Chapter 7

OLIVIA’S POV Evelyn took center stage, her presence commanding the room like a well-rehearsed actress delivering the performance of a lifetime. She looked around, her eyes glistening with unshed tears—tears I knew were nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion. Her lips quivered just enough to sell the act before she turned to Dominic, her voice trembling as if she were recounting the most painful betrayal of her life. "Five years ago," she began, pausing for effect, "I found out Olivia had the same mark as me… and she went crazy with jealousy. We argued that day, she even called me names, and that’s when she pushed me into that group of thugs. And then, she faked the mark to steal my place!" Gasps echoed through the hall. The tension thickened, suffocating me as I tried to process what I had just heard. I felt the blood drain from my face. That was a lie. A bold, blatant lie. "I never—" My voice came out raw, desperate. But Evelyn wasn’t finished. Her expression shifted, eyes dar