[Lilly’s POV]

I follow Rose and Evelyn out the front door, watching my sister's confident stride with a flicker of irritation. Rose always manages to be first, first to sleep with Seth this morning, first to meet his mother, first to stake her claim. Meanwhile, I spent the better part of my morning teaching a child basic multiplication. A task that, while simple enough, was merely a calculated move to make Seth appreciate me more.

The front door closes behind us with a soft click. The afternoon sun is bright enough to make me squint as we step onto the porch. Rose positions herself like a shield between me and Seth's house, as if she's the designated protector. It's almost laughable.

"So what's this about, Evelyn?" Rose asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

I focus on Evelyn, my analytical mind already cataloging her body language, the defensive posture, the slight tremor in her hands, the way her eyes keep darting between Rose and me. She's the immediate concern, a variable that needs to be controlled.

Evelyn's professional demeanor crumbles before my eyes as her shoulders slump. Her face contorts into an expression I hadn't anticipated, desperation.

"Look, I get it, alright? I see how this is going to go." Evelyn says, her voice strained. "Seth has loved you two for a long time. I've known it for years. He never really hid it from me." She wraps her arms around herself, suddenly looking smaller. "But Seth is my everything."

I raise an eyebrow, maintaining my composure while Rose shifts restlessly beside me. Evelyn's admission isn't surprising, her behavior has been transparent from the moment we arrived.

"Please," Evelyn continues, her voice breaking slightly. "Don't let him ice me out completely."

"It's not up to us what Seth wants to do," I reply coolly, though I know that's not entirely true. When I'm done with Seth, he'll think exactly how I want him to. He already looks at me like I'm his world, and I intend to take up that entire space. No room for someone like Evelyn.

Evelyn must sense my thoughts because her eyes narrow slightly. "Let me in," she says, the desperation in her voice giving way to something harder.

"What?" Rose sputters beside me, her confusion mirroring my own.

Evelyn straightens her spine, a new resolve hardening her features. "Let me be his third," she states plainly, as if proposing a business arrangement. "You two already know how to share him. What's one more woman?"

The audacity of her request leaves me momentarily speechless. I feel Rose tense beside me, her hands clenching into fists. I place a restraining hand on my sister's arm before she can lunge forward.

"That's not happening," I say, my voice as sharp as a scalpel. "Seth is ours."

Evelyn's face transforms at my refusal, her professional mask shattering completely. Her eyes narrow to slits, nostrils flaring with each rapid breath.

"You think you know him?" she hisses, taking a step toward me. "You don't know the first thing about Seth. I was there when he broke his arm in fifth grade. I was there when he had nightmares after watching that stupid Saw movie. I was there for every milestone, every disappointment, every triumph."

I maintain my composure, though I feel Rose shifting beside me, ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. Evelyn's coming undone before our eyes, and I need to catalog every reaction, every weakness.

"I raised him!" Evelyn's voice rises, cracking with emotion. "His mother was never there. I was! I'm practically his mother in all the ways that matter. I've earned my place in his life! I deserve him more than either of you ever could!"

Her chest heaves with exertion, tears threatening at the corners of her eyes. "Please," she begs, her voice dropping to a desperate whisper. "You can't just erase me from his life. I need him."

I watch the raw desperation contorting Evelyn's features with detached fascination. Her tears don't move me, they simply show she’s weak. The way she claims ownership of Seth, as if her years of proximity entitles her to seth, is both pathetic and infuriating.

Before I can formulate a proper cutting response, Rose erupts beside me.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she snarls, stepping forward until she's inches from Evelyn's face. "You 'raised' him? That's your justification for wanting to fuck him? Do you even hear yourself?"

I place a restraining hand on Rose's shoulder, not to protect Evelyn but to ensure my sister doesn't do anything that might complicate our situation. Physical violence would be messy, potentially pushing Seth away. Inefficient.

Rose shakes off my hand, her body vibrating with rage. "You're not his mother, you're his brother's nanny.”

Evelyn's appearance shifts before my eyes. She looks utterly unhinged, a far cry from the composed nanny she claims to be.

"Alright," she finally says, her voice hollow as she raises her hands in surrender. "I'll back off." Her eyes narrow, glittering with something dangerous. "But don't blame me if I don't let go completely. I've been in his life too long to just disappear."

Rose steps forward, her body coiled like a spring. "Then don't blame me if I beat the shit…"

"Rose," I interject sharply, cutting her off mid-threat. My sister freezes, glancing at me with fire still burning in her eyes. I give her a pointed look. "Don't make a scene. Not here."

The unspoken message passes between us. Not where Seth might hear. Not where the child inside might witness it.

Evelyn's lips curve into a bitter smile as she turns toward the door. She doesn't say another word, just walks back into the house with slumped shoulders, the door clicking shut behind her.

Once we're alone, Rose turns to me, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Should we talk to Aunty Lara? I know Seth told us not to, but..."

I consider the implications carefully. Seth's pleading face flashes in my mind, his desperate insistence that we leave Evelyn alone. But the practical side of me recognizes the threat she poses. Her instability is evident, her obsession dangerous.

"She's too desperate," I murmur, nodding slowly. "She might do something reckless if we don't take action. Especially now that she knows she can't have him."

"Yeah," Rose agrees, her eyes darkening as we head back toward the house. "Better safe than sorry."