Mrs. Shaw, however, refused to believe her daughter could do something so absurd. She walked over, took Regina Shaw’s hand, and said, "Regina, Mommy knows you’ve always been a sweet, innocent child. This has nothing to do with you, right? You could never deceive your own parents like this, could you?"

Eve Vaughn was starting to understand. She realized she and Regina Shaw were thinking along the same lines.

So, just before Regina Shaw could speak, Eve Vaughn cut in. "This has nothing to do with Senior Shaw. She and Mr. Lawson were set up and planning to continue seeing each other. I... It was my fault. I was with Mr. Lawson behind Senior Shaw’s back. She didn’t know anything about it."

Hearing this, Mr. Shaw breathed a sigh of relief.

Mrs. Shaw, however, stared at her with utter disappointment. "So it really was you! When Joanna Sullivan said it was you the other day, I refused to believe it. Evie, I was so thrilled that our Regina had finally made a new friend. How could you do this? How could you take advantage of your friendship with our Regina to do something so shameless! You are such a disappointment!"

Eve Vaughn hung her head low, her voice filled with guilt. "Mrs. Shaw, I’m so sorry..."

’What else could she say besides "I’m sorry"?’

At this point, someone from the first branch of the family couldn’t resist speaking up.

Autumn Woods sneered. "Tsk, how is it that this Eve Vaughn is involved every single time? She’s the reason the Lawson family is constantly in an uproar. And Mason... one day it’s Eve Vaughn, the next it’s Joanna Sullivan. It’s a real shame. A lovely girl like Miss Shaw should have been treated with respect."

’There was no way,’ Autumn Woods thought, ’that she wouldn’t be able to ruin this potential match between Mason Lawson and the Shaw Family today.’

Mr. Shaw said grimly, "Lawson, this is a matter of your own family’s poor discipline. Mason is a philanderer. Our Regina was innocently dragged into this mess. Both Eve Vaughn and Joanna Sullivan have hurt my daughter. Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?"

Mrs. Shaw chimed in, "Exactly! I see now that this marriage is impossible! But the people who hurt my daughter will not be forgiven!"

Her meaning was clear: both Joanna Sullivan and Eve Vaughn would have to pay a price.

After all, her own daughter had once considered Eve Vaughn a friend.

Eve Vaughn grew frightened, her slight frame trembling. ’What were they going to do to her?’

’But maybe after this,’ she thought, ’I’ll finally be free of the Lawson family for good?’

She still loved Mason Lawson, but she couldn’t stand being dragged into this vortex of drama every time. She was always the one seen as deceitful, always the one who had to apologize!

Just then, Regina Shaw suddenly spoke up. "Mom, Dad, I’ll tell you the truth. This whole scheme was my idea!"

The expressions on Mr. and Mrs. Shaw’s faces changed instantly.

The Third Madam and her sister exchanged a subtle glance. ’The real show is finally starting,’ they thought. ’Let’s see the Shaw family act all high and mighty now!’

Mrs. Shaw stared at her daughter in disbelief. "What... what did you just say?"

Eve Vaughn was terrified that Regina Shaw would keep talking. ’I’m already implicated. No matter what she says now, I can’t get out of this. Since that’s the case, why does Regina have to get herself into trouble too?’

So, Eve Vaughn tugged on Regina Shaw’s sleeve and whispered, "Senior Shaw, don’t. Don’t say anything else..."

But Regina Shaw simply couldn’t let someone else take the fall for her own mistake.

It wasn’t in her nature to be a coward.

"Mom, Dad, you heard me right. It was me! Evie only took the blame to protect me. If you’re going to punish her, then you’ll have to punish me too."

Though frightened, Regina Shaw summoned her courage. "That day at Crimson Spring Resort, I was the one who suggested to Mr. Lawson that we pretend to be in a relationship. That way, our parents would stop pressuring us to get married."

Mr. Shaw flew into a rage. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

’Had his daughter lost her mind? Things were about to be resolved, and everything was tipping in the Shaw family’s favor. Why did she have to rush to confess and make herself the target?’

Mrs. Shaw also couldn’t believe her daughter was actually involved. She tried to confirm again. "Regina, this is no time to be loyal to a friend. Mommy knows you consider Eve Vaughn a friend, but this is a serious matter! Your reputation is at stake!"

Regina Shaw sighed and said quietly, "Mom, I’m sorry. But I’m not just being loyal or trying to cover for anyone, I’m simply telling the truth. If you don’t believe me, when Mr. Lawson and I discussed this at Crimson Spring Resort, there was a waiter standing by. He can corroborate my story."

At these words, Old Mr. Lawson could finally relax.

They had finally turned the tables.

Since the Shaw family’s own daughter was involved, it meant everyone was at fault. The Shaws could no longer be so unforgiving.

This way, the two families could avoid a complete falling out.

As Mr. and Mrs. Shaw’s faces filled with humiliation, Mr. Shaw became so enraged that he walked over, his hand raised to slap Regina.

Fortunately, Mrs. Shaw stopped him just in time.

"Shaw, what do you think you’re doing?"

Mrs. Shaw held him back. "Even if what she did was wrong, it’s not our daughter’s fault alone."

What truly angered Mr. Shaw wasn’t that Regina and Mason Lawson had put on an act to deceive their parents. He was furious that Regina couldn’t read the situation and was dragging her own family down.

The Lawson family was in utter chaos.

Janet Chandler was finally pleased. She said icily, "I’ve been listening for a while now, and this has absolutely nothing to do with my daughter! So you all better listen up. Return the endorsements and the jobs you took from my daughter. Return every last one. Otherwise, I’ll leak this whole story, and we’ll just see how you two families can show your faces in public then!"

Just then, the butler announced, "Sir, Mr. Lawson has returned."

All eyes turned to the entrance, and sure enough, Mason Lawson walked in, looking weary from travel.

He had already heard about the situation at home while he was on his way.

After all, the Lawson family was a web of complexities; it would be impossible for him not to have his own people planted within it.

So, someone had already reported the entire affair to him.

Old Mr. Lawson was glaring at him with a murderous look. "So you decided to show your face? Why don’t you tell us all what a wonderful thing you’ve done!"

Mason Lawson retorted, "Don’t you already know? Miss Shaw just explained it very clearly. It was indeed something Miss Shaw and I agreed on. It was wrong of us to get our parents’ hopes up for nothing."

His casual explanation nearly made the old man faint with rage.

"And that’s it?"

Mr. Shaw glared at him. "You’re still so unapologetic, even now? What does that make the Shaw family in all this?"

Mason Lawson’s expression didn’t change. "Mr. Shaw, since Miss Shaw and I have already explained things, this should no longer be the Shaw family’s concern. After all, there was never anything between us. We are two separate individuals."

Mrs. Shaw was at her breaking point. She whispered in her husband’s ear, "He has a point. Let’s get out of this mess. Let them sort out the rest of it themselves!"

She just wanted to get as far away from the Lawson family as possible, to avoid getting tangled any further in a web that was impossible to escape.

Besides, Mason Lawson’s implication was clear: since there was nothing between him and Regina Shaw, the Shaw family had no right to demand an explanation, regardless of who he was actually with.

And just like that, with a deft touch, Mason Lawson neutralized the situation and ushered the Shaw family out.

As they left, Mr. and Mrs. Shaw took their daughter with them.

As her parents dragged her away, Regina Shaw looked back at Eve Vaughn, her eyes filled with worry and helplessness.