Chapter 138

Evelyn offered a polite smile as she declined. "That won't be necessary, Ms. Chamberlain. My ride should be arriving any moment now."

"At least let me escort you out," Diana insisted, already gesturing toward the exit before Evelyn could protest further.

With a gracious nod, Evelyn turned on her designer heels and made her way toward the lobby.

At the main entrance, Harrison stood conversing with several executives from Horizon Technologies. His gaze casually drifted across the room, landing on Evelyn's approaching figure.

"Excellent, Mr. Montgomery. We'll finalize the details for the quantum computing initiative tomorrow at your office."

"Looking forward to it, Mr. Whitmore."

After bidding farewell to the businessmen, Harrison swiftly crossed the marble floor toward Evelyn. Noticing her bare shoulders against the evening chill, he immediately shrugged off his tailored jacket. "The temperature's dropped considerably."

His hands lingered momentarily as he draped the garment over her shoulders.

Diana observed the exchange with practiced composure, though inwardly startled by Harrison's uncharacteristic display of tenderness.

"My car's here," Evelyn announced, spotting the familiar black sedan pulling up.

"Until tomorrow, Harrison."

He responded with a quiet hum of acknowledgment, watching carefully as she settled into the vehicle before raising his hand in farewell.

Only when the taillights disappeared around the corner did Harrison finally turn away.

The next morning found Evelyn's personal driver waiting at the curb outside her townhouse.

She emerged dressed in a sharply tailored pantsuit, her makeup flawless and professional. The moment she slid into the leather seat, the driver handed her a thick dossier.

"Ms. Carter, Mr. Whitmore requested you review these before the meeting."

Flipping through the pages, Evelyn's eyes lit up at the detailed reports on the quantum computing project. "How thoughtful of him."

As the car pulled into traffic, she immersed herself in the documents.

Their destination was Nexa Group - a multinational leader in quantum technology development.

The moment the car stopped at the corporate plaza, Evelyn stepped out.

Simultaneously, a sleek black limousine pulled up beside them. The tinted window lowered to reveal Simon's familiar profile.

"What an unexpected pleasure, Ms. Carter!" he greeted cheerfully.

Evelyn's smile froze momentarily.

If Simon was here, Nathan couldn't be far behind.

At that moment, she couldn't help thinking the business world was frustratingly small. "Quite the coincidence, Simon."

Simon adjusted his glasses with a knowing look. "Don't tell me you're here for the quantum computing presentation too."

Evelyn thought wryly, "Some rivalries are simply unavoidable."

Before she could respond, Nathan's commanding voice came from the backseat. "Park the car, Simon. We're going in."

"Right away, Mr. Sterling."

When Nathan emerged, his piercing gaze locked onto Evelyn. "Quantum technology? It appears we're competitors today, Ms. Carter."

Evelyn masked her surprise - she hadn't known Sterling Enterprises had ventured into this cutting-edge field.

But years of practice kept her expression neutral. "Then may the best proposal win."

With that, she turned toward the gleaming Nexa Group headquarters.

Nathan watched her retreating form with amusement before following at a measured pace.

"Ms. Carter, Mr. Montgomery is expecting you. Please follow me."

The receptionist escorted them to the seventeenth-floor conference room. Evelyn deliberately chose a seat as far from Nathan as possible.