Chapter 197

The second Evelyn recognized the figures at her doorstep, every muscle in her body screamed to slam the door shut.

She hadn’t bothered checking the peephole, assuming it was Julian returning after forgetting his keys—a mistake she now deeply regretted.

"Evelyn Carter, how dare you try to shut us out?" Beverly Simmons barged in without hesitation, her presence an unwelcome intrusion. "We’ve been hunting you down for months. How can you afford this luxury apartment when you’re supposed to be penniless?"

Her voice dripped with accusation. "Liar."

Walter Simmons crossed his arms, his tone sharp. "Let’s make one thing clear, Evelyn. Don’t even think about laying a finger on that demolition payout or the house. Everything belongs to my son. He’s the only rightful heir of this family."

Evelyn’s gaze turned glacial. "That house is Aunt Margaret’s. You have no claim over it."

Beverly scoffed. "She only has a daughter. What use does she have for property and money? My brother is still hospitalized. If you take everything and run off with another man, what happens to him? As his brother, it’s my duty to protect his assets. Otherwise, he’ll wake up to nothing."

"How noble of you," Evelyn replied dryly, seeing right through their scheme.

Their greed for the demolition compensation was painfully transparent.

Just then, Alexander stepped out of the bathroom.

His eyes locked onto her adoptive parents, a dangerous glint in his gaze. "Well, well. Back for more? Was the last lesson not enough? Would you like an encore—this time with guaranteed broken bones?"

Walter paled, instinctively cradling his arm—the one that still ached whenever it rained.

Beverly stumbled back but refused to retreat entirely.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Margaret tensed at the commotion. She moved to intervene, but Olivia stopped her with a gentle hand. "Aunt Margaret, let the younger ones handle this. Stay out of sight. Just focus on dinner. We’ll eat when Julian gets back."

Margaret hesitated. "But—shouldn’t I do something?"

Olivia shook her head. "Trust me, it’s better this way. If you step in, it’ll only complicate things. Alexander has it under control."

She wasn’t worried. Not with Alexander there.

Besides, this was his chance to play the protective older brother—something he’d been obsessing over lately.

If she had to hear him mutter about "being a better brother" one more time, she’d lose her mind.

Alexander’s voice cut through the tension. "Get out. If I see you here again, I’ll make sure you never walk properly again."

Beverly shot Evelyn a venomous glare. "This isn’t over, Evelyn Carter! That house is ours, and we will get it!"

Walter opened his mouth to threaten her, but one look from Alexander stole his voice.

They fled without another word.

The taste of defeat was bitter.

They had come to make a scene, to intimidate Evelyn into submission—but they hadn’t expected Alexander to be there.

Instead of causing chaos, they had scurried away like frightened mice.

Alexander’s presence alone was enough to send them running.

He had assumed they’d learned their lesson after the last encounter.

Clearly, he’d overestimated their intelligence.