A shadow crossed Cole's face, and the friend beside him immediately went quiet, not daring to continue.

From within the crowd, a sharp gasp suddenly broke out.

"Hey, look! The third-floor glass panels are lowering!"

Everyone turned their attention upward, and Cole followed their line of sight. The moment he recognized the figure at the poker table, his eyes tightened in shock.

Slowly, the towering glass walls around the third floor descended, while the entire platform shifted forward and hovered at the center of the hall.

At that table sat a woman in a striking red dress, and it was Evelyn.

For a brief second, Cole could only stare at her, his thoughts completely blank.

Noticing his reaction, Kendra pressed her lips together. "Cole, don't tell me Ms. Fowler is doing something this extreme just to provoke you?" she said.

Anger surged through him. Raising his voice, he called out, "Evelyn! You don't even understand dice, so get down here right now!"

Standing nearby, someone tried to calm him. "Forget about her, Cole. She's clearly just trying to get your attention."

"Let her embarrass herself. After she loses Shane's development rights for that project, let's see how she fixes it."

Tension showed in Cole's clenched hands as they trembled slightly. His gaze remained fixed on the two figures above, his thoughts clashing wildly.

Part of him wanted Evelyn to fail. Yet another part of him wanted to rush up there and question her about Shane. The mix of emotions left him struggling to steady himself.

From above, Leland glanced down at the crowd with a faint smile and brushed his chin. "One round to settle everything. What do you say?" he said.

A calm smile appeared on Evelyn's lips. "That works for me."

Before anyone could react, Leland had already grabbed the dice cup. Both hands moved swiftly as he shook it, his motions so quick they blurred together.

Excited murmurs and gasps spread through the hall.

"It's been ages since we've seen Mr. Barnett use that move! She's definitely going to lose!"

"Five years ago was the last time he lost at dice. Since then, no one has beaten him. She doesn't stand a chance!"

With a sharp sound, the dice cup struck the table. Leland then gestured toward Evelyn, signaling her turn.

Lowering her eyes, Evelyn focused on the cup before her. Then she tapped the table with a quick motion, sending the cup flying upward as it flipped over.

Before anyone could even react, her hand moved up and caught it midair. The cup spun across her palm several times, steady like a top.

With a smooth flick, she tossed it again. The cup turned upright before landing neatly back in place.

Silence spread across the hall in an instant, as everyone stood frozen by what they had just witnessed.

Shock spread among Cole's friends, and one of them blurted out, "When did Evelyn get this good?!"

"I've never even seen her touch dice before..."

Cole kept his eyes locked on Evelyn, unable to pull himself away.

Watching him stare so intently, Kendra felt a mix of jealousy and irritation. "I used to think Ms. Fowler was quiet and well-behaved. I never imagined she'd be this capable."

One of Cole's friends gave a mocking laugh. "That innocent act is just for show. Who knows what she's really like when no one's watching?"

While they spoke, Leland's dice were revealed on the platform above. At the same time, the result appeared on the large screen below.

The outcome showed four sixes and a five.

That result meant Evelyn would need five sixes in a single roll to win.

A wave of murmurs filled the hall as people shook their heads. "It's over for her. Getting five sixes isn't easy."

Leaning forward, Leland rested his chin on his clasped hands, confidence written all over his face. "What a waste. The Eastbay District project is huge, and you're about to lose it just like that."

Turning slightly, Evelyn glanced at Shane beside her. "Shane, would you say luck favors you?" she asked.

Shane lifted a brow with calm assurance. "Luck's always been on my side."

"Then I'll leave the reveal to you." She rested her cheek against her hand and gave him a playful wink. "Looks like everything depends on chance now."

Shane caught on right away. Without hesitation, he placed his hand over the dice cup.

Gasps rose from the crowd below.

"Has Mr. Bennett lost his mind? How can he trust her with something like this?!"

Leland turned toward Shane, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "So even the undefeated Mr. Bennett is ready to accept defeat today," he remarked.

Shane answered with a slight smile, "In my world, I don't lose. I only win."

The moment he stopped talking, Shane turned his wrist and raised the dice cup.

Everyone's eyes stayed glued to the massive screen as the dice came into view. When the result showed, it left no room for doubt. Five sixes.

