Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 282: Chapter 282

Eunice jolted at her mother's words. For a second there, she almost blurted out Zoe's true origins. But now, hearing her mother's reasoning, she had to admit it made sense.
'No way am I letting Zoe ruin my future,' she told herself. 'Better keep this under wraps for now'
The next day, the Evans brothers were all away on business, leaving the Evans residence unusually quiet.
Eunice received an invitation and immediately hatched a plan. With feigned sympathy, she said, "Zoe, it pains me to hear about your tragic childhood.
"To make it up to you, stay by my side from now on. I'll help you integrate into Jelonsburg's elite social circles and make you a proper heiress. Only then will you truly be worthy of Shawn."
"Move," Zoe shot Eunice a cold glare and snapped, brushing off her proposal with utter disdain.
Eunice put on a look of feigned hurt and said, "Zoe, I'm only trying to help you. Why are you being so mean?"
Zoe had no time for Eunice's performance, and just then, Clara happened to come downstairs.
When she saw Zoe shove Eunice away, Clara instantly flew into a rage and snapped, "You ungrateful wretch, after all Eunice has done for you, you can't even say thank you, and now you dare to lay hands on her?"
Hearing this, Eunice immediately pulled Clara aside and said in a saccharine tone, "Mom, don't be mad at Zoe. I'm sure she didn't mean it."
Then, turning to Zoe with feigned enthusiasm, she added, "Zoe, I'm going to an exclusive auction today. There'll be plenty of elite socialites from prominent families. Come with me. It's a great chance for you to make connections and elevate your social standing."
Eunice put on a show of thoughtfulness, which immediately moved Clara. 'That's my daughter, so kind and considerate,' Clara thought with pride.
But when she looked at Zoe, they'd brought back, all she saw was a cold and aloof demeanor. The more Clara saw of Zoe, the more repulsive she became.
"Eunice, don't take her. She'll only embarrass you," Clara said with disgust.
"But Mom, I can't. This auction is actually pretty special. They're selling a weapon designed by the legendary arms master, Rain. I want to take Zoe with me. If she manages to buy it, she might even impress Shawn."
Clara found the idea reasonable. She drew Eunice aside and whispered urgently, "Eunice, don't be naive. We may not know what tricks Zoe used to catch Shawn's eye, but you need to try harder. They're both unattached. Your chance is still wide open."
Eunice nodded, a delicate blush suffusing her cheeks. She had always had a crush on Shawn. When she heard he'd died, she was heartbroken for weeks. Now that he was alive, there was no way she was letting this chance slip away.
'This time, I have to secure that weapon and give it to Shawn; it might just earn me some favor,' Eunice wondered, 'As for Zoe—'
Eunice only brought Zoe along to humiliate her in public while putting on a show of reconciliation for the family. This way, when she made her move against Zoe later, no one would suspect a thing.
Eunice turned and saw Zoe already slipping on her shoes, about to leave. She quickly blocked her way. "Zoe, wait. Let's go together."
"No. I'm busy," Zoe shot back with icy disdain.
Clara marched up and snapped, "After all of Eunice's kindness, you still can't appreciate it? You're nothing but an ungrateful wretch. But fine, don't go if you don't want to. Frankly, I'd only worry you'd embarrass Eunice if you tagged along anyway."
Zoe ignored them completely, swung the door open, and strode out without a second glance.
"Wait." Clara chased after her. "Listen to me, Zoe. You're just a small-town nobody. If you were someone like Firefox, the Queen of Mercenaries, maybe that would be different.
"But you're not—and you never will be. With that shameful past of yours, you'd better keep your mouth shut. If you ever let it slip, you'll only embarrass yourself and drag the Evans family name through the mud."
Zoe scoffed coldly and walked away without so much as a backward glance. She had a date with Shawn today. There was no way she was going to be late.