Chapter 103

The atmosphere in the executive office of Monarch Grand Hotels was thick with tension.

Evelyn stood motionless before the panoramic windows, her slender silhouette framed against the city skyline. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the polished marble floor.

"Who authorized the release of that footage?"

Her voice cut through the silence like shards of ice.

"You said we needed public attention," Theodore countered, his jaw clenched.

Theodore Winslow stood rigid behind her, his usually composed features darkened with unease.

"As my personal assistant and childhood friend, you of all people should know my boundaries!" Evelyn spun around, her emerald eyes flashing.

She took a measured step forward. "I recognize your intentions were good, but you let personal bias cloud your judgment. You wanted to manufacture public sympathy by contrasting my actions with Cassandra's scandal."

Theodore's shoulders slumped with each accusation.

Every word struck true, leaving him defenseless.

"I don't need that kind of publicity."

Evelyn's tone dropped dangerously. "Assisting an employee during a medical emergency was basic human decency. I won't manipulate public perception to humiliate Cassandra, no matter how much I dislike her."

She crossed her arms. "True kindness loses its meaning when performed for an audience."

"I apologize, Ms. Carter. I only thought—"

"Your thoughts are irrelevant."

Evelyn reached for her phone with deliberate calm. "I'm calling Sebastian. You're being reassigned immediately. This isn't how we operate."

"No, please!"

Theodore's face drained of color. In two quick strides, he caught her wrist. "Punish me however you see fit—demote me to janitorial staff, dock my salary, anything! Just don't send me away."

Evelyn winced at the pressure on her wrist.

But the desperation in his gaze unsettled her more than the physical contact.

The Winslows were legal aristocracy—his father a Supreme Court justice, mother a celebrated attorney, both brothers prominent prosecutors. Though not obscenely wealthy, the family commanded immense respect in Fairhaven society.

Yet Theodore had chosen to serve as her personal assistant when he could have had any prestigious legal career.

Evelyn exhaled sharply. "This is your last warning."

"Thank you! I swear I'll consult you before making any decisions moving forward!" Theodore's entire demeanor brightened, his relief palpable.

"And control your hands." Evelyn arched an eyebrow pointedly.

Only then did Theodore realize he still gripped her wrist. He released her as if burned, his cheeks flushing crimson.

Her warmth lingered on his fingertips.

"So how do we handle the viral video?"

"I'll have Maxwell manage damage control. Now fetch my blazer."

Evelyn gestured to the tailored jacket hanging nearby. Theodore sprang into action, draping it over her shoulders with practiced care.

"Let's go. Cassandra's waiting."

Meanwhile, at the Blackwood penthouse, Cassandra was spiraling into panic.

"Mother! That peasant is sabotaging me again!" she shrieked into her phone, pacing before floor-length mirrors. "I finally got media attention, and now Evelyn's stealing the spotlight with her pathetic charity act!"