The noise from downstairs died out in an instant. No one had seen that coming. Evelyn had really pulled off five sixes.

Leland brought his hand down hard against the table, then rose quickly from his seat. His stare locked onto Evelyn. "You're the Night Rose," he said, his tone firm with certainty.

Confusion spread among the crowd below. "What?! She's the Night Rose?"

"Didn't she leave the gambling scene five years ago after defeating Mr. Barnett? How is that even possible?"

Now that the truth was out, Evelyn didn't try to hide it. A faint smile formed on her lips. "A bet's a bet," she said.

Without hesitation, Leland lifted his hand and gestured for his men to bring the contract forward. "A deal's a deal. Sterling Reach belongs to you now."

Instead of keeping it, Evelyn slid the contract across the table toward Shane. "Shane, looks like you owe me one now."

For a brief second, something shifted in Shane's eyes as he looked at her. From across the table, Leland spoke again. "Ms. Fowler, the third floor of Gilded Spire will always be open to you. No strings attached. I'd like another game with you someday."

Evelyn gave a small smile. "I'm sure that'll happen."

Leland then turned his attention to Shane. "Mr. Bennett, should we move on to the next project?"

Right at that moment, Evelyn's phone started ringing. She pulled it out, and her expression changed the instant she saw who it was.

"Shane, I need to step away. Something came up," Evelyn said.

He gave a short nod. "Alright."

Evelyn put some distance between them before answering the call.

The moment the line connected, Sallie Fowler's voice came through, sharp and direct. "Sharon told me what happened at the wedding. You've always been the sensible one. What were you thinking?"

Something tightened in Evelyn's throat before she could get a word out. "Mom, I—"

Before she could continue, Sallie spoke over her. "Do you even realize what this will do to our family's name, and yours?"

Another voice slipped into the call, soft and sweet. "Mom, could it be that Evelyn betrayed Cole? Is that why she ran off from the wedding?" Lilian Fowler, the Fowler family's adopted daughter, spoke.

Right away, Sallie's voice turned sharp. "Evie, you will not bring shame to this family. Tomorrow, you're going to Cole's family and you're apologizing."

Brandon Fowler, Evelyn's elder brother, grabbed the phone from Sallie, his voice sharp. "Evelyn, did you plan this just to mess up Lilian's birthday and make things hard for us?! I wouldn't have let Mom take you back if I knew you'd bring this kind of trouble! You can't turn a country bumpkin into a proper lady no matter what!"

"Brandon, don't say that," Lilian said in a soft tone. "I'm sure she meant to come celebrate my birthday. It's just unfortunate that her wedding ended up on the same day."

A short laugh came from Brandon. "She did it on purpose. She didn't want to show up for your birthday, so she picked the same day out of jealousy."

At that, a cold smile appeared on Evelyn's lips. It wasn't even Lilian's birthday today. She had only said she wanted to make up for the one she missed last year.

In the end, every single one of them chose to leave her wedding behind just to take Lilian to Fledmery for a delayed celebration. Now they were placing all the blame on her.

Brandon spoke again, his tone leaving no room for argument. "No matter what happens, you're going to the Bennett family tomorrow and you're getting their forgiveness. Our family won't take this kind of humiliation."

When she heard that, Evelyn's gaze turned cold. "Cole was the one who walked out of the wedding. If anyone should feel ashamed, it's the Bennett family."

"Evelyn, fix this with the Bennett family before we return," Brandon warned, his voice turning sharp. "If you don't, I'll make sure Dad deals with you under the family rules. Let's see how you handle that when he's done."

He didn't wait for her answer and ended the call.

The phone stayed in her hand as her grip slowly tightened. A faint smile crossed her lips, though it carried no warmth. To them, nothing mattered except Lilian and that hollow idea of reputation.

"Evelyn!" Cole's voice rang out with anger as he closed the distance between them. The moment he reached her, his hand clamped around her arm. "So this was your move? You handed the Sterling Reach contract to Shane just to get back at me?"

Evelyn turned to Cole, her expression hard. "Take your hand off me."

One of Cole's friends stepped forward at once, his tone filled with anger. "Cole's been the one handling the Sterling Reach project from the start. Everyone knows he and Shane don't get along, so what you're doing right now is humiliating him!"

