Eve Vaughn fought back her disgust and retorted, "So, you want me to be your mistress? The other woman?"

Julian Lawson didn’t deny it. He seemed certain she would accept his proposal, saying, "Eve Vaughn, this is the last chance I’m giving you!"

Eve Vaughn had thought her heart had died the day Julian Lawson misunderstood and hurt her, kicking her out of the Lawson family home.

But she never expected that her heart could still ache now, as if it were being sliced by a knife.

Eve Vaughn suppressed her inner rage, the corners of her lips curling into a sarcastic arc. "You don’t need to worry about my mother’s medical bills. As for being your mistress... if you’re looking for someone shameless, go look for Charlotte Vaughn. Leave me out of it. It’s disgusting!"

"You!"

Julian Lawson never imagined that after he’d already given her an out, she would still be so stubborn.

When he was with Eve Vaughn, he had been all too aware of her situation. He didn’t believe anyone but him could save her from her dire straits.

Eve Vaughn was a deeply devoted person; she would never abandon her mother.

Sooner or later, she’ll come back begging him! Livid, Julian Lawson actually laughed. He nodded, his voice filled with menace. "Fine. I’m giving you a chance, and you’re throwing it away. If you ever want to come back to my side, it won’t be this easy."

Eve Vaughn’s gaze was resolute as she enunciated each word, "That day will never come."

His masculine pride kept Julian Lawson from pestering her further, and he stormed off in a rage. But he didn’t see that the moment he turned his back, the rims of Eve Vaughn’s eyes instantly reddened.

She sniffled, barely managing to hold back her tears. Her entire past with Julian Lawson flashed through her mind like a movie.

He has the exact same face, so why does the Julian Lawson of today feel like a complete stranger?

As dusk began to settle, Eve Vaughn didn’t return to her dorm. Instead, her legs carried her uncontrollably toward the campus gate.

The city lights were just beginning to glow.

Eve Vaughn sat at the bar of one of Rivaster’s most popular upper-crust establishments, drinking herself into a stupor.

Julian Lawson’s appearance today had once again plunged her into the agony of abandonment and humiliation.

She tilted her head back and drained her glass. She swallowed her tears along with the liquor.

Not far away, a gaze was silently sizing her up.

The four men in the VIP section were all men of extraordinary means. Seated in the center of the sofa was none other than Mason Lawson.

He was wearing a handmade black shirt from Bellanza. Its impeccable tailoring and exquisite workmanship made him look particularly distinguished.

From his sharp, clean-cut face, a pair of cold, severe eyes swept over Eve Vaughn, their meaning unclear.

Eric Kendall opened a diamond-studded cigarette case, offered him a cigarette, and said, "I hear the old man is about to hand over the reins completely. Your older brother has no head for business, and that nephew of yours is a sickly sort. The Lawson family will be all yours soon enough!"

Mason Lawson’s thin lips curved into a slight smile. He tapped the ash from his cigarette and uttered two words, "Too soon."

Jonah Spencer said deliberately, "The Lawson family doesn’t hold much appeal for Mason anymore. It’s in the bag sooner or later, anyway. Mason’s mind is elsewhere these days..."

Hamilton Hale, who was sitting nearby, was surprised. Could it be? Does Jonah Spencer also know about Mason Lawson keeping a young girl at his house?

Only Eric Kendall looked at them in confusion. "What do you mean? Isn’t Mason a total workaholic? Don’t tell me he’s got a woman? No way, that can’t be right!"

Hamilton Hale said with a meaningful tone, "Don’t jump to conclusions. What Jonah meant is that Mason is focused on horticulture these days. He enjoys nurturing things, watching the little things he’s raising grow up. Isn’t that right, Mason?"

Mason Lawson shot them a death glare, deeply regretting that they had found out about Eve Vaughn.

He was always the one who made fun of others. Since when did these guys start using him for their amusement?

Eric Kendall actually fell for Hamilton Hale’s words hook, line, and sinker. He said to Mason Lawson, "Hey, not bad! Getting into horticulture to cultivate your spirit. What? Trying to live the retired life ahead of schedule? That’s not gonna fly. You know how many eyes in the Lawson family are watching you. Be careful that someone doesn’t poach your position as the heir!"

Just then, the clamor from a group of women at a nearby table drew their irritated gazes.

Charlotte Vaughn was flashing a large diamond ring on her hand, boasting smugly, "I’m marrying Julian at the end of next month. This is a ring my future mother-in-law had specially custom-made for me in Thalassa. It’s the only one like it in the entire world!"

