The Queen Returns—And She's Unforgiving

Evelyn knew all too well.

Back then, the whole "seducing Lucas and using the media to force a marriage" scandal had made the group despise her to the core. They thought she deserved whatever contempt they threw her way and that she should spend the rest of her life paying for it.

Mason tapped his forehead and said, "Relax. I wasn't trying to be mean. I just figured since Ms. Reed spent three years as a housewife, she'd be better at this kind of stuff than the rest of us."noveldrama

Evelyn's gaze instinctively flickered toward Lucas. Did he really not notice the way the people around him looked down on her? Of course, he did. He just never cared about her feelings.

Just like now, he was completely indifferent as if none of this concerned him. Because to him, she had never truly been his wife.

Evelyn's lips curled into a cold smirk as she replied, "Mr. Cooper, if you're struggling to use your hands, I'd be happy to help."

Mason's smile froze. He hadn't expected Evelyn to throw shade so directly. She wasn't the soft-spoken pushover she used to be.

Ignoring the shift in Maosn's expression, Evelyn turned away, only to meet Lucas' gaze head-on. He was watching her.

For a split second, something flickered across his usually cold and detached

eyes. It was a hint of amusement, faint but undeniable. And then, just as quickly, it was gone.

Evelyn stiffened.

Why did Lucas just smile at her?

After all these years, she could count on one hand how many times he had smiled at her. She had no idea what was going through his mind.

Sebastian was the first to break the silence, glancing at Mason as he said, "Mr. Cooper, what do you feel like having? Let me do the grilling for you."

Mason snapped back to reality, suddenly feeling uninterested. Evelyn hadn't just sat back and taken it this time.

Of course, he wasn't about to let Sebastian actually do anything for him. "Mr. Hill, I was just joking."

But everyone could see it-Sebastian was clearly protective of Evelyn. On top of that, he seemed to treat her especially well.

Tiffany frowned. Did Sebastian actually like Evelyn?

Jason, too, turned his gaze toward Sebastian as if trying to read something between the lines.

If it were just a typical boss-employee relationship, Sebastian wouldn't be going this far for her.

Sebastian, noticing the attention, simply raised his glass in a calm, indifferent nod toward Jason.

Evelyn, meanwhile, paid no mind to any of it. She turned instead to Fiona, who had been focused solely on her food the entire time. Her head was down, and she was completely absorbed in eating.

Seeing this, Evelyn casually handed her a skewer of grilled mushrooms. She was naturally observant, always aware of what people around her liked.

Fiona looked up, cheeks stuffed full, and beamed. "Thanks, Evelyn!"

Evelyn smiled. "You're welcome."

Across the table, Sophia had been watching their interaction, her expression growing darker by the second. Finally, unable to hold it in, she slammed her soda can onto the table with a sharp thud and growled. "Ugh, I've lost my appetite. I'm done!"

The unexpected impact sent a splash of oil and water onto the grill, igniting a sudden flare of fire.

And Evelyn, the closest to the grill, had no time to react. The flames surged toward her.

Before she could even process what was happening, a hand shot out. Long, pale fingers gripped the edge of the grill, yanking it away in an instant. The searing heat was pulled back, the danger gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

A sharp gasp broke the air.

"Lucas! Are you okay?" Tiffany's voice rang out in concern.

Evelyn snapped out of it and turned toward him.

Lucas frowned slightly, his jaw tight. He tossed the now-extinguished grill behind him, flexing his fingers a couple of times. The tips of his fingers were faintly reddened from the heat.

Evelyn was stunned. Had Lucas moved instantly to protect her?