Chapter 107

Natalie was the first to respond. "Evelyn had personal matters to handle, so she left early this afternoon."

Alexander's expression remained unreadable as he hummed in acknowledgment. His fingers brushed over a file on Evelyn's desk before casually picking it up and walking away without another word.

The tension in the room eased slightly once he was gone.

The others assumed he had only come for work-related reasons.

The moment the door clicked shut, Victoria set her coffee down with a sharp clink. "Personal matters?" She scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "More like playing games. Mr. Whitmore clearly couldn’t care less about her, yet she keeps throwing herself at him. How desperate can you get?"

Natalie’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Ms. Sloan, that’s unnecessarily cruel. There’s nothing wrong with pursuing someone you admire."

"Pursuing?" Victoria let out a derisive laugh.

"She’s making a spectacle of herself, and dragging the rest of us down with her. People will start assuming we’re all just here to seduce our way up the corporate ladder—"

Her words were cut off as the door swung open again.

Alexander stood there, his icy gaze sweeping over them. The room fell silent.

He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to.

The weight of his presence alone was enough to make Victoria’s smirk vanish.

Without breaking eye contact, he stepped forward and dropped the file back onto Evelyn’s desk.

Then, in a voice so low it sent chills down their spines, he said, "If I hear another word about my wife, you won’t just lose your job. You’ll lose any chance of working in this industry again."

Victoria paled.

Natalie barely suppressed a satisfied smile.

Alexander turned on his heel and left, the door closing with finality behind him.

This time, no one dared to speak.

Victoria's voice dripped with disdain. "She's setting a disastrous precedent for all of us."

Daniel cut in sharply. "Even if people are gossiping, it's only about her. No one’s mentioning the rest of us in the executive office. You're blowing this out of proportion, Victoria."

Victoria’s expression soured. "Oh, so now Division Two is teaming up against me, is that it?"

Daniel and Natalie exchanged exasperated looks. Victoria had been in the executive office the longest and often wielded her seniority like a weapon. They usually chose to tread carefully around her.

Cassandra stepped forward, her tone soothing. "Alright, let’s all take a breath. Less talking, more wrapping up. The day’s almost over anyway."

Meanwhile, Evelyn had taken the afternoon off to return to Hawthorne Estate.

Her bold public confession to Alexander had ignited a firestorm of gossip, and now their entire social circle was buzzing with speculation.

With Vanessa’s wedding just days away, Margaret had been buried in preparations.

But Evelyn’s sudden pursuit of Alexander had turned them into the laughingstock of high society.

Now, whenever Margaret stepped out, she was met with hushed whispers and judgmental stares.

Just as whispers about Vanessa stealing her sister's fiancé had begun to die down, Evelyn's bold move reignited the scandal with full force.

The gossip mill was churning again—people called Vanessa disgraceful and claimed Evelyn had lost her mind from heartbreak.

"What possessed you to provoke Alexander? Do you seriously think you can handle the consequences?" Margaret stood rigid in the living room, her expression icy as Evelyn walked in. "You're not just humiliating yourself—you're dragging our entire family through the mud. Have you heard the things people are saying?"

Evelyn barely crossed the threshold before Margaret's sharp words cut through the air.

She strode to the sofa and sank into the cushions. "I'm starving. Didn't you summon me back for dinner? Where is it?"

"You can still think about food at a time like this?" Margaret nearly choked on her fury, her fingers tightening around the edge of the coffee table. Evelyn's indifference was infuriating—as if none of this mattered.

"Why wouldn't I?" Evelyn tilted her head, unfazed. "Look at you, panicking over nothing. I confessed my feelings to Alexander, and you're so rattled you’ve lost your appetite? If I actually marry him, will you be too terrified to function?"

The instant Margaret spoke those words, Evelyn's face darkened.

"You think you can marry Alexander? Keep dreaming, sweetheart."

Margaret scoffed inwardly. Evelyn has truly lost her mind. Alexander Whitmore isn’t some ordinary man you can just claim.

A man of his stature—powerful, untouchable, with a presence that commanded both fear and admiration. His reputation was impeccable, his wealth unimaginable, and his looks could make any woman’s heart race.

He was the kind of man empires were built around.

And Evelyn thought she could land him?

Vanessa, who had been idly peeling an apple nearby, lifted her gaze with a saccharine smile.

"Evelyn, darling, even if you're upset, you shouldn’t joke about Alexander. Just yesterday, I told Ethan you’d be my bridesmaid at our wedding. Imagine—walking down the aisle with him, finally making our dreams come true. After that, do us all a favor and stop making a scene. It’s getting embarrassing."

Evelyn nearly choked on her laughter.

"Excuse me? You want me to stand there and watch you marry that snake?" Her voice dripped with mock sweetness. "Vanessa, aren’t you worried your wedding might turn into a disaster?"

The air between them crackled with tension.

Vanessa’s smile faltered for just a second before she recovered, her fingers tightening around the apple.

"Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Evelyn."

Evelyn leaned in, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

"Oh, I’m not jealous. I’m just curious—how long do you think Ethan will stay faithful once he realizes what kind of woman you really are?"

Margaret gasped. "Evelyn!"

But Evelyn was already turning away, her smirk sharp enough to cut glass.

Vanessa’s face paled.

The game was far from over.