When the Mask Falls
Tamsin · Completed · 87.5k Words
Introduction
Ten years of servitude. Ten years of abuse. When the Thomas family found their biological daughter, they tossed Evelyn out like garbage—back to the "poor mountain village" they assumed she came from.
They couldn't have been more wrong.
The black Rolls-Royce waiting outside wasn't a rental. The mansion in the mountains wasn't a fantasy. And the "poor parents" she'd been forced to find? They turned out to be the Taylor family—one of the four shadow dynasties that rule the country from behind the curtain.
But Evelyn isn't just a lost heiress reclaiming her throne.
She's Phoenix, the legendary surgeon who operates on presidents.
She's Valencia, the phantom composer whose music billionaires chase.
She's the ghostwriter behind blockbuster films, the strategist who turns bankrupt pharmaceutical companies into empires overnight.
And she's done being underestimated.
When her former fiancé—the cold, proud William Brown—discovers the girl he discarded is the very genius he's been obsessed with for years, the chase begins. But Evelyn has already buried her heart under too many scars. He'll have to bleed to earn her trust.
"You wanted me gone," she tells the family who starved her. "Congratulations. You got your wish. Now watch me rise where you can't reach."
A slow-burn romance where the heroine saves herself—and maybe, just maybe, lets one man prove he's worth keeping.
Chapter 1
"Ever since I brought you back from the orphanage at age eight and raised you as my own daughter, it's been ten years. All the effort the Thomas family has put into you - it's time you paid us back!"
At the Thomas Villa, in the dining room.
Winter Hayes stared coldly at the girl eating quietly across from her.
The next moment, the Thomas family's eldest son, Jasper Thomas, let out a mocking laugh.
"Mom, how could she possibly have money to pay us back? Her birth parents are in a poor village. She's got a seriously ill grandfather and a disabled brother to support. Let's just hope she doesn't come crawling back to us for money when she can't make ends meet."
Hearing this, Winter immediately said in a threatening tone.
"Your social security card has already been changed to your new name, Evelyn Taylor. After you finish this meal, go find your birth parents right away. From now on, you have nothing to do with the Thomas family!"
Finally, Mason Thomas, sitting on the sofa, spoke in a low voice: "That's enough. She was family once, after all."
He personally ladled a bowl of chicken soup and placed it in front of Evelyn: "Don't worry, Dad will give you a hundred thousand dollars so you won't have such a hard time adjusting to that poor life."
Evelyn finally looked up. She politely but distantly accepted the soup and thanked him.
She had bright eyes, delicate features, and smooth skin - clearly not sharing the Thomas family's looks.
Years ago, because Mason and Winter's biological daughter had been kidnapped, they adopted Evelyn from the orphanage.
But she wasn't their real child after all. After bringing Evelyn back, Winter always treated her like a servant being supported by the Thomas family, ordering her to do all kinds of rough and exhausting work.
Jasper always looked down on this adopted sister, too.
Though Mason was kinder to Evelyn, it was just to maintain his image. He didn't really care about her much.
Then last month, the Thomas family's daughter, who'd been missing for twenty years, was found!
Freya Thomas was brought home.
Mason, Winter, and Jasper took turns hugging her and crying, showering her with love.
Evelyn became even more unwelcome in this house.
Right around that time, Evelyn's birth parents contacted the orphanage.
So Mason and Winter forced her to change her last name and told her to leave quickly!
"Is Evelyn really leaving? What if she can't handle that kind of hard life..."
Freya held her soup bowl with both hands, her nose red, looking like a pitiful little rabbit.
Only in her eyes flashed a hint of jealous hatred.
"Evelyn has always lived in luxury, not like me - I had to work several jobs before I even turned eighteen. My hands got so rough that even when they get hurt, I don't feel pain anymore."
She smiled with forced strength.
"Evelyn's hands are so soft, and she's never worked before. She'll probably be like me, secretly crying under the covers every night. When I think about that, my heart just aches for her..."
Before she could finish, Winter was already in tears.
She pulled Freya into her arms: "Freya, you're the one who deserves to be pitied! You poor thing, living such a terrible life..."
"Mom, it's okay. I'm back now, and I'll definitely be happy from now on." Freya looked up at Winter with tears in her eyes and smiled.
"Yes, everything good in this house will be yours from now on! Mom will make up for all those twenty years of happiness you missed out on!"
Winter suddenly thought of something and immediately said to Mason: "That hundred thousand dollars - save it all for our Freya to spend! We don't owe Evelyn anything. Why should we give her money?"
Mason sighed quietly and said nothing, which meant he agreed.
Evelyn watched this family's performance with cold eyes, sneering inwardly.
She really didn't need this little bit of money.
If Freya's two-faced act could move this family, then she could only respect and bless them.
Though Freya's face shape resembled Mason's, her eyes didn't look like Winter's at all.
Looking away from Winter and Freya, Evelyn stood up: "I'm full. I'll leave now."
"Evelyn, I have something to give you."
Freya wiped away her tears and nodded to the servants. Soon, two people brought over a large bag of clothes and placed it in front of Evelyn.
"You probably won't be able to afford clothes when you go back, right? Take all these."
The bag contained faded jeans, underwear with a musty smell, and shirts with yellowed collars.
Some were clothes Evelyn used to wear, others were things Freya brought from her old home.
Anyway, they were all things Freya didn't want.
"Oh, and this too."
She called the servants again to bring over several more bags.
"Keep this food for the road. If you can't finish it, take it home for your family to try. They've probably never eaten such good food, right?"
In the transparent plastic bags, several dishes were mixed, looking like kitchen scraps.
Only the Thomas family's servants would eat these leftovers, and some were even from yesterday.
"Freya is so good to you! Hurry up and say thank you!" Winter urged.
Evelyn smiled.
She had wanted to leave quietly, but they wouldn't let her.
She took the bag and, without hesitation, swung her hand up. The bag landed on Freya's head, the opening spilling out, and the soup and liquid inside splashed all over Freya!
The fake smile on Freya's face instantly disappeared. Her face was covered in the unpleasant oily smell, and vegetable soup even dripped into her mouth!
She burst into tears!
"Evelyn, are you crazy?" Winter cursed angrily and rushed to help wipe Freya's face.
Jasper was even more furious and raised his hand to slap Evelyn: "I think you have a death wish!"
Evelyn glanced at him coldly and casually raised her right hand.
Her movement was quick and seemingly careless, even more casual than brushing back her hair, but she precisely blocked Jasper's arm and hit his funny bone.
His arm immediately lost strength and dropped limply. But because Evelyn moved so fast, he didn't even realize she had done it, thinking something was wrong with his own body. He froze.
"Freya was kind enough to give you food, and this is how you treat her? You ungrateful bitch! Get over here and apologize to her right now!"
Winter kept cursing.
Evelyn laughed lightly and finally spoke sarcastically: "If I'm ungrateful, then what are you?"
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