Lethal Villainess: Now I'm Their Doom

"Evelina, you've been given a second chance. Stay out of trouble and live your life properly from now on."

The prison gates slammed shut behind Evelina Brooks, cutting off the guard's stern warning.

Evelina stood outside the prison entrance, slowly tightening her grip on the worn backpack in her hand as a cold look settled in her eyes.

There was no way she would repeat the same mistake. This time, the people who had committed the real crime and pushed her out as the scapegoat would pay for what they'd done.

Not far away, three black Porsche Cayennes were lined up along the roadside.

When Evelina looked over, the rear door of the middle SUV slowly opened, though no one stepped out.

Evelina walked over without hesitation and stopped beside the open door, but she didn't get in right away.

Through the doorway, she finally saw the infamous head of the Payne Group for the first time. The man was rumored to be ruthless and impossible to predict.

Connor Payne wore gold-rimmed glasses that softened his appearance and gave him the look of a refined scholar. But that gentle impression couldn't hide the sharpness in his features. His tall frame filled the back seat easily, his broad shoulders and long legs giving off a quiet sense of pressure. Sunlight streamed through the open car door and reflected off the luxury watch on his wrist. The limited-edition piece was one of only three in the world, and the diamonds embedded in it glimmered with a cold light.

"You're Evelina Brooks?" Connor's deep voice carried an almost lazy calmness, though the faint mockery beneath it was impossible to miss. "I expected the woman who crashed the stock market overnight to look a little more impressive."

Evelina let out a faint scoff. Her face had become so thin and pale that it was nearly unrecognizable, making her eyes appear even larger.

She looked directly at him, her gaze flat and emotionless, still as dead water. She didn't waste time exchanging pleasantries.

"Fifty million dollars. A car. A house. A driver. Three days from now, I'll hand you a new plan."

Connor lightly tapped his fingers against his knee as he studied her eyes. Then the corners of his lips slowly curved upward into a smile filled with interest.

He actually liked the look in her eyes.

She reminded him of a lone wolf wandering the desert, fierce, dangerous, and ready to strike at any moment.

"The lead car is yours from now on. Jake Blake will drive for you. Cayson, transfer Villa No. 8 in Aurora Bay to Miss Brooks immediately. And arrange for a few people to take care of her daily needs."

As he spoke, Connor pulled out a black card and held it toward her.

His fingers were pale and slender, almost too refined, carrying the fragile beauty of someone who looked as though he might break with a touch.

But Evelina had once watched a video of him using those same elegant hands to crush a traitor's arm while wearing a mesmerizing smile the entire time.

"This card has a three-hundred-million-dollar credit limit."

Even though Evelina already knew Connor was outrageously generous when it suited him, she was still caught off guard by the scale of it.

The cheapest villa in Aurora Bay cost tens of millions.

Now he was also handing her a black card worth three hundred million without hesitation. Wasn't he worried she might simply take everything and disappear?

Cayson Scott, seated in the front passenger seat, was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out.

Since when had Connor become this easygoing?

And for a woman who had just gotten out of prison, no less.

If any of the women who once chased after Connor had dared make demands-even the smallest one like holding the door for them, they probably would've disappeared before sunrise.

Evelina's eyes flickered slightly before she calmly accepted the black card.

Under the sunlight, her pale lips slowly curved into a cold, unsettling smile.

"Within one month, my new plan will earn you at least a billion dollars in profit. Your fifty million won't just pay off. It'll be the best investment you've ever made. After that, we can discuss a long-term partnership."

Her voice remained calm and steady, without arrogance or false modesty. Only a blazing excitement burned beneath it, sharp enough to sound almost dangerous.

Cayson was already beginning to suspect that Evelina didn't have any real ability at all and was simply trying to swindle them out of a fortune before disappearing.

Connor, however, only raised an interested eyebrow. Leaning back against the seat with effortless composure, he replied calmly, "Alright."

He didn't ask a single additional question.

It was as though Evelina had casually tossed out a live bomb, while to Connor, it was no more threatening than a small firecracker during the holidays.

That quiet "Alright" from him somehow felt even more unsettling to Cayson than Evelina's promise to earn him a billion dollars in just one month.

"Then I'll wait for your good news, Miss Brooks."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door slowly closed. The Cayenne made a smooth U-turn, sweeping past the hem of Evelina's faded denim skirt before driving away.

Evelina remained standing in place, the sharp edge of the black card pressing into her palm.

The back of her hand was covered in crossing scars that ruined the smooth skin that had once been delicate. The sight was shocking to look at.

At that moment, a man stepped out of the car that had remained behind and respectfully opened the rear door for her.

Evelina had just lifted her foot to get into the car when the sharp screech of brakes suddenly echoed from nearby. A Rolls-Royce sped in from another road and came to an abrupt stop behind her. The door swung open, and Sam Brooks, Evelina's brother, stepped out in a custom-tailored light gray suit.

"Eve, I've come to take you home."