A wave of mortification crushed over Elena. Heat rushed to her face. She wanted the ground beneath her feet to split open and swallow her whole.

What she had said to Elias a while ago and the divorce papers she had presented to him seemed to mock her.

How ridiculous she must have looked.

She had accused him, questioned his loyalty, and doubted his sincerity. It was all because of one photograph, because of Tessa’s words.

Elena had always known exactly what kind of person Tessa was.

That woman had destroyed her marriage, hurt her repeatedly, and manipulated people without remorse.

Yet she had still allowed herself to be influenced. She had believed her but didn’t think of verifying the truth.

The realization made her chest ache.

’What have I done?’

The guilt was suffocating.

She remembered confronting Noah, complaining that he had not trusted her and didn’t care about the truth. She remembered the frustration, the helplessness, and the pain whenever he chose to trust Tessa instead of her.

She had resented him for that. Yet tonight, she had done the same thing. She had already convicted Elias straight away without giving him a chance to explain.

A sharp pain pierced her heart.

’What difference is there between Noah and me?’ She felt miserable.

Her past wounds had blinded her. Because Noah had betrayed her, she had begun expecting betrayal from everyone. Because Noah had lied, she had assumed Elias was lying too.

She had judged him before truly knowing him. She clenched her trembling fingers.

Elias wasn’t Noah. He had never given her a reason to doubt him. Yet she had still hurt him.

The disappointment she had seen in his eyes moments ago suddenly replayed in her mind.

Her eyes reddened.

’No. I can’t blame every man in the world just because Noah hurt me.’

"Who is it?" A soft voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Elena blinked. Her gaze settled onto the woman sitting on the sofa.

Evelyn’s hands stretched forward. She wasn’t looking at them. Her eyes were unfocused as if she couldn’t see anything.

Something inside Elena’s chest twisted painfully. She had been so consumed by the weight of her own mistakes that she had not noticed anything.

Evelyn was blind.

The realization stunned her.

Such a beautiful woman, so graceful and elegant. Her amber eyes were magnetic. Yet she couldn’t see.

How? What happened to her?

Questions flooded her mind. But she couldn’t utter a word. She stood there in a stunned silence, still trying to process the harsh reality.

Elias glanced at Elena before replying, "It’s me."

The moment she heard his voice, Evelyn’s shoulders relaxed. A bright smile appeared on her face.

"You came to take me to the party?"

Elias crouched before her and gently took both her hands. "I brought someone with me." His voice softened noticeably. "My wife."

Evelyn’s lips stretched even wider. "Is she here?"

"Yes." Elias turned to Elena. "Come here."

Elena’s heart was still heavy with guilt. Every step felt difficult.

Elias reached for her hand and gently placed it into Evelyn’s. "Here she is."

Elena knelt beside him. "Hello, Evelyn."

She tried to smile. But her throat felt tight. Her voice trembled slightly.

"I-I am Elena."

Evelyn immediately wrapped her fingers around Elena’s hand. "Elena, tell me something."

A playful smile surfaced on her lips. "Is my brother giving you a hard time?"

Elena blinked, confused.

"Don’t hide it," Evelyn continued. "If he is troubling you, tell me. Don’t hesitate. I’ll take care of him for you."

Despite everything weighing on her heart, Elena almost laughed. She glanced at Elias and found him staring at her.

A complicated emotion flashed through his gaze. The disappointment from earlier was still there. And it made her guilt even worse.

She immediately lowered her head.

"No. He doesn’t trouble me at all."

The tension around Elias visibly eased.

"He is kind, caring, and protective."

Elena looked at him again. This time, there was no disappointment in his eyes. Instead, a small smile replaced the scowl on his face.

"He could never trouble me," she added regretfully. "It’s me who gives him a hard time."

Elias’s expression softened. The last trace of distress disappeared. He wanted to tell her he wasn’t angry. But before he could speak, Evelyn burst into laughter.

"Finally." She clapped excitedly. "There is actually someone capable of challenging Elias."

"Eve..." Elias groaned.

Evelyn ignored him. "He always acts like he is invincible, like he is the most powerful man in the world, and like nobody can touch him."

"You are exaggerating," he muttered.

Evelyn laughed even harder.

"I have never shown off my power or wealth."

Evelyn immediately waved her hand dismissively. "Don’t even start. I know exactly how overbearing you can be at times."

A mischievous smile spread across her face.

"Ask Grandpa." She leaned closer toward Elena and whispered dramatically, "Poor Grandpa is practically suffocating under Elias’s overprotective behavior."

"I heard that." Elias shot her a warning look.

Even though Evelyn couldn’t see, she could tell her brother was frustrated. But she didn’t care.

"So what? I am not afraid of you." Evelyn interlaced her fingers with Elena’s. "I have Elena now. She is brave."

Her smile widened mischievously.

"I’m very happy that she is making life difficult for the mighty Mr. Rowan, the heir to the Rowan family empire."

Another wave of shock hit Elena.

The Rowan family empire?

Why did it sound like she was speaking about one of the wealthiest families in the world?

The Rowan family stood at the very top of the business world, with influence stretching across countless industries, and was talked about with reverence by everyone.

A strange uneasiness settled inside her chest.

She glanced at Elias.

Memory of the mysterious man from the auction rushed back into her mind. At the time, she had suspected that Elias might be the Mr. Rowan everyone talked about.

And now, after hearing Evelyn’s words, her suspicion returned stronger than ever.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion. "The Rowan family? One of the most powerful families in the world?"

The color drained from Elias’s face. His body stiffened instantly.

Panic surged through him.

The earlier misunderstanding had barely been resolved.

And now this.

He was terrified Elena would be upset with him again, afraid she would think he had deliberately deceived her. He shook his head.

"Wait. You don’t know who he actually is?" Evelyn asked.

Confusion spread across her face. "Elias? What is going on?"

"Evelyn, can you stop it for a moment?"

Evelyn fell silent, her expression thoughtful.

Elias always called her Eve. Only when he was anxious or upset did he use her full name.

She tilted her head slightly, trying to make sense of the tension filling the room.

"You didn’t tell your wife your real identity?" Her voice rose in disbelief. "That you are the heir to the Rowan family, the owner of Novacrest Global? Are you keeping secrets from her?"

Elias closed his eyes.

A sense of impending doom settled over him.

"What?" Elena exclaimed. Her ears filled with a buzzing sound.

The mysterious owner of Novacrest Global, who rarely appeared in public, was actually her husband.

Slowly, she turned toward him.

Elias felt his stomach sinking as he faced her. Panic, worry, regret – all were visible in his face.

A headache immediately formed behind his eyes.

He had wanted to explain everything to her tonight, to tell her about himself. He wanted to surprise her. But Evelyn’s careless honesty ruined everything.

He lowered his head.

’I am finished,’ he thought, feeling helpless. ’Elena will never forgive me for this. Tonight, she really might leave me.’