Reborn: The Duke's Obsession-Chapter 30 - Thirty

Sunlight streamed through the large, polished glass windows, making the diamonds, rubies, and sapphires glitter fiercely from within their velvet-lined cases.

The door bell jiggled as Amber Carson entered. As the only daughter of the immensely wealthy and powerful Carson family, she was spoiled, yes, but not rotten. She was used to the best life had to offer, and she carried herself with an easy, unshakeable confidence that many mistook for arrogance.

Evelin Pembroke, however, saw it as sheer perfection. She couldn’t hold back her excitement, her hand flying to her mouth as she watched Amber glide through the shop. They were both the same age, but they might as well have been from different worlds.

"Anne, look," Evelin whispered, her voice filled with awe as she nudged her companion. "That’s Amber Carson. She’s the true princess of the Carson family. She’s a trendsetter; a gown she wears to one ball becomes the most sought-after design for the rest of the season. People of our class struggle to keep up with her."

She leaned in closer, sharing a piece of well-known gossip as if it were a secret. "And they say her brother, the Duke, loves her more than anything in the world. He would do anything for her."

Amber, oblivious to the fawning admiration, was focused on her shopping. She moved with an elegant grace, her eyes scanning the glittering displays. She came to the section where Anne and Evelin were standing, drawn by a particularly lovely set of jewelry.

"Lady Amber," Evelin squealed, her voice far too loud in the quiet shop.

Amber stopped her Browse, a flicker of surprise on her face at being addressed so enthusiastically. "Oh," she said, looking at the star-struck girl. "Hi." She offered a polite, pleasant smile before turning her attention back to the jewels, a clear dismissal. "Can I see this piece, please?" she said to the hovering salesman, pointing to a stunning necklace and earring set made of fiery red rubies.

As Amber examined the necklace, a thought popped into Anne’s head. An opportunity. This was her chance to get ahead of the story, to paint a picture of Delia so ugly that no one in the Carson family would ever accept her.

"Lady Amber," Anne said, her voice smooth and pleasant.

Amber turned, a flicker of annoyance on her face as she assumed it was the squealing girl again. Her expression cleared slightly when she saw it was Anne. "Lady Anne," she said, her tone cool but civil. "Fancy meeting you here."

Anne smiled warmly, stepping closer. "It has been so long! How are you doing?"

Amber gave an aloof shrug, her focus still on the rubies draped over her fingers. "The weather is good, so am I."

"I’m so sorry about my sister," Anne began, her voice full of pretend concern. "I heard she caused quite a scene at the ball, and I wanted to apologize on her behalf. She..."

"I heard your sister was engaged to someone else and broke it just recently. Is that true?" Amber interrupted, not looking up from the jewelry. The question was direct, cutting through Anne’s pretense.

Evelin, desperate to be part of the conversation between these two prominent ladies, saw her chance to contribute. "Y-yes!" she cut in eagerly. "It’s true. A terrible scandal."

This time, Amber did look up. She looked at Evelin for a long, silent moment, her gaze assessing. "And who are you?" she asked, her voice flat.

Evelin beamed, thrilled to have captured her attention. "I’m Evelin Pembroke, my lady," she said happily. "I follow all of your fashion trends." To prove her point, she touched the back of her head. "I even copied the ponytail hairstyle you pulled during last season’s royal gala. It was so fabulous."

Amber let out a false smile, a brief, meaningless flash of teeth. "How nice." She turned her attention back to Anne, dismissing Evelin once more.

Anne saw her opening and seized it. "Her father used to work under my father in the royal court," she explained, subtly establishing a hierarchy. "And the person my sister was engaged to is her brother, Lord George."

Amber’s eyebrows rose slightly. "What? Your sister is indeed as interesting as I’ve heard."

Seeing that she had Amber’s interest, Anne continued, her voice dropping to a low whisper. "I hate saying this about my own family, but she’s not really... sound. She loves playing the victim. It’s how she gets attention. You know, being the illegitimate child of my father, she has always had to feed on other people’s generosity, and she often takes it for granted." Anne shook her head sadly. "She always tries to best me, to win against me at every opportunity she gets. It’s like a sickness with her. But..."

She paused, intending to add another layer to her story, but she stopped when she noticed Amber’s expression had changed. The polite interest was gone, replaced by a look of slight disgust. And it was directed at her.

"What?" Anne asked, confused. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Amber let out a knowing, humorless smile and calmly placed the ruby necklace back on its velvet tray. "Nothing," she replied coolly. "I just didn’t expect you to say something like that about your own sister."

"Something like what?" Anne asked, her confusion turning to defensive anger.

"I had heard she was your sister, so I thought she would be like you," Amber continued, her voice deceptively sweet. "Someone so desperate to lock a man down that she fights to the death to keep everyone else away from him."

The words hit Anne like a slap. Her eyes widened in shock. The tables had just been turned on her with brutal precision.

"You’re talking bad about her," Amber said, her voice dropping to a low whisper as she leaned in slightly, "when you are literally the same. Did you think I don’t know what you were trying to do to my brother in the garden during your first visit? When you were with him in the garden?" She clicked her tongue. "That was very shameful of you, Lady Anne. Throwing yourself at a man like that."

Anne was speechless, her face pale.

Amber smiled, seeing her words had landed. "You say you don’t consider your sister to be on the same level as you. Well, then, that must mean I was wrong about her. She’s clearly not the same kind of desperate girl you are."

"No, Lady Amber, Delia is quite manipulative!" Evelin chimed in, trying to defend her new benefactor. "She also fooled me once!"

Amber gave Evelin a brief, pitying glance. "I’ll see it with my own eyes," she said firmly, her gaze unwavering. "I only trust my own judgment." She pushed the tray with the rubies back towards the salesman. "Now my day has been ruined," she muttered under her breath.

She turned to leave, then paused and turned back to Evelin, who was still holding the box with the emeralds. "I think you should buy the pearls instead," Amber said, her voice casual but cutting. "They are so in season right now."

And with that final, dismissive piece of advice, she swept out of the shop, leaving Anne and Evelin in a stunned, humiliated silence.

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