Chapter 35

Emily studied the man who’d come to her defense. The shock of the confrontation might have confused her, or perhaps two years away had dulled her memory of familiar faces-either way, she couldn’t quite place him.

“Emily, are you okay?” The man turned toward her, his voice softening with genuine concern.

A

As she looked at him properly, recognition dawned. The man was Sean Sinclair, the son of the Bennett Group’s vice president.

He’d once trailed after her like a devoted squire, declaring himself her personal knight. Even after learning of her engagement to Vincent, he’d merely smiled and said, “I only want your happiness.”

At the time, Emily had believed his sincerity. Though she never returned his affections, she made sure to help whenever he asked her quiet way of acknowledging his kindness.

With Emily’s help, Sean’s father had climbed from a mid-level manager at the Bennett Group to vice president in a few

years.

When the truth about the swapped babies came out, Sean wasted no time switching sides to Lydia. Overnight, Emily became the “scheming villain” in his eyes, while Lydia ascended to “an angel.”

He delighted in tormenting Emily-every prank, every cruel jab was just to win Lydia’s approval.

So when Sean suddenly stepped in to defend her, Emily didn’t trust his motives for a second. She stared at his outstretched hand but didn’t take it, pushing away the memories of his betrayals.

The guard pressed a palm to his throbbing cheek, glowering. “Mr. Sinclair, the Bennetts have one daughter. We watched her enter half an hour ago. This one’s just a con artist-don’t let her fool you.”

Sean’s gaze flicked to Emily, who stayed silent, eyes downcast. He raised his voice, ensuring every bystander heard. “That’s true. But there was a hospital mix-up eighteen years ago. The real Bennett heiress spent her life in poverty while an impostor lived in luxury.”

Then he pointed at Emily, his words sharp as knives. “She’s the impostor. And she’s been stealing from the real heiress her entire life.”

The guard’s exaggerated gasp cut through the air. “Well, now it all makes sense. I knew she looked like an impostor the moment I saw her. Never imagined she actually deceived everyone for eighteen years.”

Emily wasn’t fooled. The guard’s crude performance and Sean’s conveniently timed intervention reeked of orchestration. If she couldn’t recognize a setup after two years at St. Gabriel’s, she might as well have wasted her time there.

Sean made no move to silence the guard. Instead, he crossed his arms, lips curling in quiet amusement as he observed Emily.

After years of dogging her footsteps, he knew her pride better than anyone. A public humiliation like this would have ‘provoked her temper in the past.

Their entire social circle knew the Bennetts had disowned her. If she lost control now, it would give him the perfect excuse to put her in her place for Lydia’s sake.

This is on you, Emily,’ Sean thought. ‘You vanished for two years, and now you come back just to make Lydia miserable? You even forced her to throw you this fancy party?’

He could still picture Lydia’s tearful face when she’d come to him upset. This time, he’d make sure Emily paid for what she’d

done.

Though surrounded by sneering faces, hushed gossip, and open contempt, Emily simply raised her eyes to meet Sean’s. “If you’ve finished your little performance, Mr. Sinclair, would you be so kind as to let me pass