Chapter 57

Without saying much, Brandon placed the safe holding the tanzanite back in the backseat.

He had never planned to give the tanzanite to Vivian.That was the whole point of bidding on the ruby pendant in the first place.

By handing her the pendant, he could easily spinsome weak excuse to hold on to the tanzanite.

What Brandon couldn't understand was why he even needed an excuse.

He had never needed to explain himself before.

·.·

Millie had already stepped off the helicopter. She was curled up in the back seat of the Maybach taking her to the hospital.

The car glided steadily while she curled up in the back seat.

"How do you feel? Are you okay?" Charles asked,concerned.

Millie nodded slightly to say she was okay and kept her eyes fixed on the passing street outside the window.

The gala had drained her completely. Her body was fine,but her mind felt like it had been through a storm.

The night was thick and quiet. Outside, gusts of wind whipped around tufts of willow fluff, stirring them into swirling little clouds along the pavement.

When was the last time she'd felt this worn out?

It must have been four years ago, in Proidan.

They had been on a massive cruise ship, caught up in a heated auction. Glasses clinked in the background while a man beside her gripped her hand tightly,raising the bidding paddle over and over.

While others hesitated, he moved in, again and again,his presence sparking another war of bids. Two men argued furiously, unaware that they were being carefully outmaneuvered-pushed and prodded by someone they couldn't even see.

He leaned close and whispered, "Letting your emotions run wild is the quickest way to lose in this game. Just watch them."

That year, they had partnered, working from different angles to stir the auction to chaos. They drained the main competitor's funds before the real prize even hit the stage.

And when it finally appeared, they took it without much resistance. Later, they slipped into a small waiting boat, auction item secured. Behind them, the ship descended into confusion, but she was steady beside him.

The wind on the deck that night had been harsh, but he shielded her from the worst of it.

He once told her he wasn't the kind of man who made romantic declarations-but she was in his future.

Back then, that had felt like the most beautiful love declaration.

To her, love meant being equal partners, pushing forward together. So she had always given her all.

But eventually,everything changed.

Millie shut her eyes.

Vivian had come into the picture.

Charles quietly told the driver to slow down. Then he pulled out his phone. He scrolled for a while, his frown deepening with every flick of his thumb.

Millie noticed. "What is it?" she asked, turning toward him.

Charles hesitated. He didn't want to talk about this.But Millie was looking at him.

And eventually, he figured there was no point hiding it.With how fast everything moved online, she'd find out soon anyway.

So he handed her the phone.

Millie took it and scrolled through the feed.

Beside her, Charles could barely keep still. "Do you see this nonsense? Why aren't they praising you for standing up to Brandon, for staying strong through all of this? Why is it all about Vivian? And now they're spreading rumors that you faked your donation? What rubbish! That tanzanite is yours. You gave way more than Vivian ever did. If anyone's riding on someone else's reputation,it's her!"

The more he spoke, the more his anger rose.

"We never even invited Vivian. She just showed up,"Charles continued. "I double-checked; she didn't make any donation afterward. She was just tagging along with Brandon."

Millie read everything quietly, and then passed the phone back to him.

"She's close to Brandon. People just assume the donations are from both of them," she said softly.

"But..." Charles opened his mouth to argue but didn't say anything.

He had wanted to point out that thedivorce hadn't been finalized, that technically, Brandon was spending money that still belonged to both of him and Millie. But the words didn't come.

He didn't want to hurt her further.

Still,Millie understood what he was thinking.

She gave a small, dry smile. "We signed a prenup.

There are a lot of things I can't take with me."

When she noticed the way Charles scowled,she added,"That's how big families operate, isn't it? I bet the Evans family isn't any different. And about the online rumors, I haven't decided to reveal my identity yet."

Charles gave a slow nod.

He knew that already. And he hated how unfair it all felt.

Millie could sense that Charles got what she meant,so she turned and kept her eyes on the window.

Charles glanced sideways at her, and then looked away.

If only he were powerful enough, if he had the strength to kick out his two older brothers and take control of Evans Group. If his voice carried weight with their grandfather. Then maybe Millie wouldn't have to face all this alone.

His hands clenched at his sides.

Outside, the night held a solemn silence. The car sliced through it, the road lined with swirling tufts of willow fluff, the hospital drawing closer.

Elsewhere, in the back seat of a Bentley, the Elliott siblings sat together.

Adriana scrolled through post after post, her face cold,her mouth twisted in disdain.

Jayceon suddenly shouted, "These people are really missing the point! All this fuss over Vivian! What about Serena's talent? That's what should be trending!"

Adriana shot him a glance. "You might get it,but most people aren't thinking that deeply. They're just chasing gossip. They don't care about what went down at the auction."

Jayceon crossed his arms, scowling. Still, he just didn't like Vivian.

He muttered, "What does she even do, besides marketing herself? If she's sick, get treated. If it's incurable, get the best care. She's already clinging to Brandon; she'll never be short of money. But what's the point with this daily drama? Isn't she supposed to be so kind? Kind to everyone but Millie-ouch!"

Adriana had reached over and smacked the back of his head.

Jayceon winced. "You hit me again!"

Adriana said, rolling her eyes, "You talk too much.It's exhausting."

Seriously, can't you go easy on me for once? I'm your brother!"

"I'm hitting you because you need it," she snapped."Yes, I know you can't stand Vivian. I don't like her either. But if you only look at what's in front of you,you'll miss the real game."

She turned to their older brother with a nod. "Vivian's got good instincts, sure, but someone's helping her.She's not doing all this alone."

Jayceon frowned,confused.

Adriana sighed. "Listen. Everything she says sounds gentle. She treats Millie with polite distance. She doesn't openly challenge Serena. But in the end,people online still turn on both of them. That's not a coincidence. That's coordination. It's her words,yes.But it's also a marketing team, crafting the image and planting the narratives."