Chapter 35
Nathan frowned. Just as the doors began to close, he raised his hand and pressed the button.
903
The elevator opened again. He glanced at his watch and said coldly, “You’ve got three minutes before you’re late.”
Evelyn pulled out her phone and checked the time. She was still torn inside, but the company had a strict policy–being late meant losing three days’s pay.
She’d only been at the company for less than three days. If they docked her again, she might as well be working for free.
Gritting her teeth, she stepped into the elevator and greeted him awkwardly. “Good morning, Mr. Ford.”
Nathan stood tall and still. In the tight space, the cool scent of sandalwood clung to the air around him, sharp and clean.
Evelyn found it hard to breathe, the tension pressing down on her chest. She tried to regulate her breath and distract herself by staring at the floor numbers flickering on the screen, silently begging the ride to end already.
Nathan kept glancing at her too, not understanding why she seemed so on edge.
Just then, her phone rang. She picked up the video call, and Walter’s handsome face appeared on the screen.
Nathan’s eyes narrowed. He hadn’t expected that Walter and Evelyn actually knew each other.
“Evie, the tech guys will swing by to install the smart lock at eleven–thirty. Will you be home by then?” asked Walter.
Evelyn replied, “Perfect timing. I’ll be home then. Thank you so much.”
In the background, someone was urging Walter to get to his meeting.
As the call ended, Evelyn could instantly feel the air in the elevator turn icy. Before she had time to unpack it, the doors opened.
She hesitated for a beat, then turned to Nathan with a serious look. “Mr. Ford, about the stuff going around online… I’m sorry to get you involved.” She didn’t wait for a response and just hurried out.
Nathan watched her go, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
He thought bitterly, ‘What’s her relationship with Walter? And why the hell is Walter calling her Evie like they’re that close? Dammit.‘
Evelyn powered through the rest of her work, and by the time she checked the clock, it was almost eleven. She explained it to Joey and left the office.
11:23 Fri, Sep 5
Chapter 35
She hailed a cab to go home. When she got home, she saw a group of people standing around outside her building. As soon as they saw her, the whispering started.
One of them snapped, “Such a young woman doing such shameless things. No wonder someone came after her.”
Someone else added, “She looks all sweet and innocent, but deep down? She’s totally filthy.”
Evelyn’s expression tensed. She’d heard those nasty remarks before, but this was way over the line. She hadn’t wanted to stoop to their level, but they completely pissed her off.
She was just about to confront them when a woman came charging at her. “You shameless slut. You tried to seduce my husband and played the victim when it didn’t work, huh? You even hurt him with a knife. How cruel can you be?”
Evelyn stared at the woman, confused. Then she caught sight of the wooden stick lying near the woman’s feet.
“Don’t come any closer. I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Evelyn warned, stepping back cautiously.
She didn’t know this woman at all. But the fury in her eyes didn’t look like she had found the wrong person. Suddenly, Evelyn remembered the drunk man who broke into her home that night.
She let out a cold laugh and retorted, “So what, you’re saying your husband was completely innocent? I threw myself at him, got rejected, and stabbed him out of spite? That doesn’t even make sense.”
Evelyn hadn’t expected the guy to be from her own community. At first, she thought it was just another one of Clarissa’s games. But clearly, this time, she’d blamed the wrong person.
“Bullshit! Just answer me–was it you who stabbed my husband or not?” the woman screamed.
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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.