Chapter 201

The probing gazes from the surrounding crowd made Lucien Valmont and his wife feel their faces burn with humiliation.

The longer this standoff continued, the more disgraceful it became.

Aria Bennett's sudden appearance had caught them completely off guard.

Lucien vividly remembered the girl's sharp confrontation during the jade auction.

Unable to hold back, he demanded, "What's your relationship with Evelyn?"

Aria linked arms with her mother. "I'm her daughter."

Lucien's expression darkened instantly.

Evelyn had not only remarried but also had a grown daughter.

It suddenly dawned on him—the girl must have recognized them during the auction.

The fact that his own daughter had provoked the conflict was conveniently ignored.

Aria frowned in disgust. "Are you leaving or not?"

"If not, I don't mind digging up what happened twenty years ago and letting everyone judge for themselves."

Lucien realized then that Evelyn's daughter was no pushover.

He gave Evelyn a long, meaningful look. "Evelyn, our families have been close for generations..."

Before he could finish, Vera's eyes flashed with malice.

She forced a smile. "Father has missed you all these years."

Evelyn cut her off coldly. "My affairs are none of your concern."

Caleb Sloane interjected smoothly, "Mr. Valmont, the gala is about to begin."

Graham Hartley chimed in, "Please, the two of you should go."

Lucien's face twisted with displeasure, but he had no choice but to leave.

As he turned away, he cast one last glance at Evelyn.

The woman he had once loved now carried an even more captivating grace.

Vera clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

Once they were gone, Aria asked softly, "Mom, are you okay?"

Evelyn patted her daughter's hand. "It was bound to happen sooner or later."

A steely glint flickered in her eyes. "If they dare come again, they’ll regret it."

Aria leaned against her shoulder. "I'll always stand by you."

Evelyn gently tucked a loose strand of Aria's hair behind her ear. "I know."

After the gala officially began, Aria left early with her mother.

At eight that evening, Aria drove alone to a secluded café she frequented.

A text from Silas Kane lit up her phone: [Here. Booth 308.]

Pushing open the door to the private booth, she found Silas reviewing documents.

He closed the folder when she entered. "Your coffee just arrived. Still hot."

Aria took a sip. "My usual."

Silas smiled. "You asked to meet. Something on your mind?"

Aria met his gaze directly. "I saw you at the gala today."

"You said you were going to pursue me." Her tone was eerily calm.

Silas's smile froze.

After a beat, he exhaled and chuckled. "I should’ve known I couldn’t fool you."

"So," Aria cut straight to the point, "you're twins?"

A long silence followed before Silas finally answered, "Yes."

"Our father was the heir to a European warlock family."

"According to tradition, one twin had to be... eliminated."

His voice turned icy. "Silas was the elder brother. More talented."

"Our mother smuggled me back to the country, thinking we’d escaped."

Silas's lips curled into a bitter smirk. "But..."