---- Chapter 27 The guests gasped, and even Ryan was stunned as he looked at Vickie. "Nonsense!" Vickie's face turned ashen. "Doyouhave evidence?" Samuel clapped his hands, and two bodyguards escorted a hunched old man into the hall. "Do you recognize him?" Samuel's voice was icy. "He was the driver for Maria back then." The old man trembled as he fell to his knees. "Vickie gave me a large sum of money to tamper with the brakes. Maria was good to me, and | betrayed her." Vickie's lips quivered violently, and she couldn't utter a word. Samuel continued, "Moreover, he's the father of your daughter, Alina!" The room was in an uproar. "Did you think | wouldn't find out?" Eve walked up to Vickie and said, "You seduced my father's driver, conceived Alina, and then plotted to kill my mother to ensure that Alina became my father's daughter." The guests were aghast. Some even jeered disdainfully. ---- Alina screamed hysterically, "That's impossible! | am the daughter of the Costa family. | have noble blood!" Eve gazed at her with pity. "Sadly, your father is merely a driver. You are a fraud who has lived off lies until today." Vickie completely broke down. She struggled to lunge at Eve, but the bodyguards firmly restrained her. "You wretch! You've ruined everything for me!" Eve leaned slightly and whispered in her ear, "Not me. You destroyed everything yourself. Since the moment you killed my mother, you would have known such a day would come." Alina collapsed to the floor, and her wedding dress was stained with champagne and tears. She suddenly turned to the guests, and her gaze was fixed on Lucas. "Lucas!" she cried out desperately. "Help me! You promised you would protect me forever!" All eyes immediately turned to Lucas. He had been leisurely sipping the wine, but he froze mid- motion at that moment. He couldn't maintain his composed facade. Eve raised her eyebrows at Samuel, and the latter immediately understood her. He signaled the bodyguards to clear a path. ---- Alina crawled frantically to Lucas's feet and clutched his pant leg. "Please! You promised my father you would take care of me." Her voice was choked with sobs. "You said you loved me!" Lucas's expression turned sinister as he slowly leaned down and gripped Alina's chin. "Stupid woman," he said softly. "That was when you were still Miss Costa." Lucas disdainfully pushed her away. "Now? You're not even fit to polish my shoes." Alina seemed to be thunderstruck, and her face was pale. "You... you used me?" Alina suddenly burst into laughter, and her makeup ran with tears: "You think you've won? You didn't expect this, did you? | had a backup plan!" She frantically tore open her wedding dress and revealed explosives strapped to her waist. "| want you all to die with me." Chaos erupted instantly. The guests screamed and scattered in panic. Samuel and Lucas simultaneously took out their guns and pulled the triggers. One bullet pierced Alina's forehead, and the other her heart. ---- It happened too quickly. Alina didn't have time to detonate the explosives before she swayed and collapsed to the floor. Blood stained the white wedding dress. Eve looked down at Alina's face, which was gradually lifeless. Complex emotions flashed in her eyes. "What a tragedy!" She said lightly, "Even in her final moments, she was still being used." Samuel walked up to Eve, and his gun was still smoking. Lucas stood there, and his expression shifted. He stared at his smoking gun barrel and suddenly chuckled. "It seems that | saved your life, Eve. How will you thank me?" Eve didn't even spare him a glance. "You were only saving yourself." Vickie was stunned by what had happened. She finally reacted and wailed over Alina's body. "My daughter! Alina!" She raised her tearful eyes and glared venomously at Eve. "You caused her death, Eve! You'll pay for this! I'll haunt you for this even after my death!" Eve looked at Vickie emotionlessly, and her voice was filled with hatred. "Alina at least died swiftly, unlike my mother, who was burned alive in the car."