Photo?

Evelyn Ross paused, her fingers hovering over the screen.

She replied to Chloe Roland: "It's a six-hour drive from New York to San Francisco. What time will your brother arrive?"

Chloe responded instantly: "Around noon! My brother got the photo this morning and sent it to our parents immediately. They were extremely emotional and insisted on speaking with you in person."

Evelyn was taken aback.

Communication was so advanced now.

What couldn't be discussed over the phone?

They had to meet face to face…

That photo seemed related to Mrs. Nan.

Mrs. Nan was Sophia Ashcroft's mother…

This matter appeared to be of great significance.

Evelyn replied with a simple "Okay."

After finishing her morning routine and stepping out, she was met with unexpected news.

"The Equestrian Club?"

Evelyn frowned slightly.

Margaret Evans stood before her, offering a insincere smile. "There's a business event at the club today. As the head of the Vance family, Alexander must attend. You're his wife, so naturally, you'll accompany him."

She warmly took Isabella Ashcroft's hand. "Julian and Isabella are coming too. You can ride, right, Isabella?"

Isabella smiled and nodded. "Of course. My father took me to the club since I was a child. I even had my own pony… You remember that, Evelyn? I was too scared to ride back then. You had to lead the pony around for me."

Evelyn's eyes darkened.

Horseback riding was popular in elite circles.

When she was seven, Isabella got her own pony.

She wore exquisite riding gear, excitedly petting the small horse.

Evelyn could only hold the reins for her.

Isabella would yell while riding, "Faster! Did you not eat?"

…She really hadn't.

At seven years old, she had to attend to Isabella first thing in the morning. Linda Lowell never gave her time for breakfast.

She hated the weekly riding lessons the most.

Isabella was like a princess, while she…

Isabella's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Evelyn, come with us today. I might still need your help mounting. I haven't been back to the Ashcroft family for years, and I'm still not used to getting on a horse."

Evelyn's fists clenched abruptly.

Margaret looked curious. "Evelyn can help you mount?"

Isabella nodded. "Yes. When I was first learning, I couldn't get on. Evelyn would kneel down to act as my mounting block…"

Evelyn shot her a sharp, piercing look.

That was her humiliating past.

She didn't kneel voluntarily.

Linda Lowell forced her head down, allowing Isabella to trample her dignity…

Her jaw tightened as she prepared to speak.

But Isabella lowered her head first. "We were young and didn't know any better back then, Evelyn. Please don't hold it against me…"

Evelyn let out a scornful laugh.

Young?

Isabella had always been rotten to the core.

She knew exactly how to hit Linda's pressure points, how to make Evelyn suffer more.

Just like now, apologizing with her words while her eyes gleamed with venom.

Evelyn looked at her coldly. "You said the wrong thing."

Isabella bowed her head. "Evelyn, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up your childhood. I didn't mean to…"

Margaret immediately chimed in. "Evelyn, Isabella didn't do it on purpose. Stop being so aggressive! Besides, you were just a love child back then. Wasn't it natural for her to bully you?"

Eleanor Vance slammed the table. "From now on, I won't allow the term 'love child' to be uttered in this house! My granddaughter-in-law is not a love child!"

Margaret sneered. "The state doesn't control what I say. Does the Vance family not allow freedom of speech? Is Alexander's wife so precious that us ordinary people can't even say 'love child'?"

Eleanor was left speechless.

But Evelyn smiled. "Sister-in-law, I never said you couldn't use that term."

Margaret scoffed. "Then why did you say Isabella was wrong? Isn't it because she mentioned your childhood? How is that different from forbidding it?"

Isabella added, "Evelyn, I already apologized. You…"

Smack!

Evelyn raised her hand and delivered a stinging slap across Isabella's face.

Isabella covered her cheek, stunned.

Margaret shrieked, "Evelyn! How dare you? This is not your place to cause trouble!"

Isabella's eyes welled with tears. "Evelyn, I misspoke once. Was violence necessary…"

Evelyn smirked coldly. "Misspoke once? Every word you said was wrong! Isabella, the Vance family values etiquette above all. Addressing an elder by their direct name—is that your idea of manners?"

Isabella was rendered speechless.

Evelyn turned to Margaret. "Sister-in-law, it's fine to defend your daughter-in-law. But even a love child like me understands respect for elders. Don't you, a lady from a good family, know that? As an elder, I'm disciplining a junior, teaching her manners to avoid public embarrassment. Do you have a problem with that?"

Margaret was also left speechless.

Evelyn fixed her cold gaze on Isabella. "What were you trying to say just now? Say it again properly!"

Isabella seethed, her chest heaving, but she could only grit her teeth and say, "... Aunt Evelyn, at the club today, may I trouble you to assist me onto my horse?"

A deep voice came from upstairs. "Since you know she's your aunt, you should understand that an elder does not assist a junior onto a horse!"

Alexander Vance looked at Isabella with a cold, stern gaze, a flicker of murderous intent in his eyes.

Isabella recoiled in fear.

Alexander turned to Evelyn. "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

Margaret hurriedly interjected, "That won't do! Your身份 was just revealed last night. If you skip an important event today, people will think the Mrs. Vance is unfit for high society and that she's an embarrassment to you!"

Alexander's voice was icy. "Brother relies on his wife for face—that's your business. My reputation doesn't depend on my wife!"

He asked Evelyn again, "Do you want to go?"

Evelyn was about to answer when her phone vibrated.

A message from Chloe Roland: "So angry! My brother arrived in San Francisco but didn't come home. He went to the Equestrian Club with some公子哥 from New York! Said he'll see you tonight. This is too much!"

Evelyn narrowed her eyes.

She hadn't expected Ryan Roland to be at the club too.

Thinking of Mr. and Mrs. Roland repeatedly mentioning the photo, of Chloe saying she absolutely had to see it in person…

A smile touched Evelyn's lips. "I'll go."