Chapter 2
A wave of shocked whispers rippled through the ballroom like wildfire as guests exchanged horrified looks.
Arthur's stern face contorted in disbelief as he marched straight toward his eldest daughter.
"Have you lost your mind, Evelyn?" Arthur hissed under his breath, his knuckles white against his sides.
"You are publicly humiliating your own blood on the happiest day of his life!"
Evelyn raised an eyebrow, her expression remaining entirely unbothered by her father's outrage.
"Blood didn't stop him from pushing me out of the doorway five minutes ago," Evelyn replied with lethal calm.
"And blood certainly didn't stop you from standing there and telling me not to ruin his day."
Lucas grabbed Chloe's hand, dragging her toward the head planner who was frantically checking his terminal.
"Re-process the card!" Lucas demanded, his voice cracking with desperation.
"There is over five million dollars in my private trust account at Manhattan National!"
The planner looked up, shaking his head with a look of pity mixed with professional detachment.
"The Vella family trust was frozen ten minutes ago by the primary trustee, sir," the planner revealed.
Every eye in the room turned toward Evelyn, who slowly retrieved her silver smartphone from her clutch.
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"I built that trust with twenty years of my own sweat and capital, Lucas," she remarked coldly.
"You merely spent it."
