The Queen Returns—And She's Unforgiving

Evelyn wasn't particularly surprised. She continued organizing her documents. "Even if you refuse, Lucas will find another way."

Sebastian frowned. "What's so special about that woman? She's got him completely wrapped around her finger!"

Evelyn shook her head. "Love doesn't have to make sense."

And to be fair, Tiffany did have qualities that could captivate a man. She and Lucas hadn't even known each other that long-three months, at most. Yet in that short time, she had achieved what Evelyn hadn't in three years of marriage.

Sebastian huffed. "Maybe I should whisper in my dad's ear and get them both blacklisted."

Evelyn gave him a knowing look. "Lucas is protecting Tiffany. If he finds out, he'll make things difficult for Flying Seal Group. We don't have the leverage to go up against Bluezen. There's no need to create unnecessary trouble over personal matters."

There were plenty of highly skilled professionals like Tiffany. But getting an audience with Graham-let alone receiving his guidance-was a privilege reserved for the absolute best.

Without Lucas, Tiffany wouldn't even have been in the running.

"The best thing we can do is focus on ourselves. If she truly impresses Professor Hill, that'll be on her."

Sebastian ruffled Evelyn's hair. "I just don't want you to take this too hard."

After all, Lucas—along with his resources and connections-was now fully invested in Tiffany. And Evelyn had nothing.

She blinked, then let out a faint smile. "I try to be rational about these things. No point in forcing what won't work."

If everyone acted on emotions, nothing would ever get solved. She didn't let it bother her.

For the past few days, she had been reviewing the books Graham had given her. Cross-referencing them with academic literature, she continued refining her ideas.

Even Sebastian was impressed, already envisioning the success of their project. He was so excited that he gathered the engineering and technical teams for a full meeting.

If all went well, they'd be ready to send their proposal to Graham by next week. But before that, Sebastian suggested they meet with Donald Steward. If their project received government backing, its impact would be even greater over the next three years.

The next day, Evelyn and Sebastian headed to Donald's office to meet him.

Before the meeting, Donald's secretary, Sidney Tanner, shared a bit of information with them. He told them Lucas brought Tiffany there to see Donald the day before.

Evelyn paused but quickly regained her composure.

Of course. Lucas valued Tiffany, and he was a man of vision. Naturally, he

wouldn't pass up the chance to boost her credentials.

Sidney smiled. "But Mr. Steward doesn't really buy Ms. Moore's ideas. That said,

Mr. Steward hasn't made a decision yet. You two still have a shot."

That was all she needed to say.

Donald had always had a good impression of Evelyn. Knowing her true

background only made him take her more seriously.

Their discussion lasted two hours.

Donald didn't give an immediate answer, but Sebastian wasn't worried. "Based on my experience, we're in a good spot."

Evelyn hoped so.

...

The next day, she sent Graham a brief message.

She had avoided reaching out for a long time out of guilt. But now that she was working toward her dream again, she wanted to at least apologize for not following through on his initial recommendation to join the Aerospace Research Institute.

But there was no response. He was probably still mad at her, and she understood. His disappointment didn't just happen overnight.

After years of struggling in a loveless marriage, she knew that better than anyone.

Later that day, on her way to a client meeting, she ran into Lucas. He had just arrived at the venue and was being escorted inside.

For once, Tiffany wasn't with him. That was new.

Lucas noticed her too. His gaze was unreadable-deep and shadowed.

Evelyn frowned slightly. Something about the way he was looking at her felt off. Normally, he ignored her completely.

She didn't acknowledge him and walked straight into the building. Even if she greeted him, he wouldn't respond. She wasn't interested in embarrassing herself.

When she got back to Flying Seal Group, she finally received news from Sebastian.

Donald had made his decision. He believed their three-year project was viable and agreed to make it a key government-backed initiative.

Evelyn let out a quiet breath, a rare smile tugging at her lips.

Then, Sebastian smirked. "Oh, and one more thing."

"What is it?"

"Tiffany was rejected by Donald."

Evelyn wasn't surprised.

From the moment she found out Lucas had taken Tiffany to see him, they had become competitors. Flying Seal Group won, which meant that Tiffany lost.

But still, her brows twitched slightly. She suddenly recalled the way Lucas had looked at her earlier.

So, he had already known. That explained the extra glance. Did he think she had stolen this opportunity from Tiffany?

"What's on your mind?" Sebastian asked, noticing her slight distraction. Evelyn blinked and shook her head. "Nothing. I'll send you the revised meeting notes later."

That afternoon, she started feeling unwell. Her head ached, and when she touched her forehead, she felt a slight fever. She took some medicine and decided to rest for a bit. But before she could fully relax, her phone rang. It was a call from an unfamiliar number.

She hesitated before answering. "Who's this?"

A polite voice replied, "Is this Ms. Reed?"

Evelyn said, "Yeah."

"This is Flagton Realty calling. We have a potential buyer interested in viewing your property. Would you be available for a showing today?"

Evelyn frowned. "I'm not selling my house. You must have the wrong person."

She hung up and thought it was probably a scam call. She brushed it off and went back to work.

Thirty minutes later, her phone rang again. This time, the caller ID made her pause. It was Lucas.

He rarely called her. And when he did, it was always to tell her to do something—

not to ask. She didn't like that dynamic.

Pressing her lips together, she answered.

His voice was calm and emotionless. "Do you have time to talk?"

Evelyn replied flatly, "No."

There was a slight pause as if he hadn't expected her to refuse.

Then, in a steady tone, he said, "Alright."

Without another word, he hung up.

There was no follow-up and no attempt to continue the conversation.

Evelyn frowned slightly. Something felt off. But with so much work on her plate, she didn't dwell on it.noveldrama