Amelia Sterling swept into the room with an air of absolute authority.

Miriam Croft trailed behind her, a cunning smile playing on her lips.

Two heavily built security guards flanked the doorway, their muscular frames blocking any possibility of escape.

Not that Evelyn had any intention of fleeing.

Even without the guards, attempting to run in an evening gown and high heels would have been pointless.

She resolved to conserve her energy, to remain calm, and to play for time.

This decision brought a certain steadiness to her frayed nerves.

Her eyes darted briefly to Miriam before locking onto Amelia. Her voice was remarkably composed. "This was all planned from the start, wasn't it? The party was a setup."

Amelia let out a light, mocking laugh, drawing out her words. "You're not entirely wrong."

She offered no further elaboration.

The initial idea had been simple—to humiliate Evelyn. Theft wasn't part of the original script.

But since Miriam had already set the scene, Amelia saw no reason not to go along with it—as long as the final outcome served her purpose.

Evelyn considered this for a moment before speaking again. "Your maid had no real evidence against me initially. She was just trying to create chaos and drag me away. If I had panicked, she might have succeeded. But I didn't. I held my ground, even when some of the guests began to doubt."

Miriam's smug expression wavered for an instant.

She hadn't anticipated Evelyn piecing the plot together so swiftly.

A flash of annoyance crossed Amelia's face before she concealed it with a smirk. "A pity you figured it out so late."

Evelyn remained unshaken. A faint, knowing smile touched her lips.

"When the accusation alone wasn't enough, you moved quickly. You produced a fake surveillance video and revealed it at the perfect moment." Evelyn's tone was analytical, almost detached, as if discussing a stranger's misfortune. "Once that footage played, everything I had said before became meaningless. The contrast made it easy for everyone to believe you. No one cared about my side of the story anymore. To them, I was just a liar wasting their time."

Amelia scoffed in exaggerated exasperation. "And? What's your point? Do you expect me to applaud your brilliant deduction?"

With theatrical slowness, she raised her hands and delivered a slow, sarcastic clap.

"Bravo! Evelyn, you're a genius. You've solved the entire mystery. I'm truly impressed." She leaned in slightly, her voice dripping with mockery. "Perhaps you should abandon fashion design and become a private investigator."

Before Evelyn could reply, Amelia straightened up, crossing her arms as she paced a short distance. "But honestly? I didn't plan every single detail. I do what I want, and no one stops me. You were simply unlucky. If you hadn't crossed my path, none of this would have happened."

Evelyn studied her intently, her gaze steady. "Amelia, I truly want to understand. What did I ever do to you? Why are you so determined to ruin my life?"