At first, articles had been written about her like she was a character in someone else’s story, Ryan Ashbrook’s wife, the silent woman, the one dragged into the spotlight.
Then Mathew’s scandal had tried to turn her into a victim.
But Eve hadn’t allowed it.
She had sat at that table and remained steady.
She had judged the food.
She had refused to retaliate emotionally or collapse publicly.
And the world, always eager for a narrative, began to rewrite hers.
Eve caught glimpses of it in the way the audience reacted when the MC introduced her name, louder applause, warmer cheers, less curiosity and more respect.
She caught it backstage too.
A makeup artist, adjusting powder near her cheekbone, whispered, “They’re calling you the steel wife online.”
Eve’s mouth twitched. “That’s unf