Her friends all cooed in envy, fawning over the future Young Madam of the Lawson family.

Just then, one of the girls spotted Eve Vaughn and said to Charlotte, "Hey, look over there. Isn’t that your cousin?"

"It really is her!"

Charlotte Vaughn snorted with disdain. "Oh, her. She’s probably drowning her sorrows, still unable to accept the fact that Julian is marrying me."

The four men in the VIP section overheard every word of their conversation.

Jonah Spencer said with a wry smile, "Mason, that future niece-in-law of yours seems like quite a handful."

Hamilton Hale nudged him with his elbow. "If anyone’s going to suffer for it, it’ll be Julian Lawson. What are you so worried about?"

Eric Kendall, clearly displeased with their comments, interjected as if he knew everything. "What are you two talking about? That girl saved Julian Lawson’s life. How is she a handful? She’s way better than that Eve Vaughn, who just ran off the second things got tough, right?"

Hamilton Hale couldn’t help but laugh. He said to Jonah Spencer, "I’m worried this idiot is going to be the next Julian Lawson."

Of the four of them, three had already more or less figured out that there was something fishy about Charlotte Vaughn’s liver donation. Only Eric Kendall remained in the dark. Because of his animosity toward Mia Kendall, his dislike extended to her best friend by association, and he found her utterly repulsive.

He was convinced that if the Kendall family ever faced a crisis, Mia Kendall would behave in the exact same deplorable way.

Mason Lawson remained silent, drawing on the cigarette between his fingers. His somber expression was veiled by a thin layer of smoke.

However, as he watched the girl in the distance down one glass after another, his brow furrowed.

Just then, Charlotte Vaughn led a group of people toward Eve Vaughn. The way she carried herself, she looked like a delinquent leading her crew into a brawl.

Eve Vaughn was already a little drunk. When someone shoved her forcefully, she nearly fell off her stool.

After steadying herself, she looked up and saw it was Charlotte Vaughn. A flash of anger ignited within her. Eve Vaughn muttered, "I guess I picked the wrong day to go out. I keep stepping in shit. It’s so annoying."

With that, she grabbed her bag, unwilling to waste another breath on Charlotte Vaughn.

But Charlotte had no intention of letting her go. She said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, "Eve Vaughn, you had the nerve to send my parents a letter from your lawyer, but now you don’t dare to face me? So you do feel guilty sometimes?"

Eve Vaughn scoffed, her voice tinged with intoxication. "If anyone should feel guilty, it’s the one who pulled a fraudulent swap. Besides, that house was left to me by my father. Who I let stay and who I kick out is my decision! As the future Young Madam of the Lawson family, surely you can afford a new villa? Or has signing the prenup left you this destitute?"

As soon as she finished speaking, one of Charlotte’s fair-weather friends immediately asked, full of gossip, "Charlotte, what did she mean just now? What prenuptial agreement?"

Charlotte Vaughn’s expression changed instantly. The humiliation was immense. She had gone from being a mere tag-along to the center of attention in Rivaster’s socialite circle, the one everyone fawned over.

How could she let anyone know that even though she was about to marry into the Lawson family, they were guarding against her as if she were a thief?

A vicious glint flashed in Charlotte Vaughn’s eyes. A twisted smile spread across her face as she said, "I know you must be terribly lonely after leaving Julian. Don’t worry. We have plenty of guys here who can... satisfy you tonight!"

With that, she turned to her scummy friends. "Chuck, Howard, didn’t you two say my cousin was hot? Back then, she was Julian’s girlfriend, so you didn’t dare make a move. But now? You can do whatever you want with her!"

A jolt of fear shot through Eve Vaughn. She knew Taekwondo, but she was drunk now. She felt weak all over, and her head was spinning.

In this state, she’ll definitely be at a disadvantage.

So, she issued a cold warning, "Charlotte Vaughn, this might be a bar, but there are bouncers and security."

"Hah. Bouncers and security?"

Charlotte Vaughn let out a short, sharp laugh, tilting her chin arrogantly. "Do you have any idea who I am? I’m Julian’s savior, the future Mrs. Lawson. Who in this bar would dare to stop me? Eve Vaughn, tonight, I’m going to destroy your reputation! I want Julian to see just how depraved you really are!"

Just then, a resonant voice cut through the air. "Whose reputation are you planning to destroy?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Charlotte Vaughn turned toward the sound of the voice and nearly froze in terror.