Chapter 46

Evelyn raised her right hand to her cheek, feeling the warmth radiating from her skin.

She turned away abruptly, hiding her flushed face.

"It must be the wine," she muttered.

Theodore arched an eyebrow. "We haven't even reached the wine cellar yet, Ms. Carter. Your face was already red before we left."

He was brilliant in business matters but painfully oblivious to romantic tension. He completely missed Evelyn's earlier suggestive thoughts.

"Oh, shut it!" Evelyn rolled her eyes dramatically before striding ahead.

Theodore looked genuinely confused, like a puppy who'd been scolded without understanding why. He hurried after her with quick steps.

The wine cellar housed nearly a thousand bottles of premium reds, all carefully selected by Sebastian Kingsley for his sister. He knew Evelyn enjoyed unwinding with fine wine after long days.

Each bottle represented a small fortune, many acquired at exclusive auctions. Even Harrison Kingsley didn't possess some of these rare vintages, yet Evelyn had dozens. Selling just a few could buy her an estate in Crestview.

Evelyn's gaze landed on a prized bottle of Romanée-Conti. She stretched on her toes, fingers brushing but not quite reaching the coveted bottle.

Theodore appeared behind her, his tall frame easily retrieving the wine. Their proximity made his pulse quicken - he could smell her delicate perfume, feel the warmth of her body. A faint pink tinged his fair complexion.

"Here you are, Ms. Carter."

"Having a 6'1" secretary certainly has its advantages," Evelyn teased. "No need for step stools!"

Though privately, she thought the ideal male height was 6'2" - Nathan Blackwood's exact stature. Theodore fell just four centimeters short.

Damn it! Why am I thinking about that bastard again? Worse than cheap wine.

"Allow me to open that for you, Ms. Carter. It would be difficult with your cast."

CRACK.

Without hesitation, Evelyn smashed her cast against the table edge, revealing her perfectly healed arm.

"Finally! I've been wanting to get rid of this nuisance for ages."

Theodore gaped in shock.

"On the battlefield, broken bones were child's play," Evelyn said casually. "I once saw a soldier lose his leg to a landmine. That same morning he'd been joking with me - by afternoon they brought him back with a dozen bullet wounds and half his face gone."

She described war's brutality with unsettling calm.

Theodore struggled to reconcile this hardened veteran with the elegant socialite before him. How had this pampered heiress endured years of such horrors?

As Theodore decanted the wine, the Kingsley Intelligence Network group chat exploded with messages.

[Maxwell: Dominic, I get that Sebastian's busy running Monarch Group. But you're just a civil servant in the judicial department. How are you this incompetent?]

[Maxwell: Do you realize Nathan Blackwood had his people trying to decrypt our files?]

[Maxwell: Luckily I implemented our strongest encryption protocol in time. That bastard won't outsmart me!]

Evelyn's eyes widened in alarm.

[Dominic: What the hell? Does he suspect something?!]

[Dominic: Wait - since when do you speak to your elder brother like this?]

[Maxwell: You only beat me into this world by four minutes.]

[Maxwell: If I'd come out first, you'd be calling me 'big brother' right now!]

[Dominic: Even one second makes me older. Show some respect!]

[Maxwell: Make me!]

[Dominic: You stubborn little shit! I'll thrash you!]

[Maxwell: Try it, old man! I'll still wipe the floor with you even if I let you throw the first punch.]