“Because a sudden fortune is a beacon for the police, Leo,” Evelyn whispered, her voice entirely devoid of remorse. “I knew that if a poor live-in nurse suddenly started spending millions, they would come knocking. The frugal life wasn’t just a cover; it was our armor. By the time the heat died down decades later, the lie had become my reality. I became the poor widow everyone pitied.”
A bitter, mocking smile touched her lips as she turned her gaze toward Chloe. “It wasn’t about the money, to be honest. Every night, I would open that box. I watched your family, a family that treated me like scum, fall into poverty, Chloe, while I held the very soul of your ancestry in my hands. And when Leo brought you home? I realized the universe had handed me the ultimate victory.”
Evelyn reached out, her wrinkled fingers brushing the velvet box. “I didn’t want to spend it on myself. I wanted to use it to buy my way into a bloodline such as yours. I kept it whole for sixty years, wondering how I could use it. And now what pleasure to watch you bow your head and thank me for giving you back what was always yours.”