Chapter 274

The moment Evelyn stepped into the grand hall of the Martin estate, she felt the weight of countless eyes upon her. The air was thick with tension, a stark contrast to the elegant chandeliers and lavish décor.

Nathaniel stood by the fireplace, his expression unreadable. The flickering flames cast shadows across his chiseled features, making him look even more imposing than usual.

"Evelyn," he said, his voice low but carrying across the room. "We need to talk."

She swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the strap of her purse. "About what?"

His gaze darkened. "You know exactly what."

Isabella chose that moment to make her entrance, gliding into the room with effortless grace. Her crimson dress clung to her curves, and her lips curled into a knowing smile as she glanced between them.

"Am I interrupting something?" she purred, her voice dripping with false innocence.

Evelyn forced a polite smile, though her nails dug into her palms. "Not at all."

Nathaniel's jaw clenched. "Isabella, this doesn't concern you."

"Oh, but I think it does," she countered, stepping closer. "After all, we have history, don't we?"

The tension in the room spiked. Evelyn's chest tightened, but she refused to back down. "If you'll excuse me, I have work to attend to."

She turned on her heel, but Nathaniel's voice stopped her. "Evelyn. Don't walk away."

She hesitated, then faced him again. "Then say what you need to say."

His eyes bore into hers, intense and unyielding. "Not here."

Isabella let out a soft laugh. "How dramatic. Fine, I'll leave you two to your little chat." She sauntered away, but not before casting one last smug glance over her shoulder.

Once they were alone, Nathaniel exhaled sharply. "We can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?" Evelyn challenged.

"Pretending everything is fine when it's not."

She crossed her arms. "Then what do you suggest?"

He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "We fight for us. No more secrets, no more games."

Evelyn's breath hitched. For a moment, she allowed herself to hope. But then reality crashed back in. "It's not that simple."

"Then make it simple," he demanded.

Before she could respond, the doors burst open, and Gregory stormed in, his face flushed with anger. "Evelyn, we have a problem."

She blinked. "What?"

"The Summit Realty deal—it's falling apart. Jonathan just called. They're pulling out."

Her stomach dropped. "What? Why?"

Gregory's gaze flicked to Nathaniel before settling back on her. "Because Sebastian Wilson just made them a better offer."

Nathaniel's expression turned thunderous. "That bastard."

Evelyn's mind raced. This couldn't be happening. Not now.

Gregory gripped her shoulder. "We need to act fast."

She nodded, steeling herself. "Let's go."

As she turned to leave, Nathaniel caught her wrist. "Evelyn."

She met his eyes, seeing the storm of emotions within them.

"We'll talk later," she promised, pulling free.

But as she walked away, she couldn't shake the feeling that everything was unraveling—and she had no idea how to stop it.

Gregory understood her implication without missing a beat. "Evelyn is on a completely different path from our objectives, so comparing her to us is pointless. As for her and Nathaniel, I certainly don’t wish to see anything good come of it."

"Good."

"Let’s discuss this further in person," Gregory said, his eyes narrowing slightly. He ended the call and immediately deleted the record.

The next morning, Evelyn arrived at the construction site. After her recent abduction, Daniel had been horrified. He’d installed surveillance cameras in every corner and public space, some visible, others so well-hidden even he sometimes forgot their locations. To ensure extra security, he’d implemented a backup system in case of tampering.

He’d also prepared a detailed map of all the hidden cameras for Evelyn.

"Evelyn, I failed to keep you safe. I’m truly sorry," Daniel said, guilt weighing heavily in his voice.

Evelyn shook her head. "Daniel, this wasn’t your fault. I should’ve been more cautious. Did Nathaniel say something to you?"

"No, of course not. This is just my own reflection."

Evelyn smiled slightly, relieved that Nathaniel hadn’t interfered.

Daniel handed her the marked-up blueprint. "This shows every surveillance point on-site. Some feeds aren’t even connected to the main system to prevent sabotage. Your recent caution made me realize how vulnerable we are. If anything happens, you can access the footage immediately. Though, of course, I hope nothing does."

Evelyn skimmed the map, amused. "Being careful is one thing, but this is borderline excessive."

Little did she know, Daniel’s thoroughness would soon save her from a life-threatening situation.

After reviewing the site and handing Daniel the revised garden layout, Evelyn called for a ride back to the office.

But the moment she stepped inside, the atmosphere was thick with tension.

Frowning, she caught Gabrielle’s eye. Her assistant quickly followed her into the office and shut the door.

"What happened?" Evelyn asked.

Gabrielle hesitated before speaking in a hushed tone. "Mr. Wilson’s sister just stormed in. She was furious—yelling at everyone, accusing us of seducing Mr. Wilson behind her back. Then she said…"

Evelyn arched a brow. "Said what?"

Gabrielle swallowed hard. "She called Mr. Wilson a stray dog the Wilsons took in, saying he belongs to her and shouldn’t get close to other women. She threatened to report him to their parents if he disobeyed."

Evelyn’s pulse stuttered. She remained silent, but Gabrielle couldn’t hold back.

"Ms. Mitchell… is it true? Was Mr. Wilson really adopted?"

Evelyn fixed her with a chilling look. "Curiosity killed the cat, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle clamped her mouth shut, suddenly terrified.

Evelyn’s lips twitched in amusement. "Go back to work. And make sure no one spreads rumors. Act like you heard nothing."