rough the room like a whip, his cane slammi

?" he demanded, his tone heavy with authority. "I've long kept my distance from the private matters of the younger generation, but this-this is not something I can overlook. O

situation forced him to lower his head in bitter submission.

ame. If looks could kill, she'd have vanished on t

swallow the humiliation of being

n before Albin could speak. "The engagement will not be dissolv

pa, I won't marry a woman who's betrayed me. She's mute and has slept with someone

ement because Evelina's beauty was unmatche

mfort rose in his chest. The idea of a wife who couldn't even

with Tessa, who was bold and free-spirit

ave in to temptation and slept with her had left them both reeling-Tessa had

er pleading and ag

ss striking but easier to control than Evelina, who always se

e whole fiasco himself, scheming for a

ent a passionate night with Evelina himself and made it look like

which lucky man ha

of her bare shoulder. His mind drifted, imagining her groani

lousy and resentment flashing in her eyes. Deep down, she vowed s

ension, yanking everyone back to the present

ally spoke up. "The engagement stands. The Quinn fam

oom drifted to Evelina and T

lamped his mouth shut, suddenly as docile as

doptive mother, Joanna Quinn. Her gentle, bashful act only height

e. She watched helplessly as Cole's gaze lingered on Tessa,

rippled amon

Joanna's grief had nearly broken her, until the family adopted a girl from an or

s none other

of the blue, clutching a DNA report-a perf

licly welcomed back their biological daughter, Evelina, a girl who had weathered years of hardship. They even dec

he past few years had be

astating car crash, and the shock had stolen her voic

aring-Evelina eclipsed Tessa, save for

ess teetered on collapse, the Dawson family's

urrected the Quinn

families' elders soon settled on the idea, seeing it as the best way to secure their mutual interests for years to c

an sentiment. The Dawson famil

r by blood. That way, there could be no question o

vanished overnight. Yet family interests still took priority. Gerald reluctantly ac

rush Tessa into marriage," Joanna burst out, breaking her s

wanted this marriage. She'd only ever been a bargaining chip-nothing more than a pawn for the Qui

ching for a single sympathetic face. None met her eyes. Even her own blood famil

y better, it seemed that Te

e careful way everyone tiptoed around Tessa's feelings, the endless gifts, the gentle reassurance

wn even a trace of affection toward

verlook. Seventeen years old and thrust back into a house that never truly welcomed her, Evel

oom closet tucked beside the maid's quarters, cramped and windowless, w

dollars-barely enough to cover necessities. Each day,

dicated maid to serve up elaborate meals. If Tessa grew tired of home-cooked meals, she could simply cal

public boarding school, Tessa was chauffeu

her old life. Meanwhile, Tessa's closets overflowed with dazzling dresse

ts car topped with a velvet bow. Evelina's own eighteenth birthday slipp

d at the edge of Tessa's lavish celebration, watching from the shado

en Evelina's day arrived, let a

marriage alliance, but not once did anyone pause to wonder what Evelina wanted-

estioned who truly be

betrayed by the man she was supposed to marry and her adopt

ine to someone else's joke-her very existe