With reddened eyes, Kendra spoke softly, as if trying to smooth things over. "Ms. Fowler, I understand why you're upset about today. If you need someone to blame, then put it on me. Please don't take it out on Cole. He only left because he was worried about me."

A crease formed on Cole's forehead as his grip on Evelyn's hand tightened. "You're just acting out right now, so I'll ignore it this time. Besides, the contract is already secured. Bring it over tomorrow, and apologize to my mother."

Even at this point, he still believed she was only making a scene and that the Sterling Reach contract would eventually land in his hands.

Evelyn looked at him, and a hint of mockery flickered in her eyes. "Don't worry. I'll be visiting your family tomorrow."

And she would make sure everything changed.

With a sharp motion, she pulled her hand free and spoke without emotion. "I have something else to deal with."

Without sparing them another glance, she walked past them and left.

The following day, as Evelyn followed the butler into the Bennett family's living room, Sharon's voice reached her ears before she even stepped fully inside.

"You've spoiled her too much! She actually ran off on her wedding day. She's turned our family into a joke!"

Cole remained seated on the sofa, saying nothing.

Seated beside Sharon, Olivia Bennett, Cole's young sister, let out a mocking laugh. "If you ask me, Cole should've chosen Kendra from the start. With someone like Evelyn as my soon-to-be sister-in-law, I can't even hold my head up in Slomery."

She added, "Let's be honest, if Kendra didn't have heart disease and could have children, Evelyn would never have had a chance at becoming Cole's wife."

Turning sharply toward her son, Sharon didn't hold back. "And you're no better! If you had gotten Evelyn pregnant earlier, would she even dare act like this now?"

A shadow passed over Cole's face, yet he said nothing in return.

Outside the doorway, Evelyn let out a quiet, cold laugh. In all the time she had spent with him, even something as simple as an embrace had barely happened.

After everything she had seen, she understood one thing clearly. His restraint had never been about her. It had always been for Kendra.

Without paying attention to the butler's uneasy look, Evelyn stepped inside.

The moment Cole saw her, he rose to his feet. "Evie, you made it."

"Looks like I arrived at the wrong moment." Evelyn's gaze swept across the room before settling on him. "I interrupted your discussion about me."

For a brief second, Cole's expression faltered, but he quickly moved closer. "You've got it wrong. We've been waiting for you."

While speaking, he extended his hand toward her. "Where's the contract? My father is upstairs. I'll bring it to him, and once everything checks out, the wedding will proceed."

"The wedding will proceed? That's not gonna happen!" A harsh sound rang out as Sharon slammed her cup onto the table. Her eyes locked onto Evelyn, filled with open hostility. "She's dragged our family's name through the mud! Everyone in Slomery is laughing at us now! If she still wants to marry you, that's fine!"

Her gaze dropped lower, lingering with clear intent. "But forget any ceremony. She already embarrassed us at the wedding yesterday. If she wants to be part of this family, then wait until she's carrying your child. Only then will we consider making it official. Otherwise, she can give up that idea entirely!"

A quiet laugh slipped from Olivia as she covered her mouth. "Mom, she's still a Fowler. Do you really think she'd agree to have my brother's child without a proper marriage?"

Disdain showed plainly on Sharon's face. "A Fowler? Don't make me laugh. She's nothing more than a woman from the countryside. Letting her step into this house was already more than she deserved."

Cole shifted slightly, unease flashing across his face, though his focus stayed elsewhere. "Mom, can we stop this already?"

All he cared about was getting the contract in hand. Everything else could be handled later.

With that in mind, he turned toward Evelyn, his tone softening. "Evie, don't take what my mother said seriously."

"It doesn't matter," she responded, and a faint smile curved on her lips as she cut in. Her eyes held a calm certainty as she continued. "To be honest, I never intended to marry you from the beginning."

For a second, Cole froze, caught off guard. He had always believed she wouldn't walk away from him, that she would even accept his mother's conditions without hesitation. Relief crept into his voice. "Evie, don't worry. Once we have a child, I'll make sure we get married right away."

Evelyn said nothing at first and simply watched them, the hint of a cold smile slowly forming.

"I won't be marrying you. Because..." With deliberate movement, she reached into her handbag and pulled out a document.