Chapter 333

Theodore stood frozen, his jaw slack with disbelief. Evelyn, however, remained utterly composed, even stretching lazily with a soft yawn.

"Why reveal myself now? Look at poor Theodore—you've terrified him," she teased, her lips curving into an amused smile.

"Alexa, why haven't we heard from you since you returned to Crestview? The entire atelier has been waiting for your return!" Giselle's voice trembled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Evelyn sighed, a shadow of guilt crossing her features. "I'm sorry, darling. My family needs me right now, so I can't leave. You'll have to manage things at the Valmont studio for a while."

She hesitated before continuing, her tone softening. "But don't worry about the atelier closing. The pieces I designed in my early years are priceless—funds won't be an issue. Still, I don’t want anyone sacrificing their future for me. If anyone wishes to leave, they have my blessing—including you, Giselle. You deserve to choose your own path."

Giselle wiped her eyes fiercely. "Alexa, I owe you everything. I’ll never leave."

Evelyn’s gaze softened. "You’ve repaid me tenfold. I refuse to be your burden. It’s an honor to have you, but your life is yours to shape."

Her eyes shimmered with warmth as she chuckled lightly. "The reason Alexa became a legend? It was because of all of you standing beside me."

Theodore swallowed hard, his vision blurring with emotion.

In that moment, he realized how foolish he’d been. He had thought he understood Evelyn—admired her brilliance, her poise. But she wasn’t just extraordinary. She was Alexa. A living icon. And he had underestimated her in every way.

"Alexa, if Blackwood Industries contacts me again, I’ll reject them outright. Better yet, I’ll tell them you’re collaborating with Monarch Group—crush their hopes completely."

Evelyn’s lips curled into a sly grin. "Oh, don’t reject them yet. If we don’t give them hope, how can we properly destroy them?"

Giselle blinked, then nodded in understanding.

"The game hasn’t even begun, and Nathan hasn’t played his trump card yet. If we win too easily, where’s the fun in that?"

Evelyn flashed a wicked smile, her teeth gleaming like a fox’s. "I’ve waited so long for this. Shouldn’t we let Nathan exhaust himself trying to win—only to realize his opponent was waiting at the finish line all along? That despair is far more delicious than mere defeat, don’t you think?"

As the call ended, Theodore remained shell-shocked. The revelation of Evelyn’s true identity had left him reeling. He had known she was brilliant, but Alexa? He nearly wanted to kneel in reverence.

This was the closest he’d ever been to a goddess.

"Earth to Theodore!" Evelyn waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his daze.

He blinked rapidly, refocusing on her.

"Do you think I’m being too cruel?" She leaned back in her chair, spinning it lazily.

Theodore clenched his fists. "After everything Nathan did to you? You’re being merciful."

Evelyn exhaled, satisfied. "Good. That’s what I wanted to hear."

She closed her eyes, tilting her face toward the sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"I spent three years by Nathan’s side. The worst part wasn’t that he didn’t love me. It was that he treated me like I was nothing." Her voice turned icy. "And the way he flaunted his love for Victoria while we were still married? That was the deepest cut of all."