias finally spoke. "Since everything is resolved now, you shouldn’t try anything funny." He sounded as rude and dismissive as he had when Evelyn confronted him for answers that day.
"Are you threatening me to keep quiet?" Evelyn scoffed loudly, her tone dripping with mockery. "You all killed Annabelle, Elias. You have no right to act this mighty!"
"We didn’t kill her, Evelyn," Elias retorted, deliberately using her full name to provoke her. Gritting his teeth, he added, "It was the maid who pushed her. Both we and you are innocent in this matter. Hasn’t the court already declared its judgment?!"
Evelyn ran a hand through her hair, her rage boiling over. For God’s sake, they had murdered an innocent girl and didn’t even feel guilty about it. But then again, what could she expect from Sophia’s son?
Gracia moved closer and patted her shoulder, silently asking her to stay calm. No matter how much they tried to provoke her, Evelyn knew keeping her composure was the only way to take control of the situation.
"Repeating lies over and over won’t change the truth, dear stepbrother," Evelyn said, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Her voice turned sharp. "And I don’t care about you anymore. Annabelle wasn’t my friend, nor did she ever treat me kindly enough for me to seek justice for her. So, stop dragging me into this mess!"
Evelyn’s tone was cutting, and Elias clenched his fists, massaging his temple in frustration. But her next words made him freeze, a shiver running down his spine.