Chapter 221

The morning sun cast golden streaks across the bedroom as Evelyn stirred awake. Beside her, Nathaniel lay still, his breathing steady. She studied his profile—the sharp angle of his jaw, the faint scar near his temple from a childhood accident. Even in sleep, he carried an air of quiet authority.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. A message from Gregory: "Meeting moved to 10 AM. Client wants revisions."

Evelyn sighed. She had hoped for a slow morning, but work never waited. Carefully, she slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Nathaniel.

Downstairs, Alfred had already prepared coffee. The rich aroma filled the kitchen. "Good morning, Mrs. Martin," he greeted.

"Morning, Alfred," she murmured, wrapping her hands around the warm mug.

The doorbell rang. Alfred moved to answer it, returning with a courier holding a sleek black envelope. Evelyn frowned as she took it. The weight of the paper felt ominous.

Inside was an invitation—gold-embossed lettering on thick cardstock.

"The Annual Martin Charity Gala. Black Tie Required."

Her stomach twisted. The last time she attended one of these events, Isabella had made a scene, whispering poison in Nathaniel’s ear.

Alfred cleared his throat. "Mr. Martin mentioned you might need a new gown for the occasion."

Evelyn forced a smile. "Of course."

As she sipped her coffee, her phone buzzed again. This time, it was Charlotte.

"Emergency brunch. Now. You won’t believe what I just heard."

Evelyn’s pulse quickened. Charlotte never exaggerated.

She set down her mug. "Alfred, tell Nathaniel I had to leave early. Work emergency."

Outside, the city hummed with life. But Evelyn couldn’t shake the feeling that something—or someone—was about to turn her world upside down again.

Nathaniel didn't respond right away. His piercing gaze lingered on Evelyn, searching for any hint of deception, but her expression remained unreadable.

With a derisive scoff, he finally spoke. "If I refuse, will you just walk away?"

Evelyn frowned, baffled by his sudden irritation. This was their first exchange today, and already, it felt like he couldn’t stand the sound of her voice.

She fell silent, and after a frosty glance, Nathaniel strode toward his office. Evelyn trailed behind, keeping a respectful distance.

Once inside, she hesitated before asking softly, "Have you truly made up your mind about cutting Summit Realty from the project?"

Nathaniel lit a cigarette, the flame flickering briefly before he exhaled a thin stream of smoke. "Summit Realty hasn’t contributed anything substantial. They’ve already taken their share. The project no longer concerns them. That’s the rule."

Evelyn stayed where she was, unwilling to step closer through the haze. To Nathaniel, her reluctance felt deliberate.

His jaw tightened, the sharp angles of his face growing more pronounced.

Through the curling smoke, Evelyn met his gaze. "Should I inform them, or will you handle it?"

"Samuel will deal with it," Nathaniel replied curtly. "Your focus should be on your work. Since you’re reporting directly to me now, you’ll follow Martin Group’s protocols. Daily progress reports. Tangible results. Understood?"

Evelyn’s brows knitted in surprise. The project was already past its critical phase—why did he suddenly need daily updates? He wasn’t even overseeing it directly.

Nathaniel seemed to read her thoughts. "This is my top priority this quarter. Whatever happened before doesn’t matter. Now that it’s restarting, I expect your full commitment."

"Fine. I understand." She nodded, deciding not to press further. If Samuel was handling Summit Realty, she wouldn’t have to deal with that mess.

The room fell into an uneasy silence.

Nathaniel stubbed out his cigarette and glanced at her impatiently. "Anything else?"

Evelyn snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. "No. I’ll get back to work."

She turned to leave.

She wouldn’t ask Nathaniel for help finding Charlotte. Charlotte wasn’t his responsibility, and Evelyn had already asked once. She wouldn’t beg.

That was her nature—ask once, and if refused, she’d never bring it up again. Even if the task seemed impossible alone, her pride wouldn’t let her plead. That was her unspoken boundary.

But before she could take a step, Nathaniel’s phone rang.

He answered tersely. "Has Grandfather calmed down?"

It was Victoria.

"You’ll find out when you get here," she chided.

Nathaniel’s tone remained indifferent. "Fine. She’s with me. I’ll bring her along."

Victoria sounded exasperated. "I only asked for you. I didn’t say anything about Evelyn."

"Evelyn is coming with me." Without waiting for a reply, he ended the call and looked at Evelyn. "Grandfather wants to see you."

Evelyn blinked. "Now?"