Here's Chapter Six of The Second Beginning* — the most emotionally layered yet: warmth, tension, resolve, and a quiet declaration of war.
It shows Evelyn's small victory at the dinner table, her confrontation with Alexander, and the spark of her larger plan — reclaiming her life, career, and power from those who stole it.
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Chapter Six — A New Table
The scent of rosemary and butter drifted through the dining hall long before the maids carried the trays in.
Evelyn wiped her hands on a linen cloth, surveying the dishes one last time — roasted chicken glazed with honey and herbs, creamy mashed potatoes, crisp vegetables, and warm rolls.
It wasn't fancy, not by Carter standards.
But it was home.
Her daughters were the first to arrive, their footsteps pattering like rain.
"Mommy!" Lily gasped, eyes wide. "You really cooked all this?"
Evelyn smiled, ladling food onto their plates. "Yes, I did."
Emma leaned close, sniffing curiously. "It smells good…"
"Then taste it," Evelyn said, setting down her fork. "Tell me what you think."
They didn't need to be told twice. Both girls dug in, cautious at first, then faster, smiling between bites.
Lily's mouth was full when she said, "It's so good! Mommy, this is the best food ever!"
Evelyn laughed softly. "You like it?"
Emma nodded vigorously, cheeks puffed. "Can we eat your cooking every day?"
Her chest ached with a warmth she hadn't felt in years. "Yes," she said quietly. "From now on, I'll cook for you whenever I can."
Grace gurgled from her cradle nearby, and Evelyn reached over to brush a tiny hand. "And when you're older," she whispered, "you'll eat it too."
It was simple, almost ordinary — a mother serving her children — but the weight of the moment nearly broke her. In her previous life, they'd never sat at the same table this peacefully. There had only been tension, tears, silence.
Now, the sound of their laughter filled the room, and Evelyn Carter felt, for the first time, that she was doing something right.
Only one seat was empty.
Alexander's.
---
"Go on, finish your food," Evelyn told the girls gently. "I'll go call your father."
The maids looked uneasy when she stood. No one ever disturbed Mr. Carter in his study during work hours — not even his wife. But Evelyn's voice was calm, her posture unshakable.
"Tell the staff to clear the table after the girls finish," she said softly. "And please, don't follow me."
She lifted a tray — a single plate, still steaming — and left.
---
Alexander's study was bathed in golden light from the tall windows. He sat behind his desk, reading documents with that same effortless authority that used to both awe and irritate her.
He didn't look up when she entered.
His phone buzzed once, twice. He picked it up, glanced at the screen — then frowned.
When he noticed her shadow across the carpet, his expression hardened.
"Who gave you permission to come in?" he asked quietly.
Evelyn didn't flinch. "I brought you dinner."
He looked at the tray, then back at her, suspicion flickering in his eyes — not of poison, but of motives.
Before he could say anything, the phone buzzed again.
Her phone.
He glanced down at it, then extended it to her, his voice low. "It's Oliver."
For a moment, the world went silent.
The name felt like a venomous ghost crawling up her spine. She hadn't heard it spoken aloud since the night she died.
Evelyn took the phone slowly. Alexander watched her — not moving, not blinking — as she looked at the screen.
The number glowed like a curse.
And then, without hesitation, she answered.
Her voice was sharp, steady, colder than steel.
"Don't ever call me again, Oliver," she said. "I'm done letting you ruin my life."
Whatever voice came through the line — smug, mocking, familiar — was cut short as she ended the call.
Then, she did what she should have done years ago.
She blocked the number.
The final click echoed through the quiet room like a gunshot.
Evelyn set the phone down on the desk. "There," she said simply. "Now he's out."
Alexander leaned back in his chair, studying her with unnerving stillness. "That's quite a performance."
"It wasn't one," she said.
His eyebrow arched slightly.
Evelyn took a slow breath, grounding herself. "I know you don't trust me. I've earned that. But I want to start again — with you, and our children."
Her voice wavered, just slightly. "I don't expect you to believe me. Not now. But I'll prove it to you. Not through words — through actions."
Alexander said nothing.
He didn't nod. He didn't soften. He simply regarded her, expression unreadable.
It stung, but she didn't back down.
"I left your dinner," she said quietly. "Eat it before it gets cold."
And with that, she turned and walked out before her composure could crumble.
---
Outside the study, she stopped for a moment, pressing her hand to her heart. Her pulse was racing, but her mind was clear.
She had done what she needed to do.
For now.
She exhaled, then pulled out her phone — the same one she'd just reclaimed. There was one more thing she had to do tonight.
She scrolled through her contacts until she found a name she hadn't touched in years: Sienna Ross.
Her best friend.
Once.
But there was still something unfinished. Someone she needed to face.
She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found the name:
Sienna Ross.
And the woman she had cruelly cut out of her life — not because of truth, but because of Hannah's poison.
Sienna had been the only one who told her the truth about Oliver, about her manipulative parents. Evelyn hadn't listened. Instead, she'd chosen the lie.
She'd believed Hannah when she'd said, "Sienna's jealous of you. She wants Alexander's attention. She wants what you have."
And Evelyn had been foolish enough to believe her. She'd ended the friendship with cold, public insults — humiliating Sienna at a charity event, pushing her away from the only person who'd ever defended her.
Sienna's husband, Ryan, a quiet and brilliant man who ran a tech company, had still tried to help behind the scenes — even after the fallout. But Evelyn had never known.
Until now.
She sat down on the couch in the hallway and began to type.
> Sienna, it's Evelyn.
I don't expect forgiveness, but I owe you an apology. I see things clearly now. I know what Hannah said and what I believed — and I was wrong. You were right about all of them.
I'm sorry. I hope you're doing well. That's all.
Her fingers hovered for a moment — then she hit send.
It wasn't about rebuilding the friendship. It was about making peace with the part of her that had let good people go.
She looked at the clock. Midnight glimmered faintly on its face.
A new day was beginning.
An actress — talented, radiant, and calculating. They had grown up in the same industry, rising side by side. Evelyn had been the prettier face, the one discovered young, adored by the camera since she was twelve. By eighteen, she was on every magazine cover — and that was when Alexander Carter proposed.
Her parents had been ecstatic.
Not because of love — but because of leverage.
A marriage into the Carters had meant power, security, and the perfect excuse to launch their "other daughter," Hannah, into fame. They'd used Evelyn's name, her image, her silence — all while making her believe Alexander was the one who'd stopped her from working.
She saw it now.
He'd only wanted to protect her from being exploited.
The betrayal, the manipulation, the career they'd stolen — it all came rushing back.
One by one, she would erase every parasite who had fed on her past life.
Her parents.
Her sister.
Oliver.
.
This time, she wouldn't let them destroy her.
---
In the study, Alexander finally picked up the fork and took a bite of the meal she'd left.
He didn't want to admit it, but it was… good.
Simple, warm, real.
He leaned back, eyes on the closed door.
Something was changing in his wife — something he couldn't yet define.
But for the first time, the idea of finding out didn't fill him with dread.