Chapter 199

"Miss Carter, you don't look well." A bartender approached Evelyn with concern, his brow furrowed.

Evelyn pressed trembling fingers to her temples, shaking her head. But when her gaze met the bartender's, the fire in her veins roared hotter.

Her breath came in shallow gasps as she leaned closer without thinking. "It's...unbearably warm in here."

Understanding flashed in the bartender's eyes. "The Montgomery Hotel is just next door. Shall I escort you to a room?"

Nodding weakly, Evelyn followed him in a haze, her cheeks burning crimson. Each step felt like walking through molasses.

Upstairs in the VIP lounge, Sebastian's man approached with a smirk. "It's done, Mr. Montgomery."

Sebastian turned to Nathan with an amused shrug. "Anything else I can assist you with, Ms. Kingsley?"

Evelyn swirled her cocktail absently, the ice cubes clinking like tiny bells.

A slow, dangerous smile curved her lips. "Thank you, Sebastian. Now let's watch how their wicked plan unfolds."

Nathan suppressed a shiver at her tone.

The old adage was true—hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

"Your mixologists are exceptional," Evelyn remarked casually, taking another sip.

Sebastian's grin widened. "You're welcome anytime. Harrison here will cover your tabs." He winked at Harrison Whitmore. "I'll reserve our finest vintages just for you."

"Always the shrewd businessman," Evelyn teased.

Sebastian leaned forward conspiratorially. "For your wedding to Harrison? I'd comp the entire event."

Evelyn choked on her drink.

Harrison shot Sebastian a lethal glare that would've felled a lesser man.

But Sebastian merely chuckled. Truth was truth, after all.

"Speaking of which—"

Evelyn waved a hand frantically. Before she could protest, Harrison captured her wrist. "Let me take you home, Evelyn."

Startled, she set down her glass with a clink. They exited so quickly it resembled a strategic retreat.

Sebastian's laughter followed them out.

The Kingsley heiress was nothing like society's rumors. She was...adorably flustered in person.

In the car's dim interior, Evelyn stared at the passing streetlights, her mind clearing with each breath.

"Sebastian's jokes shouldn't be taken seriously." Harrison kept his eyes on the road, his tone deliberately light.

An inexplicable pang of disappointment twisted in Evelyn's chest, but she masked it perfectly.

"No need to explain next time," Harrison interrupted her thoughts.

Evelyn blinked. "Pardon?"

"Explanations only complicate things."

Then came the question that mattered: "Any regrets about tonight?"

Evelyn's answer was immediate. "None."

Vanessa and Victoria had reaped exactly what they'd sown.

"If I regretted it, I'd be a saint," Evelyn continued, her voice hardening. "They aimed to destroy me, but in the end?" A cold smile. "They merely tasted their own medicine."