The Lancaster estate was a fortress of power and old money, and today, it was the setting for something far more scandalous than any high-society event in recent memory.
The wedding of Nathaniel Lancaster and Evelyn Carter.
The ceremony was private, attended only by the necessary witnesses, but that didn't mean the world wasn't watching. The media was already in a frenzy, speculating wildly about why the infamous head of the Lancaster empire was marrying the woman his son had so publicly discarded.
And more importantly, how Daniel was taking it.
That answer came sooner than expected.
I stood in front of the grand mirror in one of the estate's lavish guest rooms, adjusting the pearl earrings that now belonged to me. The wedding dress was far simpler than the one I had worn before—elegant, sleek, powerful. Gone was the blushing bride who had once dreamed of love. Today, I was something else entirely.
The door burst open behind me.
I didn't need to turn to know who it was.
"Tell me this is a joke."
Daniel's voice was raw with disbelief and fury.
Slowly, deliberately, I met his reflection in the mirror. "Ah. There you are."
His expression was one I would never forget—pure shock, edged with something dangerously close to panic.
"What the hell are you doing, Evelyn?"
I turned to face him fully, my gaze unwavering. "I thought that would be obvious."
His jaw clenched. "This—this is insane. My father? You're marrying my father?"
I tilted my head, feigning curiosity. "And why do you care?"
Daniel let out a sharp laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Why do I care?" He took a step closer, his hands balled into fists. "Because this is wrong."
"Ah," I mused. "And what you did to me wasn't?"
His mouth opened, then shut.
I smiled—slow, cold, victorious. "You didn't expect me to bounce back, did you? You thought I'd disappear, tail between my legs, while you paraded around with her."
A muscle ticked in his jaw. "This isn't about Lena."
I arched a brow. "Isn't it?"
He took another step forward. "Evelyn, listen to me. You don't have to do this."
I laughed softly. "That's where you're wrong."
His expression darkened, his desperation bleeding into anger. "You're only doing this to get back at me."
I shrugged. "And?"
Daniel exhaled harshly. "He's twice your age."
I gave him a pitying look. "Funny. You weren't concerned about age when you were screwing my best friend."
His face twisted. "You don't love him."
I smiled again. "You didn't love me either."
For the first time, Daniel looked uncertain. His arrogance had always been his strongest armor, but now, I had shattered it.
"This won't last," he muttered, grasping for control. "You're just a temporary amusement for him."
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Even if that were true… I will still be Mrs. Lancaster. Your stepmother. The woman with more power than you'll ever have."
He flinched.
God, how I savored that reaction.
A knock at the door interrupted the moment.
Nathaniel's voice was calm, steady. "It's time."
Daniel's head snapped toward the door, fury clouding his expression. But I didn't give him another glance.
I swept past him, leaving him standing there in the ruins of his pride.
Today, he lost.
And for the first time in my life, I had truly won.