Chapter 39

Chapter 39

That night.

Evan had planned to return to Inkwood House.

But Dora insisted he come back to the family estate.

Her tone over the phone had been sharp. Patrick had clearly moved fast. The lawyers had already contacted

them.

When Evan stepped into the house, Dora’s voice was already rising in anger.

“ He wants you to apologize to that woman? What exactly is he trying to do?

“ And now he wants us to return everything to Stella? On what grounds? What does any of that have to do with her? ”

Fiona stood with her arms crossed, fuming.

“ Not only did he make me apologize, the lawyers contacted me too. They said I have to return everything that belongs to Stella. ”

Her voice cracked with fury.

Dora turned sharply. “ The lawyers contacted you too? ” 1

“ Yes! ”

Fiona nodded angrily.

Then she saw Evan.

Her expression stiffened immediately, and she swallowed her temper.

“ Evan. ”

Evan walked in calmly, his expression cool, detached. He sat across from Fiona, his presence sharp enough to chill the entire room.

No one in the Wright household dared truly offend him.

He controlled the company.

He controlled the finances.

Every household expense had to go through his company’s accounts and be approved.

Fiona had already spent her annual dividend for the year.

For the remaining months, any spending would require approval from Evan’s office.

Evan glanced at her.

She felt her spine tighten.

Chapter 36

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“ You told me to apologize, ” Fiona rushed out quickly. “ I did. I sent you a screenshot. ”

Dora could no longer restrain herself.

“ What exactly are you doing?” she demanded. “ Do you even know what matters most right now? ”

The public scandal hadn’t been suppressed.

And yet he was handling these trivial family matters?

Forcing Fiona to apologize to Stella at a time like this?

Evan toyed with the lighter in his hand.

“ What matters to me, ” he said evenly, “ I’m very clear about. ”

Silence.

He looked at both of them.

“ But what about you? Are you clear about what matters? ”

“ Have you been fixated on her this whole time? If you’re not making things hard for her, does it bother you? ”

Every gift he had ever given her-

Every property.

Every piece of jewelry.

If Patrick hadn’t investigated, Evan wouldn’t have believed it.

Everything had been transferred away.

No wonder she exploded.

Dora bristled. “ What nonsense are you talking about? When did we cause her trouble? ”

“ If you didn’t, ” Evan replied coldly, “ why is everything I gave her registered under your names? ”

Silence fell.

Dora and Fiona exchanged a look.

Taking things from a younger member of the family was never something to boast about. 1

When they had done it before, Evan hadn’t questioned it.

Now that he was confronting them, Dora’s expression turned stiff.

Fiona forced herself to speak.

“ When she married you, she said she didn’t care about the Wright family’s money. Mom and I were just … testing her. ”

Her voice grew softer toward the end.

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Because Evan’s face had turned completely cold.

“ So the test is over? ” he asked quietly. “ Then everything that belongs to her should be returned. ”

Fiona instinctively opened her mouth to argue.

But one look at his eyes – and she swallowed her words.

Evan turned to Dora.

“ What do you think? ”

Dora let out a tight huff.

“ The most important thing right now is suppressing the scandal. ”

Evan didn’t argue.

The scandal needed to be handled.

But he thought of Stella’s calm expression every time she received one of his gifts.

He had assumed he simply didn’t understand her tastes.

Now he realized-

She probably knew those things were never truly hers.

Being given something only to have it taken away later wasn’t generosity.

It was humiliation.

And she had never said a word.

Evan’s eyelids lowered slightly.

“ Patrick and the lawyers will prepare a list. Whatever each of you took, return it to Patrick. ‘

His voice was calm. Firm. Non – negotiable.

“ What about your grandmother? ” Dora asked sharply.

Old Madam Wright had left for the countryside estate after visiting Summer earlier that day.

Their things were one matter.

But Old Madam Wright?

Was she supposed to return those too?

Was Stella even worthy?

“ I’ll prepare a separate set for Stella to cover Grandmother’s portion, ” Evan said.

Dora and Fiona both froze.

He would compensate the grandmother’s share himself—

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But theirs?

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Every last thing would be returned.

It felt like a slap across their faces.

“ Evan, ” Dora said tightly, “ right now Summer’s situation is what matters most. If your grandmother finds out you’re stirring up trouble for Stella at a time like this, she won’t be happy. ”

Neither of them wanted to return anything.

Especially not when Stella was pushing for divorce.

But Evan’s tone didn’t waver.

“ One thing at a time. ‘