Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 327: Chapter 327

Sean announced, "Let's open gifts later; dinner first, or the food will get cold. And Zoe, we have a special three-tier cake for you, which you can cut later to make up for all those missed celebrations." Noticing everyone's emotions, Sean quickly changed the subject.
Everyone noticed the cake and candles hadn't been used yet, so the rest of the Evans family went to the living room to prepare them for Zoe, leaving only Eunice among the gifts.
Overwhelmed by the mountain of gifts, Eunice couldn't hide her envious gaze, inwardly fuming. 'Damn it. Why have I never gotten this many gifts?' She bitterly thought, 'And they went all out, planning all these special surprises just for Zoe.'
It felt like she didn't belong in this family anymore. She refused to let that happen. She would take back everything that should've been hers. These gifts would be hers, sooner or later.
Hiding her dark thoughts behind a bright smile, Eunice went outside and cheerfully called out, "Zoe, we're going to sing you a birthday song."
As Zoe's family gathered to celebrate her belated birthday, the sudden ring of the doorbell disrupted the cozy atmosphere.
"Who could it be at this hour?" Clara wondered.
Eunice eagerly volunteered, jumping up from her seat, "I'll get it."
Everyone in the family gave Zoe a gift today. Of course hers couldn't be missing. And sure enough—here it came.
Just as the Evans family was enjoying a warm celebration, a group of police officers suddenly entered their residence; two officers immediately approached Zoe.
An officer stepped forward and inquired, "Are you Zoe, the Chair and legal representative of the Marlowe Group?"
Zoe regarded the officers with a cool gaze and inquired, "What's this about?"
The officer stated, "Marlowe Group is suspected of money laundering, illegal smuggling, and organized crime, and as the company's legal representative, you are required to accompany us for questioning."
Hearing those words, the whole Evans family froze— especially Bruce. He had planned to ask Zoe to help secure a business deal with Marlowe Group today, but things had taken a sharp turn.
Sean immediately defended Zoe, his voice incredulous. "There must be a mistake. How could a company as large as Marlowe Group possibly be implicated in illegal activities?"
With unwavering resolve, the officer stated, "We possess substantial evidence in this matter. Be confident that we will not unjustly accuse the innocent, nor will we allow the guilty to evade accountability."
Seizing the opportunity, Eunice pretended to be shocked and exclaimed, "Zoe, so the rumors about the company's unaccounted funds are true. It was you all along."
Eunice quickly covered her mouth, feigning regret. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I truly believe Zoe is completely innocent. Even if there's something wrong with Marlowe Group, Zoe couldn't possibly be at fault."
While pretending to support Zoe, Eunice's tone clearly implied Zoe was guilty.
Ignoring Eunice's malicious insinuations, Zoe turned to the officers and said coolly, "Let's go. I'll cooperate with your investigation," standing tall and aloof, seemingly unfazed. At her words, Clara instantly exploded with anger.
Clara erupted, "Zoe. What on earth have you done now? I'm incredibly disappointed. Officers, I want nothing to do with this girl—investigate her thoroughly. The Evans family has absolutely no connection to her or her company."
Fearing implication, Bruce quickly clarified, "Yes, even though she's our daughter, we've always maintained a strict separation between business and family. Her legal issues are entirely unrelated to us."
Sean and Charlie initially refused to believe any of it. However, they recalled being inexplicably targeted before, and those people were clearly suspicious. If they're connected to the underground, everything suddenly clicks into place.
The two brothers instantly backed off from speaking up for Zoe. Truth was, they'd already made up their minds in secret. They were planning to seek out Shawn for help.
Gerald, perhaps the most principled member of the family, reassured Zoe firmly, "Don't worry, go ahead. If you're innocent, they'll definitely clear your name."
Even as Bruce and Clara distanced themselves, Zoe wasn't angry; she'd anticipated it, knowing her parents, unlike her brothers, only viewed her as a source of profit.
Having only recently rejoined the family, she felt like an outsider, making it impossible to forge unbreakable bonds with these relatives in just a few months; frankly, she didn't consider Clara and Bruce real family either.
Just as Zoe was about to leave with the police, Eunice suddenly blocked her path, her voice dripping with insincere concern.
"Zoe," Eunice said, with a hint of false concern, "be sure to confess everything honestly. Both what you did and didn't do. And clarify your relationship with the family; after all, you've never contributed to the family business."
Bruce's face sank. As head of the family, he couldn't help overthinking. He thought, 'Had Zoe stayed out of business because she knew she was involved in shady deals and didn't want to drag us down? If so, that is just wrong.'
Clara immediately snapped, "Exactly. We're not that close to her anyway. Investigate all you want; if she's really guilty, punish her to the full extent of the law. Never tolerate such criminals."
The Evans family was eager to sever all ties with Zoe, making it abundantly clear she was no longer part of their lives, while Zoe remained remarkably composed.
She had already expected this reaction. As for their blame and efforts to distance themselves, she chose to ignore it.
Even the officers escorting Zoe felt sympathy for her, particularly after seeing how heartless her family was to their own flesh and blood, the Evans family.
As soon as Zoe was taken away, Eunice immediately turned to Bruce and Clara, saying, "Mom, Dad, should I resign too? With all this trouble at Marlowe Group, I'm worried I might get implicated just for working there."
Bruce sat down, his voice firm, and declared, "Let's eat. I don't want to hear another word about what happened today. Is that clear?" With the head of the family present, no one else dared to speak up.
Eunice could barely contain her excitement, and the thought of her biggest rival being gone, likely for good, filled her with cruel satisfaction.
Next, she had to make sure the Evans family completely gave up on Zoe. And join forces with outsiders to pin the blame on her, so she'd never step foot in the Evans residence.
Eunice thought with venom, 'Only then would it be absolutely impossible for Zoe to ever marry Shawn. After all, how could such a heroic man ever lower himself to marry a woman like her?'
After dinner, Eunice rushed upstairs and shut the door behind her. She pulled up Sophia's number on her phone. She hadn't been able to reach the heiress before. Apparently, the White family had grounded her.
But word was, she'd recently started showing up again. Perfect, she probably wanted to take down Zoe just as badly.
She alone wasn't a match for Zoe, but with Sophia and the powerful White family backing her, taking Zoe down was only a matter of time. The call connected almost immediately.