The lead officer cleared his throat, the sound sharp in the sudden quiet. "The missing wallet—who does it belong to?"

Seraphina stepped forward, her voice small. "It’s mine."

"And did you personally witness Evelyn taking it?"

"I didn't, but... Dominic did." Seraphina turned her shimmering, tear-filled gaze toward him. "Dominic, you said you saw her, didn't you?"

Dominic looked at Evelyn. She was leaning against the rough-hewn wall, watching him with an expression that bordered on boredom. There was no fear in her eyes, only a cold, expectant stillness.

Caleb nudged his brother sharply. "Dominic, the police asked you a question. Tell them."

"Yes," Dominic said, finally breaking eye contact with his sister. "I saw her."

Even then, Evelyn didn’t flinch. Her composure remained absolute, as if she had already read the script of their betrayal long before they arrived.

"You are certain?" the officer pressed. "You saw Evelyn take Seraphina’s wallet with her own hands?"

Dominic nodded.

Watching Evelyn’s eerie silence, an inexplicable sense of dread began to gnaw at Julian’s gut. "Evelyn," he interjected, his voice softening, "you can keep the money. Keep some of the coupons, too. Just return the rest, and we’ll drop this. No charges."

Evelyn didn't even look at him. She addressed the officer instead. "Dominic and Seraphina are conspirators with a documented history of slander. Dominic’s word is not evidence; it is a vendetta."

"I saw it too!" Caleb shouted, his face flushing with anger. "Go search her room! I know it’s in there!"

Evelyn ignored the outburst. "They are fabricating this to punish me for not intervening on their behalf at the farm. I ask that the police find the truth and clear my name."

Julian’s brow darkened. "Evelyn, be reasonable! Just give back a portion, and I’ll make sure this goes no further."

"Evelyn, please," Seraphina added, her voice a fragile plea. "Just give it back. I know you didn't have much when you arrived. Julian and I... we’ll help you."

"I am not close with any of you," Evelyn said, her voice dripping with sudden, sharp revulsion. "I would prefer it if you kept my name out of your mouths. It feels stained just hearing you speak it."

Julian bristled at her defiance, while Seraphina’s face crumpled into a mask of wounded sorrow.

Caleb, losing all restraint, turned to the officers. "Comrades! Search her house! There’s so much money in that wallet, she couldn't have spent it all yet. If she has cash on her, it’s stolen!"

From the sidelines, Adrian spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "And why, exactly, is it impossible for her to have money of her own?"

Caleb let out a scoffing laugh. "Her family fell apart right before she left. Her parents didn't give her a dime. Even if she had a few scraps saved up, they’d be long gone by now."

Barrett, the village head, shifted uncomfortably. He remembered clearly that Evelyn had arrived with three cartons of expensive cigarettes—hardly the sign of a girl with nothing. If her parents hadn't provided them, who had? He glanced at Adrian. Could it have been the Mayor?

The police made the call: "We’re going to search the residence."

Evelyn’s eyes flickered toward Adrian. They were bright, like stones beneath clear water, and they carried a silent, stinging message: Look. This is what happens when you drag Julian into my life. More people to hunt me.

Adrian felt a sharp, stinging prick in his chest—a rare pang of guilt. It was his fault.

Evelyn didn't protest. She led the way to her quarters without a word of defense. As they left the headquarters, Adrian paused beside Julian. He didn't raise his voice, but the irony in his tone was devastating. "You really are becoming quite the man of character, aren't you, Julian?"

Julian’s face turned a brilliant, shamed red. "Cousin! This... it’s not..."

He tried to explain, but Adrian didn't give him the chance; he simply walked away.

"Does he think we’re setting her up?" Julian muttered, his regret beginning to settle in like a cold fog. He shouldn't have done this in public. He should have handled it quietly.

"Once they find the wallet, he’ll understand," Seraphina whispered, tugging at his sleeve. "Julian, we have to follow them!"

When they reached Evelyn’s small room, she stood at the threshold, barring the way. "I won't have any of you inside."

"Scared?" Caleb taunted, though his voice lacked conviction. He wanted her to suffer the same labor-camp fate he had endured.

Adrian stepped forward, placing himself at the door. "She stays. The officers and Barrett stay. The rest of you wait outside."

Seraphina hesitated, pulling at Julian’s arm. She was terrified that Adrian’s presence would tilt the scales in Evelyn’s favor. "Cousin Adrian," she said, her voice trembling with artificial concern. "For the sake of Evelyn’s reputation, wouldn't it be better if we were all there to see the truth?"

Adrian’s eyes moved to her, deep and cold. "Are you suggesting that the police and the village head are incapable of doing their jobs? Or are you accusing them of corruption?"

The officers and Barrett both turned to glare at Seraphina. She withered under the collective weight of their gaze. "I... I didn't mean that. I only meant we could help look."

Evelyn watched her with a ghost of a smile. "I will not have these wretches in my home."

The room was meticulously clean. The police began their search, moving through the cupboards and the neatly folded quilts on the bed. After a few tense minutes, they found nothing—no corduroy wallet, no hidden hoard. But in a small drawer, they discovered nearly eighty dollars in cash and a collection of coupons.

"That’s it!" Seraphina cried from the doorway, her voice shrill with excitement. "That’s the money we lost!"

Julian looked at Evelyn, his heart sinking. He had suspected she took it, but seeing the evidence laid out... he felt a profound sense of disappointment. How could she fall this far?

Evelyn remained unruffled. "I would appreciate it if the officers and Barrett could check that money. See if any of their names are written on a single bill."

The officers had already checked. "There are no markings."

Evelyn let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Perhaps Seraphina should call out to the bills and see if they answer her. If they recognize their mistress, she can have them."

Seraphina looked as though she had been slapped, her eyes brimming with tears once more.

"You’re lying!" Caleb roared, his fury mounting. "That money is ours! You’ve never had a cent to your name, and there’s no way you’d have that many coupons!"

The air in the room suddenly turned heavy, as if a storm had just rolled in. Adrian’s eyes flashed with a lethal, dark intensity.

"The money is mine," Adrian said, his voice echoing with a thousand layers of suppressed rage. "And so are the coupons. I gave them to her. Tell me—are you now accusing me of stealing from you as well?"