Chapter 371

"Mother, what absurdity are you speaking?" Nathan swiftly intercepted Eleanor. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined she could harbor such venom toward Evelyn.

The realization struck him like lightning.

He'd been utterly blind.

Yet Evelyn remained unshaken. "Mr. Sterling, I'll take my leave now."

Nathan moved to follow, but Eleanor clutched his arm desperately. "Nathan, I can't... I can't breathe properly. My chest—"

"Madam Blackwell, are you unwell?" Juliette's voice dripped with false concern.

Nathan hesitated, torn between chasing Evelyn and attending to his mother's sudden distress. "Mother? What's wrong?"

Eleanor seized the opportunity, gripping his forearm tighter. "Nathan darling, listen to me. That Evelyn girl is trouble. Look at Juliette here—such refinement, such grace. You two would make a perfect match."

A cold realization dawned in Nathan's eyes.

With deliberate slowness, he peeled Eleanor's fingers away. His voice turned glacial. "Mother, your performance deserves an Oscar. I never realized what a talented actress you were until now."

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"How could you say such things, Nathan? Nathan—!"

Her cries fell on deaf ears as Nathan sprinted after Evelyn.

But fate conspired against him. By the time he burst through the restaurant doors, Evelyn's car had already disappeared into the stream of traffic.

—

Inside the moving vehicle, Evelyn absently twirled a business card between her fingers. The embossed name "Juliette Blackwood" seemed to glare up at her.

Something about the woman's perfectly curated kindness had set off alarm bells in Evelyn's mind.

She reached for her phone and dialed a familiar number.

Natalie answered on the second ring. "To what do I owe this pleasure? Miss me already?"

Evelyn's lips curved slightly. "Are you swamped?"

"Buried alive," Natalie groaned dramatically. "What's up? Need a favor?"

"No pleasantries then—I need intel on someone."

"Ooh, someone important enough for the great Evelyn Carter to investigate personally?"

"Ever heard of Juliette Blackwood? International design scene, supposedly quite famous."

"Wait—Juliette Blackwood? That name rings a bell... Give me a sec."

The line went silent except for the sound of frantic typing. Two minutes later, Natalie's voice returned, tinged with excitement.

"Knew I recognized that name! It's her! You know Jion? The fashion designer who took Paris by storm last season?"

Evelyn's eyebrow arched. "You're telling me Juliette is Jion?"

"Bingo! Jion's her professional alias!"

Natalie launched into an animated explanation.

"She's huge overseas. Like you, she studied at Coronia—actually graduated top of her class. Won every major design award by twenty-five, including that Vogue prize you snagged junior year."

Evelyn nodded slowly. "So she's my senior."

"Exactly! Jion's Instagram alone has three million followers. Teen girls worship her aesthetic—that whole edgy-but-wearable vibe."

After the information dump, Natalie finally asked, "So how'd you cross paths with the illustrious Juliette Blackwood?"