Tristan and Eva entered the living room, tension thick in the air. Tristan’s sharp gaze landed on Andrew, his lips curling into a twisted grin. “I gave him a chance, and he blew it. If he keeps this up, he’ll lose her for good,” Tristan thought, his expression taunting.

Andrew met Tristan’s gaze, confused by the smug look on his brother-in-law’s face. “What the hell is with that grin?”Andrew wondered, feeling a flicker of irritation.

Just then, Evander strolled into the room, his usual playful smile plastered across his face. “Gathering without me? How rude,” he quipped, his voice breaking the silent standoff between Andrew and Tristan.

Tristan rolled his eyes internally. “Great. Another troublemaker,” he thought.

Meanwhile, Eva’s eyes wandered toward the backyard patio, where Camilla sat alone, sipping her coffee. Despite everything, Eva couldn’t ignore the uneasy feeling in her chest—she knew Camilla must be worried about Jessica, even if her actions had always been cruel. Eva took a deep breath and walked over to her, hoping for a civil conversation.

She sat down beside Camilla on the patio, her voice gentle. “Mom, how are you?”

Camilla stiffened and shot Eva a glare, her lips curling into a sneer. “Don’t call me that.” She took another sip of her coffee, her eyes narrowing. “The word ‘mom’ shouldn’t come from a filthy mouth like yours.”

Eva swallowed hard, her heart aching at the venom in Camilla’s tone. “I’m sorry... Mrs. Foster,” she whispered.

Camilla tilted her head, her smile bitter. “So, how’s your glamorous life?” she asked sarcastically. “I’m sure you’re enjoying every second of it.”

Eva flinched at the words. Despite the wealth the Foster family had, she had never been treated as part of it—especially in Tristan’s absence. Camilla and Jessica had taken every opportunity to make her life a nightmare.

“Mrs. Foster,” Eva began cautiously, “you know the circumstances of my marriage. It’s not as simple as you think.”

Camilla’s eyes glinted with cruelty. “I didn’t tell you to sit,” she snapped. Before Eva could react, Camilla splashed her coffee directly in Eva’s face.

“Ahh!” Eva gasped as the hot liquid seared her skin. She tried to stand, but Camilla grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her back down.

“Don’t scream,” Camilla hissed. “If you do, I’ll make sure Jessica destroys what’s left of your miserable life when she returns.” With a sinister smirk, Camilla released Eva’s hair and stormed off, leaving her crumpled on the ground.

Eva fell to her knees, clutching her burning face as tears streamed down her cheeks. How much more humiliation must I endure? she thought, broken and defeated.

At that moment, Irene passed by and spotted Eva on the patio, her heart sinking at the sight of her sister-in-law on the ground. “Oh my God, are you okay?” Irene rushed over, gently lifting Eva’s face.

“No,” Eva whispered between sobs. “It hurts so much.”

Irene’s heart ached at the sight of the redness spreading across Eva’s face from the scalding coffee. She grabbed Eva’s hands, holding them tight. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Eva shook her head, her voice trembling. “No. Everyone will see me.”

“They’re all in the meeting room,” Irene reassured her as she helped Eva stand. “No one will see.”

As they made their way inside, they bumped into Edward, who looked concerned when he noticed Eva’s tear-streaked face.

“What happened?” Edward asked, worry etched across his face.

“It’s nothing,” Eva answered quickly, brushing off his concern. “Just spilled water.”

Edward didn’t believe her, but he didn’t press the issue. “If you need anything, let me know,” he offered, pointing toward the study where Andrew was waiting for him. Eva gave him a weak smile and continued toward Mia’s room with Irene.

In Mia’s room, Eva sat on the edge of the bed as Mia fussed over her, her heart aching for her sister. “Eva, are you okay? What happened?” Mia asked, her voice full of concern.

Eva gave a small, shaky nod. “I’m fine.”

Mia hurried to the bathroom, returning with a bowl of cold water and a soft towel. Irene dipped the towel in the water and carefully dabbed it on Eva’s red, swollen face.

“It hurts,” Eva whimpered, flinching under the cool touch.

“I know,” Irene whispered, trying to soothe her. “Just a little longer, okay? I’ll be as gentle as I can.”

Tears welled up in Eva’s eyes again. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

Exhausted from the events of the day, Eva’s body gave in, and she drifted off to sleep. Mia and Irene exchanged worried glances as they watched her rest.

“She will never change,” Mia muttered angrily, referring to their mother. “How could she do this to Eva?”

Irene shook her head, guilt gnawing at her. “Eva hinted that she has always been this way,” she admitted softly. “But I didn’t realize it was still this bad.”

As Eva slept, memories from the past haunted her dreams. She was fifteen again, playing with a twelve-year-old Mia in the backyard, their laughter filling the air.

Suddenly, Jessica stormed into the room, her face twisted with rage. “I hate you, you little bitch!” Jessica screamed, grabbing Eva by the hair and dragging her toward the pool.

“Jessica, stop!” Mia cried, but Jessica shoved her into the cold water without hesitation.

Eva gasped as she hit the water, struggling to stay afloat.

Camilla appeared at the edge of the pool, laughing cruelly. “Stay in there until I say otherwise,” she ordered with a smug grin.

Mia tried to help, but Jessica grabbed her arm. “Stay out of it, or you’ll regret it,” Jessica warned.

“Go to your room, Mia,” Camilla added with a sneer.

“Mia, it’s okay,” Eva whispered through chattering teeth, her heart breaking as she saw the fear in her little sister’s eyes. “Just go.”

Reluctantly, Mia left, tears streaming down her face. Eva remained in the pool for five hours, shivering as the cold seeped into her bones.

When Camilla finally let her out, Eva could barely stand. A maid helped her to her room, changed her into dry clothes, and left her lying on the bed with a high fever.

Mia sneaked back into the room, tears in her eyes. “Eva, you’re burning up,” she whispered, pressing a hand to her sister’s forehead.

She ran to get cold cloths and gently placed them on Eva’s forehead, trying to bring down her fever. “I’ll take care of you,” Mia whispered, her young heart aching as she watched her sister suffer in silence.

Eva stirred awake from the nightmare, her heart heavy with the weight of the past. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she sat up, clutching the blanket tightly around her.

Irene sat beside her, gently squeezing her hand. “It’s okay, Eva,” she whispered. “You’re safe now.”

But Eva wasn’t sure if she believed that.