My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse novel Chapter 681

Yet, no matter how strained their relationship had become, she had still raised Melody—had cared for her, nurtured her. And seeing her like this, broken and sobbing, shook her to the core.

She knew she had acted impulsively, that she had made a mistake. But at the same time, the sound of Melody's heart-wrenching cries, the girl she had loved and raised for over a decade, made it impossible for her to remain indifferent.

Mrs. Evans tried several times to explain, but no words came out. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, yet no sound escaped.

Guilt weighed heavily on her as she glanced at her best friend, Mrs. Winters, whose face was twisted with rage. Then, her eyes shifted to Duke, whose cheeks had flushed red, though he remained regal and composed, as if nothing had happened.

However, the chilling coldness in his eyes was unmistakable, sending a shiver down her spine, making her feel as though she had been plunged into an ice cellar.

"Emma, I know we had a verbal agreement when you became pregnant the last time. Since I only gave birth to a son, and Duke was just the same age as your second son, we agreed that if you had another son, our boys would treat each other as brothers."

"And if you had a daughter, we would betroth them in the hopes that they would marry one day, strengthening the bond between our families. However, my son's opinion matters."

"After all, we made this decision without consulting them—without considering whether they truly wanted to fulfill our wishes. Since my son does not wish to go through with it, I would still treat your daughter as my own, believing that you, as my best friend, understood my stance."

"I truly feel sorry for your daughter, and I am willing to make compromises and offer compensation—but not at the cost of my son's happiness."

"Olivia! What do you take our family for? Do you think you can just go back on your promise whenever you please without properly discussing it with both families?"

"Have you even considered my family in this decision? Do you even respect us?" Mr. Evans stepped in front of his wife protectively.

He knew she had acted impulsively and made mistakes, but he didn't like the way Olivia spoke, as if placing all the blame solely on them.

This wasn't just about Melody anymore—his family's name was at stake. He couldn't stand the thought of the Winters looking down on them, believing they could do as they pleased without consequences.

And so, the misunderstanding between them only deepened. To Mrs. Winters, it seemed like the Evans family was reacting so strongly because they couldn't accept Duke marrying someone else and were looking down on his wife, Kisha—something she strongly disapproved of.

Meanwhile, the Evans family believed the Winters were belittling them by openly rejecting the childhood betrothal agreement.

What the Evans didn't realize was that the Winters were unaware of Kisha's true identity as their long-lost daughter, and from the Evans' perspective, it felt like they were simply being cast aside.

After all, they were no longer considered the second most powerful family in the country—their status and influence had diminished.

Now, they were living under the Winters' protection, residing in their hidden base and relying on their resources, which only made the situation feel even more humiliating.

Even Mr. Evans momentarily forgot that Kisha was his biological daughter, meaning Duke marrying her was still, in a way, fulfilling their original childhood betrothal.