Evelyn kept that polished, composed smile on her face, gracefully making small talk with everyone around
her.
Under the soft lighting, she practically glowed.
Adrian couldn’t take his eyes off Evelyn. In his memory, she was always in comfy loungewear, hair thrown up in a messy bun, no makeup, always busy with something.
But tonight, she looked stunning–completely different from the version of her he thought he knew,
He watched as Evelyn shook hands with a few men. She was courteous, never crossing the line, but still, Adrian’s chest tightened with the sudden urge to walk over and slap those men’s hands away.
“Ady.” Clarissa’s voice was low and sweet as she followed his gaze, completely lost in thought.
But Adrian didn’t respond. It was like he didn’t even hear her. Clarissa clenched her jaw, furious, and walked off quietly.
What she didn’t know was that every step she took was already being watched from across the hall.
Nathan narrowed his eyes as he spotted Clarissa passing something to a waiter. Then he gave a small nod in Clayton’s direction.
Clayton wrapped up his conversation and made his way over. Nathan leaned in, murmured something in his ear. Clayton nodded and then slipped into the crowd.
Evelyn finally finished making rounds with Taylor and made her way back to Helena.
“Being the star pupil has its perks,” Helena joked as she passed Evelyn a plate of fruit.
It was true. Their advisor had serious clout in the industry, and tonight, he personally introduced Evelyn to a dozen big names. Whether Evelyn liked it or not, Taylor had just expanded her entire professional network.
Helena wasn’t bitter. She was just kicking herself for not taking school more seriously back in the day.
“How about I put in a word with Mr. Brennan for you?” Evelyn teased. “I can tell him you’re looking to make some friends too.”
Helena waved her off. “No please. I already hold a permanent place in his memory, probably as his greatest headache. That’s enough fame for me.”
Evelyn was amused by that remark. Back then, Helena was indeed Taylor’s biggest challenge.
Helena came from money. The kind of money that meant she didn’t have to lift a finger and could still live a fabulous life.
While most trust fund babies tried to prove they were more than their last name, Helena just accepted her life at a young age. She leaned into her born–lucky energy and fully rejected the rat race.
11:21 Fri, Sep 5
Chapter 28
Her grades weren’t the worst, but they weren’t great either. She didn’t make any great academic achievements and became the one Taylor worried about the most.
Just then, a waiter came by. Evelyn took a glass of water from his tray and drank a few sips, unaware of the shadow watching her from behind a nearby pillar.
Clarissa’s eyes lit up as she saw Evelyn lift the glass. A small, twisted smile played on her lips.
The waiter then quietly made his way back to Clarissa and whispered, “It’s done, just like you said.”
Clarissa gave a satisfied nod. “Good. Got it.”
The waiter passed her a glass of milk and said, “Your drink, ma’am. I’ll get back to work now.”
Clarissa picked up the milk, took one long sip, and finished the whole thing in one go.
Evelyn and Helena were still chatting away like they had an endless list of things to catch up on. From a distance, Nathan watched the bright smile on Evelyn’s face and smiled as well, almost without realizing it.
The same waiter walked up to him, stiff as a board, barely able to speak through the nerves. “Mr. Ford, I… I did exactly what you told me. Please, let me off the hook. I swear I’ll never do anything like this again.”
Earlier, the waiter had been over the moon thinking he’d scored an easy 600 bucks just to slip something into someone’s drink.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
