Chapter 475

Theodore returned to Evelyn's side after completing his tasks.

"Are you really going to let Ms. Montgomery walk free, Ms. Carter? That's far too generous of you."

He watched with affectionate exasperation as Evelyn knocked over office supplies with her stiletto heels. With practiced ease, he collected the scattered items and tucked her shoes safely under the desk.

Evelyn was immersed in her gaming session, unleashing virtual carnage to distract herself. Her legendary character, Lucifer, had achieved mythic status in the gaming community. Whenever she streamed, thousands of viewers flocked to witness her unparalleled skills.

"Let her off? Please," Evelyn scoffed without looking up from her screen. "I run a business, not a charity. Isabelle's smart - she made Cassandra take the fall. Without concrete evidence, my hands are tied for now."

Theodore's jaw tightened. "This won't be the last we hear from Ms. Montgomery. She had the audacity to glare at you before leaving."

Evelyn's fingers flew across the keyboard. "She'd better come at me with everything she's got. Because when this blows up, she'll wish she'd stayed in her lane."

Her phone vibrated with an incoming call from Sebastian.

"Hey, Bash!" she answered in a singsong voice.

"Are you at the hotel, Evie?" Sebastian's deep voice inquired.

"Yes, in my office."

"So Theodore's with you?" His tone dropped noticeably.

Evelyn instantly understood the unspoken message. Feigning a bathroom break, she rose gracefully. Dismissing Theodore outright would raise suspicions.

Once safely locked in her private bathroom, her voice turned serious. "What's going on? Does this involve Theo?"

"Indirectly," Sebastian confirmed. "Leonard reached out to Lawrence Pembroke for help. He's bailing Cassandra out as we speak."

Evelyn's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Of course. Lawrence is her golden ticket."

"Lawrence hasn't lost a case in fifteen years," Sebastian warned. "He'll stop at nothing to clear Cassandra's name. If I were him, I'd start by discrediting Vivian Prescott - she's the key witness."

Evelyn exhaled sharply. "Vivian's not with me. Nathan has her under lock and key." She steeled herself. "I'll handle this. You and especially Dominic need to stay clear. His government position can't be compromised by helping me. Our enemies would pounce on that."

The call ended with palpable tension.

Cassandra had always been small fry compared to Penelope Whitmore. But Evelyn worried about Theodore's reaction. Her sensitive assistant took duty and loyalty to heart - she could practically see his tearful apology already.

Lost in thought, she returned to her office.

"Evelyn."

The raspy whisper made her freeze mid-step. Her stomach dropped as she whirled around.

The hallway stood empty.

Shaking her head, Evelyn massaged her temples, blaming exhaustion for the auditory hallucination.