Chapter 238

Observing Seraphina's reaction, Evelyn asked with deliberate casualness, "Miss Kensington, are you displeased to see me here?"

Evelyn continued, her voice laced with subtle mockery, "You might not be aware, but your family extended an invitation to me personally. While you had no intention of including me, your cousin thought otherwise."

Seraphina let out a sharp laugh, her tone cutting. "How charitable of my cousin. Though I notice Liam didn't go out of his way to secure your invitation, did he?"

Evelyn's face darkened as she struggled for a response. She shot an accusatory glance at Liam standing beside her. Liam, seemingly oblivious to her look, cleared his throat impatiently. "I have business to attend to. Entertain Miss Kensington as you wish."

His indifference extended equally to both women, his demeanor remaining unreadable.

As Liam walked away, Evelyn watched his retreating figure, lowering her gaze to hide the disappointment in her eyes. She'd noticed Liam had grown noticeably colder recently. While he still indulged her whims as always, the warmth had vanished from his gaze, replaced by an icy detachment that chilled her to the core.

A pathetic thought crossed Evelyn's mind - Liam's smiles had seemed more genuine when Olivia was around. Though she recognized the absurdity of this observation, the truth of it stung. Still, she clung to the reassurance that, according to recent reports, Olivia would never return.

Seraphina regarded Evelyn with open disdain. "Miss Hartley, if I were in your position, I wouldn't have shown my face here. You're only inviting humiliation."

Evelyn's anger flared. Never had she encountered someone so brazenly shameless.

She fixed Seraphina with a venomous glare. "Miss Kensington, are you truly so desperate to steal another woman's man? Aren't you concerned about becoming the laughingstock of high society?"

A smirk played on Seraphina's lips as if she'd heard an uproarious joke. "And who, pray tell, would dare laugh at me?"

Evelyn found herself speechless. The stark contrast between her modest background and Seraphina's aristocratic lineage couldn't be more apparent. Seraphina was everything Evelyn wasn't - accomplished, breathtakingly beautiful, the jewel of elite society. In another life, without Liam between them, Evelyn might have sought her friendship. Yet here they stood, rivals in love.

Despite her insecurities, Evelyn held her ground. "This is wrong. Can't you see Liam wants nothing to do with you? He avoids you at every opportunity. I wouldn't chase after someone so clearly uninterested if I were you."

Seraphina closed the distance between them. "For now, perhaps. But who knows what the future holds? Consider this - why would Liam consistently pursue collaborations with my cousin if he merely wished to avoid suspicion for your sake? I've examined their business dealings closely. Every single venture results in financial loss for Liam."

She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Liam Blackwood isn't the type to curry favor so transparently. So ask yourself - what truly motivates his interest in the Kensington family? Even if not for me alone, he's clearly angling to ingratiate himself with my entire family. And I'm the only one who can truly help him."

Evelyn felt the air leave her lungs. These were precisely the questions that haunted her, the fears she couldn't voice. She'd confronted Liam before, but his responses were always curt. "I have my reasons. You wouldn't understand."

The unspoken words hung between them, heavier than any spoken accusation.