“Nothing. Whoever did it wiped everything clean. No names, no paperwork-just gone.”
Elliana didn’t respond right away. This didn’t surprise her. Whoever had the influence to register their marriage without either of them knowing clearly wasn’t just anyone. Since the mastermind managed to pull that off, all traces had likely been wiped clean, leaving nothing behind for anyone to uncover. With Cole coming up empty-handed, it looked like she would have to rely on her own connections to get what she needed…
By morning, Elliana was still in the same bed, wrapped in sheets that felt too soft to leave. She had been awake until late at night and barely got any rest. Though her eyes were open, she had no desire to leave the bed. But the reminder of her SATs pushed her to force herself up, no matter how much she wanted to stay still.
Cole, already dressed, sat beside her like he’d been waiting. The moment her eyes met his, he offered a crooked smile. “Feeling nervous?”
Part of her wanted to brush it off and say she had it in the bag, but she nodded instead. “Very much. Barely studied, weak foundation-might completely bomb it and embarrass you while I’m at it.”
Cole let out a low laugh. For someone claiming to be nervous, she sure looked perfectly calm to him. Truth be told, the nervous one was him. With her promise to give an answer after the exams, he kept imagining the worst-that the spark would die out by then and she’d decide to reject him.
Completely unaware of what was spinning through his mind, Elliana found her own thoughts drifting back to the night before. Her face turned warm, and without a word, she tossed the covers aside and rushed into the bathroom.
After getting dressed, the two of them headed downstairs side by side. Education was sacred in the Evans household. With Elliana and Trinity both sitting for the SATs, Ruben and several relatives were already up, eager to send them off properly.
A feast of a breakfast awaited at the table, and Ruben, ever the family figurehead, shared words of encouragement meant for both girls. Others chimed in with their good wishes, too.
Naturally, all the attention centered around Trinity. Elliana barely registered to them, like they’d already made peace with her being the family disappointment.
Trinity basked in the extra attention lavished on her, so she turned on the charm in earnest. “Thank you so much, Ruben, and thank you all. I promise I won’t let any…”
“Of you down.” Then, with a glance that carried zero sincerity, she looked at Elliana. “Good luck, Elliana. Let’s both aim to make the Evans name proud.”
“Her? As the pride of the Evans family? What a joke.” Jeff couldn’t resist throwing a jab, even if it would earn him another scolding from Ruben. The urge to belittle Elliana was just too strong. “I mean, casting aside her self-taught education and lack of any teachers to tutor her, the past week saw her wandering around while Trinity was buried in prep. Do you seriously think she can pull this off?”
Trinity hid a smirk behind her juice glass. Jeff had done exactly what she hoped-humiliate Elliana in front of everyone without her having to lift a finger.
Elliana cast a cool, disinterested look in Jeff’s direction and didn’t bother replying. She knew better than to waste words on someone like him. Ignoring him would sting more than any insult.
And just as expected, the lack of reaction lit a fire in Jeff. He was fuming
“Elliana, don’t think you’re untouchable just because Grandpa’s got your back. You’re nothing but a lowlife… Ow!” Before Jeff could finish, a biscuit came flying out of nowhere, smacking him square in the mouth and knocking him off his chair with a yelp.
Everyone froze, jaws dropping.
Humiliated, Jeff scrambled up from the floor, glaring at Elliana. “What gives you the right to throw stuff at me?”
Elliana took a slow sip of her milk. “Talk smack about me again, and you’ll wish you hadn’t.”
“You!” Jeff rolled up his sleeves, ready to throw hands, but one look at his seat made him pause. “Pain’s gone, and now you forget the lesson, huh? You deserve a smackdown from your cousin-in-law!”
With Jeff handled, Elliana went back to her breakfast, not sparing Trinity a glance.
Trinity squirmed, her face flushing with embarrassment. She swore to herself that once the SAT results came out, she’d put Elliana in her place.
After breakfast, Elliana hopped into Cole’s car to head to school.
Trinity was itching to ride along but too scared to ask. Cole was obsessive about cleanliness and never let another woman in his car. She shot Elliana a jealous glare, cursing inwardly. How did that plain Jane get so lucky to get into Cole’s car?
At the school gate, Elliana thanked Cole, grabbed her bag, and started to climb out when he caught her wrist. She turned, expecting a pep talk, but instead, he said, “Don’t forget our deal. Once the exams are done, think hard about the answer you’re going to give me.”
Elliana was speechless. Shouldn’t he be telling her to keep her cool during the test, not to freak out, and to double-check her work? Nope, all he cared about was his own desires, as if the SATs-his grandpa’s big deal-were just a blip on his radar. He wasn’t even worried she’d bomb it and make him 100k bad!
“Fine,” she said flatly, then got out of the car.
The next two days were smooth sailing for Elliana-grueling exams by day, chilling at the Evans family’s place by night.
By the afternoon of the second day, she’d made up her mind about Cole’s question. She couldn’t say yes. Her mom’s advice from years ago echoed in her head, hinting at some invisible force behind that fateful fire, pulling strings on her and her mother’s fates. She had to track down that puppet master and unravel the truth, or she’d never find her mom. With so much on her plate, getting tangled up in romance would only slow her down. Cole was a catch-charming, tempting, but she had to let it go.
Her only reason for sticking with the Evans family was to dig into the mystery of that marriage certificate. Beyond that piece of paper, she and Cole had nothing.
Decision made, she took a deep breath and strolled out of the school gate.
Cole wasn’t there to pick her up like the day before. Instead, Paulina was waiting.
Spotting Elliana, Paulina flashed a warm smile and opened the car door. “Mrs. Evans, Mr. Evans got tied up in an emergency meeting, so he sent me to get you.”
Elliana nodded and got into the car.
Hugh, behind the wheel again, shot her a frosty glance, not bothering with a greeting.
Elliana had noticed his attitude the last time when he drove her to Paige’s engagement party. He clearly had a chip on his shoulder. She cut to the chase. “You got a problem with me?”
“Yup,” Hugh said, not sugarcoating it.
“Because I’m not pretty?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.