Seraphina played her part to perfection, letting her voice dissolve into a series of delicate, ragged sobs that punctuated her grievances.

Sloan remained unruffled. He sat in his office, listening with the practiced patience of a predator. He didn’t interrupt until the silence on the other end grew heavy with Seraphina’s self-pity.

"Uncle Sloan," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Am I truly that loathsome? Is it true that I can’t do anything right?"

Sloan leaned back in his leather chair, the tension leaving his shoulders. "If there are things you don't know how to do, you can learn. Everyone has their weaknesses, Seraphina."

She bit her lip, her next question laced with insecurity. "Uncle... will you hate me because of Evelyn?"

Sloan toyed with the lid of his teacup, the porcelain clinking softly. "How could I? I’ll speak to Evelyn about her behavior. You grew up together; there should be trust between you."

"But she doesn't trust me!" Seraphina cried. "She misunderstands everything I do. I try to explain, but it’s no use."

Sloan’s eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Seraphina, tell your uncle the truth. Do you really have no feelings for Julian?"

There was a pause. Seraphina licked her dry lips, her gaze darting around the empty room. "Uncle! Even you don't believe me? Are you just like Evelyn? Do you think I’m trying to steal her man?"

Sloan’s tone softened into a deceptively gentle purr. "It doesn't matter what I think. What matters is what you think."

"The fact that you're even asking means you don't trust me," she sniffled.

Sloan took a slow sip of hot tea. "Seraphina, when the rumors about you and Julian reached my desk, I was the one who suppressed them."

Seraphina’s pulse quickened. "Uncle, my health is fragile. I can’t live a normal life. I’ve never even dreamed of marriage. What kind of woman am I if I can't bear children? Who would want me?"

Across the miles of telephone wire, Sloan pictured her—fragile, innocent, with eyes like a cornered fawn. He let out a long breath. "Very well. Stay in the countryside for a while longer. I’ll find a way to bring you back to the city. In the meantime, I’ll ensure Evelyn and the others take proper care of you."

"But Evelyn..."

"She will do as she's told," Sloan stated, his voice brooks no argument.

A predatory glint sparked in Seraphina’s eyes. Evelyn feared her uncle more than anyone. If Sloan gave the order, Evelyn would have no choice but to bow her head.

"Your mother mentioned your winter supplies were lost," Sloan noted.

Seraphina seized the opportunity to vent, her voice thick with resentment. "Sometimes I wonder if she’s even my real mother. What kind of mother lets her child suffer like this? It’s fifty below zero here, and she hasn't sent a single quilt or coat. She doesn't care if I freeze to death."

Sloan didn't take the bait. "Your mother raised you alone; it hasn't been easy for her. Perhaps she’s simply... overwhelmed."

Seraphina took a shaky breath. "I know. I’m just upset. I’m not like the others, Uncle. They all have fathers, brothers, sisters. I have no one."

Sloan sighed softly. "Seraphina, what others have, you shall have. And what they don't have, you shall have as well."

A thrill of triumph raced through her. Evelyn had her "Brother Adrian," but Seraphina had "Uncle Sloan." By the time she hung up, her eyes were swollen and red, but her heart was light.

Still, her disdain for Julian and the Ward brothers lingered. They were useless. Not one of them could even secure a simple military overcoat. They had let her lose to Evelyn.

Meanwhile, back in Jiangcheng, Eleanor’s fury had cooled into a sharp, suspicious clarity. She replayed Julian’s accusations in her mind. Why would Adrian tell Julian that we forced Evelyn to the countryside?

Adrian had been there. He was the one who had forced them to pay Evelyn five thousand dollars in compensation. If anyone had been "forced," it was the Wards.

Eleanor could tolerate much from Adrian, but she would not let him drive a wedge between her and her son. She dialed his office directly.

"Adrian!" she barked the moment he picked up. "Why did you lie to Julian? Why did you tell him Arthur and I forced that girl into the country? You brought her to our house! You saw us give her five thousand dollars! We asked for nothing in return except her silence!"

Adrian’s expression remained glacial. Compared to Eleanor’s screeching, he was the picture of composure. "Do you have any idea what your son has been doing since he arrived here?"

"What does that have to do with your lies?" Eleanor snapped. "What has that little brat given you to make you take her side?"

The memory of Julian’s screaming match over the phone still stung. It was the first time her son had ever raised his voice to her, and it was all because of another woman.

Adrian leaned back, his enamel mug hitting the desk with a heavy thud. "Put Arthur on the phone."

Eleanor stiffened. Her bravado wavered, but she pushed on. "Even if you talk to your brother, I’ll say the same thing! You're the liars! You're the ones sabotaging my relationship with my son! I know you still resent me for what happened years ago, but—"

Adrian cut her off, his patience exhausted. "Julian believes he was humiliated by Evelyn—that she dumped him and extorted him. Because of that 'bruised ego,' he hasn't stopped harrassing her since he got here."

"He’s right! She did dump him! She did take our money!" Eleanor felt a twisted sense of pride hearing that her son was making Evelyn's life miserable.

Adrian let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Julian and Seraphina tried to frame Evelyn for theft. They failed. During the harvest, they were caught red-handed stealing her food. Your son is now the laughingstock of the district—a certified 'meat-thief' and a failure."

"Impossible!"

"A few days ago," Adrian continued, his voice dropping to a dangerous low, "Julian stole Evelyn’s mail from the post office. When she caught him, he came crawling to me, begging me to replace her belongings so she wouldn't report him."

Eleanor turned pale. She had sent Julian to Adrian’s district specifically so he would have someone to bail him out of trouble.

"And then," Adrian added, "he turned around and gave the supplies I provided to someone else, leading Evelyn to kick his door down to settle the score."

"That little bitch!" Eleanor hissed. "She took five thousand dollars—that’s more than she’s worth! What’s wrong with my son taking a few of her things?"

Adrian’s voice was quiet and lethal. "If your son continues to harass her, his next stop won't be my office. It will be a labor camp for 're-education.'"

Eleanor’s breath hitched. "Adrian! Don't you dare talk like that!"

"Julian seeks revenge because he thinks he's the victim," Adrian said, his tone final. "If he realizes he wasn't the victim—that you were the ones who sent Evelyn away—he’ll stop. And more importantly, he’ll stop causing me trouble."

Eleanor gripped the receiver until her knuckles turned white. Her mind was a whirlwind of panic. If Julian stopped blaming Evelyn, he would start blaming her. He would come home and tear the house down.

What have I done? she thought, the weight of her own lies finally beginning to crush her.