Chapter 219  Lucian nodded vigorously, “Lemmy, I’ll get to the bottom of this. You’ll have your answers, I promise!”  Lemira’s eyes were cold. She didn’t need anyone else to give her answers. She could find them herself!  Seeing the situation turning south, the butler hurriedly intervened, “There’s no need to check the surveillance. It was me, blame me if you must.”  “Old man, we haven’t even checked the footage yet. Why the rush to confess? Who are you trying to cover for?”  Lemira’s disdain for the butler was palpable. Since she had to deal with this before leaving, she wouldn’t hold back her displeasure.  Lucian also noticed the butler’s odd behavior and pressed him, “Tell me the truth, who has been in the study?”  The butler stuttered, unable to utter a single coherent response.  ucian, sensing what might have happened, raised his voice, “Where’s Evelina? I want her here, now!”  “Ms. Sterling’s in her room, catching up on some homework. Let’s wait till she’s done; it’s not a big deal anyway!”  Hearing the butler’s words, Lucian was shocked. He couldn’t believe a butler dared to dismiss Lemira’s concerns so lightly, showcasing how much Lemira had been underestimated at home.  Lucian flung a mug towards the butler, “I said get Evelina here, now! Are you deaf?”  Frightened, the butler nodded quickly and scurried out of the study.  Lucian couldn’t bring himself to meet Lemira’s gaze, “Lemmy, I didn’t expect this would happen. Has the butler always treated you like  this?”  Lemira leaned against the desk, her features etched with sarcasm, “I’m used to it. It’s nothing new.”  Her casual remark weighed heavily on Lucian, leaving him breathless.  She said she was used to it! Looking at the opened mail, Lucian trembled with anger.  Soon, Evelina entered with the butler, already aware of what had transpired.  Eyes red, Evelina spoke in a pitiful tone, “Lucian, it’s all my fault. I was just curious about what an offer of admission from a top university looked like, so I sneaked a peek. I swear, I didn’t touch anything else!”  Hearing Evelina’s admission, Lucian slumped into his chair, speechless.  Seeing Evelina’s tearful apology, he even began to feel annoyed. Would he have considered this a trivial matter in the past, thinking Lemira shouldn’t fuss over Evelina’s apology?  The more Lucian thought about it, the colder he felt. If not for his indulgence, how could Evelina and the butler dare to act this way?  Lucian’s face was livid, “Evelina, apologize to Lemmy, now!”  Evelina turned to Lemira, feigning innocence, “Lemmy, I’m so sorry. My grades got voided, and I don’t have any schools to attend. That’s why I envied your school offer and couldn’t help but take a look. Please, don’t be mad, okay?”  “No!” Lemira’s voice was bland, her gaze icy.  Biting her lip, Evelina continued in a weak voice, “As long as you’re not mad, I’ll do anything!”  It was just a peek at a school offer, big deal.  She did it on purpose. Even though she wasn’t accepted, she wanted to spite Lemira. After all, a quick apology and a few tears usually did the trick.  “You said it.”  Lemira slapped Evelina hard, putting all her strength into it until her hand went numb.  Evelina was stunned, “What are you doing?”  “I’m venting on you. Isn’t that what you asked for?”  After another slap, Lemira grabbed Evelina’s hair, her eyes tinged with red, “I warned you not to touch my things. Seems like you haven’t learned.”  Lemira wouldn’t be fooled; she knew Evelina’s act was just to get under her skin.  369