Joanna Sullivan probably hadn’t expected Eve Vaughn to show her absolutely no courtesy.

For a moment, her smile stiffened. "You’re right, Miss Vaughn," she said.

Then, Joanna Sullivan said to Mia Kendall, "Well then, Miss Kendall, shall we continue our lesson?"

Mia Kendall still hadn’t quite processed what was going on.

She kept blinking at Eve Vaughn, but Eve just sat off to the side, waiting for her as if in a daze.

Two hours later, when Mia Kendall’s class was over, she rushed to Eve Vaughn’s side.

"Evie, how exactly do you know Professor Sullivan?" Mia Kendall asked, completely baffled. "I keep getting this strange vibe from you two, like there’s some kind of unspoken history."

Eve Vaughn said, enunciating each word, "She’s Mason Lawson’s first love."

"Huh?"

Mia Kendall gaped in astonishment, her mouth hanging open.

Just then, Joanna Sullivan walked over to them.

"Miss Kendall, may I speak with Miss Vaughn alone for a moment?" Joanna Sullivan asked calmly.

Having just learned Joanna Sullivan’s identity, Mia Kendall immediately went on the defensive. "Talk about what?" she snapped. "What’s there to talk about?"

But Eve Vaughn said, "Mia, just wait for me for a minute. I’ll be right back."

’In truth, she also felt that Joanna Sullivan had ill intentions. But Mason Lawson had already taken root in her heart.’

’So, she was curious about everything related to him.’

And so, with Joanna Sullivan in the lead and Eve Vaughn following, they walked out the door.

At the end of the hallway, Joanna Sullivan smiled and said, "I own this dance studio. From now on, I’ll be settling down in Rivaster."

Eve Vaughn’s heart sank slightly. ’Is this a declaration of war?’

Despite her inner displeasure, she replied calmly, "Where you choose to settle is your freedom, Miss Sullivan."

Joanna Sullivan smiled and said meaningfully, "Actually, I’ve done some digging. As far as the public is concerned, Mason is still single. He’s never publicly acknowledged any girlfriend... except for me."

’Eve Vaughn was only now realizing what a formidable opponent Joanna Sullivan was. She knew exactly how to twist the knife.’

But she had never been a pushover to be trifled with. So, she said with disdain, "Miss Sullivan, you mean his publicly acknowledged *ex-girlfriend*, don’t you? Besides, he made it perfectly clear in front of you last time that he already has a girlfriend. And that’s me."

After a fleeting moment of awkwardness, a smile suddenly bloomed on Joanna Sullivan’s face. "Miss Vaughn, you really are a naive little girl. Can’t you see that Mason is just using you to make me jealous? Things like this happen between all couples. This is just a minor hiccup between Mason and me, that’s all!"

Eve Vaughn met her gaze and said, enunciating each word, "If it were really just a minor hiccup, I imagine you and Mr. Lawson would have already gotten back together. You wouldn’t need to come to me and say all these strange things, would you?"

Joanna Sullivan’s smile was on the verge of collapsing. She nodded and said, "You’re very clever, but your cleverness is child’s play compared to Mason’s. Do you know why he keeps you around? Have you noticed that we look alike? From certain angles, we look very similar."

If Mason Lawson’s refusal to make their relationship public was the first thing that bothered Eve Vaughn, then the fact that she and Joanna Sullivan looked alike was the second.

’But she remembered Mason Lawson telling her that she didn’t need to imitate anyone; she just had to be herself.’

Eve Vaughn didn’t show any weakness under Joanna Sullivan’s psychological assault. Instead, she said, "I’ve known for a long time that you and I look alike, Miss Sullivan. So what? You broke Mr. Lawson’s heart, and he can’t be expected to just stop living. Finding a replacement isn’t out of the question. I’ve known all along that I’m your replacement. I don’t mind."

Only Eve Vaughn herself knew how little she meant it when she said, "I don’t mind."

Joanna Sullivan couldn’t help but clench her fists. "I’ve seen plenty of college girls like you, Miss Vaughn. Once you get your hands on a prize, you refuse to let go. But let me remind you, with a family of the Lawson Family’s status, even Julian would never marry you, let alone Mason!"

"I haven’t thought that far ahead."

A maddeningly sweet smile appeared on Eve Vaughn’s face. "Back then, Mr. Lawson was willing to marry you, but in the end, it didn’t work out, did it? So, who knows what the future holds? At least for now, I’m very happy with Mr. Lawson."

With that, she turned and walked away with composure, ignoring the daggers Joanna Sullivan was shooting from her eyes.

Mia Kendall was already waiting for her by the elevator.

Seeing her approach, Mia Kendall shot a hateful glare at Joanna Sullivan before pulling Eve into the elevator.

The moment the elevator doors slid shut, Eve Vaughn’s eyes instantly reddened.

She sniffled, holding back her tears, not wanting her best friend to see her crying so pathetically over a man.

Mia Kendall was immediately furious. "Evie, what did she say to you just now?"

"Nothing."

Eve Vaughn’s voice was thick and nasal. "Nothing much. Just the usual stuff to provoke me, telling me to leave Mason Lawson."

Mia Kendall was regretting it immensely. "If I’d known, I never would have come here for dance lessons! It’s all my fault! First I run into that damn cousin of yours at the gym, and now I sign up for dance and run into this green tea. She’s just an ex-girlfriend, what gives her the right to be so arrogant?"

Although Eve Vaughn had pretended not to care in front of Joanna Sullivan, in reality, she had taken every single one of her words to heart.

Sometimes, even without others pointing it out, Eve Vaughn understood it in her heart.

For instance, her relationship with Mason Lawson had to be kept out of the public eye. For instance, Mason might only be with her because she looked so much like Joanna Sullivan. And for instance, there was Mason and Joanna’s past.

But these were all things she had previously fooled herself into ignoring, unwilling to think about them too deeply.

Until today, when Joanna Sullivan had ruthlessly torn open the very wounds she had tried so hard to keep closed.

Eve Vaughn finally realized that Mason Lawson was far more important to her than she had ever imagined.

It seemed she was truly, deeply in love with him.