The Thorne Heiress Unveiling Shadow novel Chapter 73

Evelyn's words struck the Duchess with the force of a physical blow. The polite, amused smile on her lips faltered, becoming a stiff, unnatural line. For the first time that night, her composure showed a crack.

She had underestimated the girl. She had expected a defensive denial or a clumsy retort. Instead, she had been met with a cool, tactical strike that had turned her own pawn against her and put her own social authority into question. This quiet young woman was not a social climber to be toyed with; she was a rival.

To recover, she had to act decisively. She had to cut her losses.

She turned her head slowly, her veiled gaze falling upon Penelope Vanderbilt with the weight of a death sentence. Her voice, when she spoke, was no longer warm or amused. It was as cold and as sharp as shattered ice.

"Penelope," the Duchess said, her tone dripping with a profound and public disappointment. "It seems the Vanderbilt education is not what it once was. You have disappointed me."

The words were a public execution. To be dismissed by the Duchess, in this venue, in front of this crowd, was the end. Penelope's entire social identity was built upon the approval of women like her. To lose that was to lose everything.

The color drained from Penelope's face. She stared at the Duchess, her eyes wide with a look of pure, uncomprehending horror. "Your Grace… please…" she whispered, her voice a pathetic whimper.

The Duchess turned away from her without another word, a final, brutal dismissal.

But Evelyn was not finished. This was not just about winning; it was about making a statement.

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