Chapter 467

The grapevines of Château Blanc shimmered gold in the setting sun. Alexander Roland swirled his wine glass, his gaze sweeping across every corner.

"That kid didn't show up today?"

He took a sip, brow slightly furrowed. Sebastian Valdemar, the workaholic, shouldn't have missed today's wine tasting—especially with Evelyn here.

"Am I overthinking this?"

Alexander shook his head. Two career-obsessed people couldn't possibly spark anything. He drained his glass in one go, deciding to keep observing.

As night fell, Alexander personally drove his sister home.

"Evelyn, security hasn't been great lately." He stood at her doorstep, holding two bottles of rare vintage. "Don't go out at night, and never open the door for strangers."

Evelyn nodded resignedly, watching her third brother leave before a faint smile touched her lips.

The sound of running water ceased as Evelyn towel-dried her hair and headed to her bedroom. Her phone lit up, the notification chime perfectly timed.

Sebastian: Asleep?

Her fingers hovered over the screen before she replied: About to.

An instant voice call appeared.

"About that text earlier..." Sebastian's voice carried a hint of hesitation through the receiver.

Evelyn chuckled softly, recounting the day's events without holding back.

"Seems I'm not doing well as a secret boyfriend." The sound of fingers tapping a desk accompanied his mock-wounded tone. "Making my girlfriend hide me away like this."

"Then you'll have to step up your game." Evelyn's eyes narrowed playfully. "Convince me to go public sooner?"

A teacup clinked on the other end. "Deal. I'll work on it."

After hanging up, Sebastian stood before his floor-to-ceiling windows. The city glittered below, but his office was so quiet he could hear the clock ticking.

"The Roland brothers..." He massaged his temples. "More troublesome than expected."

Meanwhile, Alexander drove home. Glancing at the passenger seat's wine bottles, he suddenly hit the brakes.

"No. Big brother should handle this."

The next morning, Evelyn and Bianca Savigny headed to Massachusetts General Hospital to visit Madeline Galatea.

"Boss, your charm is off the charts!" Bianca chattered nonstop.

Suddenly, she whirled around. "We're being followed!"

In the rearview mirror, a black sedan trailed them at a steady pace.

Evelyn's lips curved. "Let them."

She'd noticed the car earlier—just hadn't expected them to be so impatient. The steering wheel spun smoothly under her hands as she turned onto a quiet backroad.

"Boss, where are we going?" Bianca white-knuckled the seatbelt.

"Meeting an old friend." Evelyn accelerated. The black car predictably sped up behind them.

Sunlight filtered through leaves, dappling the windshield with shifting patterns. Squinting against the glare, Evelyn made a sharp turn, parking neatly at the winery's back entrance.

"Out." She unbuckled crisply. "Game on."