Here is the thoroughly revised translation, strictly following your instructions and aligning with both American English style and the original's nuance, culture, plot, and character relationships:

Asher had always been deeply suspicious by nature. He simply couldn't bring himself to trust anything Lemira said.

Unless he asked in person.

As soon as Evelina heard that, she hurriedly spoke up, "That's right, Asher! If you just ask my father yourself, you'll find out where the money went. Someone as selfish and afraid of death as he is would definitely spill everything to save himself." But Evelina's insistence only made Asher even more doubtful toward Lemira.

Lemira stepped forward, fixing her gaze on Evelina. "Your father is a coward, you say? But he killed two people for you. Does that sound like the act of someone too afraid for his own life?"

"What are you talking about? My father would never kill anyone for me!"

Cold sweat broke out on Evelina's back. How could that wretched Lemira possibly know any of this?

No-that couldn't be!

Lucian, standing nearby, frowned and asked, "Lemmy, what makes you say something like that?"

"Lemira is just making things up! She's lying!"

At this point Evelina was a nervous wreck. When had this woman learned that her father was still alive?

She couldn't go to prison.

Lemira looked at Lucian and continued, "Do you remember those two girls who used to follow Evelina around back in Lyria? One of them helped Evelina cheat on the college entrance exams. In the end, that girl supposedly took her own life. The truth is, she was murdered—so she wouldn't accidentally let slip that someone else had cheated."

"Lemira, why are you slandering me?

I didn't cheat at all! She was the one who begged for answers, and I only helped her out of kindness and.

ended up getting dragged into.ne

myself. She killed herself because she was asharned when it all came out, that's the real reason."

Lemira ignored Evelina's protests and pressed on. "And do you remember that old butler who was found in bed with Evelina? Later, he was found hanged in the cellar But true suicide it

even that wasn mantike.

was murder A wily

him? He'd never kill himself over a scandal. Not unless someone

wanted to silence him to keep the truth from getting out."

Lemira glanced at Evelina. "What the butler did wasn't even all that serious. Why would he hang himself to escape the fallout? No-it had to be that someone needed him out of the way before he could speak the truth."

Evelina's face turned ghostly pale with panic. "That's not true! Lemira, you're making all of this up!"

Ignoring her, Lemira turned to Asher. "Asher, you know in your heart whether Evelina cheated or not."

Asher fell silent for a moment.

He remembered: back then, he had definitely suspected Evelina was not innocent. But Evelina was still part of the Langston family-he couldn't let a cheating scandal break out; it would ruin the family's reputation.

That's why Asher arranged to pay off Evelina's friend, hoping the girl would take the fall for everything.

But no one could have predicted that the girl would end up dead.

Asher spoke up, "But none of this proves the girl didn't die by suicide, or that it was a murder."

"Alright then," Lemira said. "But what about the butter? You must know what really happened with him. It was obvious that Evelina and the butler tried to frame me. Their scheme backfired and dragged Evelina down instead The butter's crime surely didn't warrant death. Would you call that justice?"

Asher, too, had always found the butler's death suspicious.

He thought the circumstances were far too strange—but he hadn't investigated it

any further, for fear of tainting the Langston family's reputation.

"Asher frowned. "These are all just your assumptions, Lemira. You can't prove any of it, can you?"

Evelina shot Asher a hopeful look. "Asher, she's just smearing me—I never did those things. I only recently reconnected with my father. He keeps pressuring me for money, forcing my hand. That's all this is about. No one was killed."

Lemira replied coldly, "Who says I don't have evidence?"