Pampered By Power: The True Heiress Returns

Hearing that, Zane raised an eyebrow, glancing at Alice. He couldn’t help but think that her words seemed to

make sense.

“Alice,” Lucille said, lifting an eyebrow. “Your uncle has simportant stuff to talk about. We shouldn't interrupt

him.”

Alice rolled her eyes. “Important stuff?” she thought, “Is it slove talk?”

She wasn't a little kid anymore. That excuse didn’t fool her.

Lucille saw that Alice wasn’t going to back down. She raised an eyebrow, realizing that Alice’s sharp mind wasn’t

always a blessing. The usual tricks she used on younger kids weren't working on her daughter.

“Lucille, it’s fine,” Elysia said quickly, trying to smooth things over. “Let Alice stay. She won't be bothering us.”

Lucille glanced at Elysia, then turned her gaze to Zane. Ignoring his expression, she nodded. “Alright, then. Let

Alice stay and talk with you.”

“Okay, I've got it,” Elysia said with a smile.

After Lucille left, Alice linked her arm through Elysia’s, looking frustrated. “Elysia, my future aunt. I'm not trying

to bother you. It’s just... there’s something | have to say. If | don’t say it now, | might never get the chance.”

Elysia blinked, surprised by Alice’s serious tone. “Alice, is everything okay?”

“I'm going back to Morgania,” Alice said, her voice soft but firm.

Zane raised an eyebrow, his confusion clear. “Who told you that?”

“I overheard Mom and Dad talking about it. They said they're takingback to Morgania, and in a few days,

they're going to start the paperwork,” Alice replied.

Zane had no idea about this. No one had mentioned anything to him.

“If you don’t want to go back, | can talk to your mom. We can figure something out so you can stay here,” Zane

said, his voice

sincere.

Alice looked between Zane and Elysia, before shaking her head. “I want to go back. | mean it’s nice here, but I'd

rather be with Mom and Dad.”

Zane gently ruffled her hair. “It’s okay. If you miss me, I'll cvisit.”

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Chapter 370

Alice smiled a little. “Just don’t forget to bring Elysia with you?

Seeing Alice upset, Zane chuckled, glancing at Elysia and nodding, “Don’t worry, I'll bring her

He said it so casually like it was only natural,

Elysia didn’t react right away. Instead, she turned to Alice, her expression softening “When you leave, would you

liketo cwith you? I'll see you off if you want.”

Alice lifted her gaze to Elysia, and the sadness on her face seemed to melt away. “Okay”

Without another word, Alice threw her arms around Elysia in a tight hug. “You're the best?

Watching the sweet moment, Zane couldn't help but tease, “What about me?”

Alice pulled her head out of Elysia’s arms and looked at him, trying to sound indifferent. | guess you're okay

mate!

It wasn’t just a simple “okay“-the way she said it, with a hint of challenge in her voice.

Zane grinned, but he let it slide. After all, Alice was leaving soon, and he wasn’t about to pick a fight.

Vincent was surrounded by guests, but his eyes scanned through the crowd until they landed on Elysia and the

others. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

He thought Elysia and Zane really did look good together.

As the dinner was winding down, Lindsey approached Elysia with a smile on her face. “Elysia, cwith me. |

have a gift for you.”

Her voice was soft and warm, totally different from how she’d spoken to Jim's family.

“A gift?” Elysia asked, sounding a bit confused.

Lindsey nodded, still smiling. “Yep, con.”

Without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked ahead. Elysia hesitated, and as curiosity got the better of

her, she followed.

They stepped out of the front hall and made their way outside. When they reached the driveway, Lindsey

stopped in front of a Bentley, popped the trunk, and pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift box. She handed it to

Elysia with a smile. “Welchome.”

Elysia eyed the gift in the air for a moment, her hesitation clear. She couldn't figure out why Lindsey was being

so nice to

her.

Her relationship with Jim was far from perfect, and yet, here Lindsey was, offering her a gift.

Seeing Elysia’s hesitation, Lindsey gently placed the box in her hands. “Don’t worry. | won't hurt you.”

Lindsey gave a soft smile and turned to walk away, but after a couple of steps, she stopped and glanced

at Elysia.

“I know what you're thinking,” she said, her voice softening. “Don’t worry. | was raised by my grandmother. She

cared for you. | won't treat you badly.”

Elysia blinked, her eyes widening as a realization started to form. The kindness cfrom Olive’s influence.

Lindsey turned fully to face her again, her gaze becoming gentler. “And... Evelyn helpedbefore. She's not

here anymore, but I'll look out for you in her place.”

Chapter 370

When Lindsey was twelve and Evelyn was five, Jim's family gathered at Edward's house for Eamon’s memorial

Ashley, looking for any excuse to lash out, decided to pick on Lindsey. She claimed that Lindsey had said

something wrong and started hitting her-punching and kicking. Jim, Lindsey's father, just stood there, pretending

he didn’t see anything

With tears streaming down her face, Lindsey ran away. She ran until she found herself in a small yard.

There, she saw a girl sitting on a swing, a book in her hands. The girl's pale face made her seem even weaker

than she already was.

As soon as Ashley saw the girl, her anger softened. She straightened up, and her attitude changed for the better.

Lindsey knew the girl right away. It was Evelyn, Edward’s daughter. She was Olive’s favorite, always sickly and

frail Evelyn never interacted with strangers.

At the time, Lindsey was shy and self-conscious. She couldn't even lift her head when she saw Evelyn-someone

so beautiful like moonlight.

But Lindsey never expected that this delicate, beautiful girl would be the one to protect her from Ashley’s blows.

Evelyn was only five years old at that time.

A five-year-old child had stepped in to protect Lindsey, while her own father, Jim, had ignored all the pain she

had been through for years.

Lindsey thought it was almost laughable.

Then there was her half-sister, Esther. Even though Esther and Evelyn were the sage, she was just like her

mother-no different from Ashley.

Lindsey had only gone abroad because of Evelyn. It was Evelyn who suggested it and even begged Olive to let

her go. If not for Evelyn, Lindsey might have ended up dead from Ashley’s abuse.

After moving abroad, Lindsey kept in touch with Evelyn. She would tell her about the outside world, sending

postcards from the places she visited. Evelyn would read them, her eyes full of longing, dreaming of one day

seeing the world outside her small, confined world.

Unfortunately, Evelyn never got the chance to live out that dream.

Three winters ago, Evelyn's life was cut short at just fifteen years old. At that time, Lindsey was twenty-two and

already well- established in her career in finance.

When Evelyn heard the news of Lindsey's passing, she rushed back from overseas to attend the funeral.

That day, Lindsey sat alone at her grave, not moving for what felt like hours.

Lindsey never imagined that the next tshe would see Evelyn, it would be in a place so far beyond reach.