Chapter 379

The man standing before her was extraordinary in every aspect - his striking features, refined demeanor, and impeccable manners. Katherine couldn't suppress her admiration. "Evelyn, your eye for men is truly impeccable. I can see married life suits you wonderfully."

"Professor Whitaker, actually-"

"We're here to retrieve some of Evelyn's student design projects. The university archives should have records?" Harrison smoothly intercepted Evelyn's response, getting straight to the point.

Katherine brightened immediately. "All student works from their academic years are digitally archived. The records room would have what you need. I'd be happy to escort you there."

"Much appreciated, Professor Whitaker," Harrison replied with polished courtesy.

A wistful expression crossed Katherine's face as she regarded Evelyn. "She was always my brightest pupil - the most naturally gifted designer I've encountered in two decades of teaching."

"I personally recommended her for our accelerated graduate program." She sighed dramatically. "What a shame she chose marriage over that opportunity."

Then her expression softened as she glanced between them. "Though seeing how radiant you look together after all these years, perhaps life's greatest masterpieces aren't always created on drafting tables. Choosing your own happiness is its own form of artistry."

Evelyn's gaze dropped. She'd believed that once too.

She'd thought selecting the life - and man - she wanted was the ultimate act of self-determination. How tragically blind she'd been in those choices.

"Here we are - the archives."

Evelyn lifted her eyes to the heavy oak door before them.

"Fortunately I have clearance," Katherine said, producing a keycard from her designer handbag. The electronic lock beeped green. "After you."

The spacious records room smelled of aged paper and wood polish, its walls lined with filing cabinets and shelves of leather-bound volumes.

Katherine gestured toward the rear section. "Design school archives are stored back there. Paper records are typically purged after three years though - no guarantees what remains."

Evelyn and Harrison began their search in coordinated silence - one working alphabetically from the front, the other from the end. Within minutes, they'd combed through every drawer without finding Evelyn's records.

"If physical copies are gone, we can try the digital database."

Katherine led them to the computer terminals. But when powered on, both screens remained stubbornly black.

"Good heavens! System crash?" Katherine rebooted repeatedly with no success. "Let me call IT support."

Before she could dial, Harrison stepped forward, fingers flying across the keyboard. Within moments, both monitors flickered to life.

"Harrison, you're a wizard!" Katherine gasped.

"Just malware," he dismissed with a modest shrug. "Fairly common in institutional systems."

They accessed the university database, typed "Evelyn Carter," and instantly her entire academic record populated the screen.

"Found it," Evelyn breathed, scrolling through coursework submissions, grades, and even candid campus photos from her undergraduate days.