Chapter 111

Victoria clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "Julian is deliberately evading me." The words came out through gritted teeth.

With Eleanor Whitmore's surgery date approaching fast, how could she negotiate with Nathaniel if his elusive brother wouldn't even show his face? Julian's cooperation was her only leverage.

"Ms. Sinclair, I regret to inform you that the specialist Nathaniel arranged is no longer available," Gregory reported with a solemn expression.

"Your brother remains our sole viable option, but we must proceed with caution," he added carefully.

Victoria's frustration boiled over. "How can I stay calm? You saw what happened at the hospital! Nathaniel chose to save Evelyn instead. And now he's refusing my terms while secretly finding another surgeon for Eleanor!" Her voice trembled with barely contained rage.

The situation was spiraling out of control, especially with Nathaniel's growing attachment to Evelyn. Victoria felt the ground shifting beneath her feet.

"Ms. Sinclair, as long as Nathaniel needs something from you, the game isn't over," Gregory offered cautiously.

"You're right. But he hasn't come to me yet," Victoria admitted, her fingers drumming nervously against the table.

Overcome with anxiety about Nathaniel's next move, she snapped orders. "Double the search efforts. Find Julian immediately."

Gregory hesitated before responding. "I contacted my Red Cross connection. There's no record of Julian being there at all."

Locating Julian and securing his agreement to perform Eleanor's surgery had become Victoria's singular focus. That would be her winning card.

Meanwhile, Evelyn wheeled her suitcase through the university gates, her heart swelling at the familiar sights. The campus looked exactly as she remembered, yet somehow different after all these years.

"Evelyn! Welcome back!" Sophia came running, nearly knocking Evelyn over with an enthusiastic hug. "Do you know how much I missed you when you left?"

Evelyn smiled wistfully. "Life happens. But I'm grateful to be back now."

"Fantastic! Let me show you to your dorm, then we'll grab lunch. Everyone's dying to see you - especially Professor Hartwell!" Sophia chattered excitedly.

After settling in, Evelyn joined Sophia to reconnect with old classmates. Though returning to school filled her with joy, she couldn't ignore the bittersweet reality - while she'd been away, her peers were preparing to graduate.

"Evelyn, I must say I'm jealous," came a familiar sharp voice. Cassandra leaned against the cafeteria table with a mocking smile. "Even after dropping out, you still won first prize at the Fleur competition. Some of us have been grinding for three years without recognition. Professor Hartwell won't stop gushing about you in the group chat."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table.

Evelyn met Cassandra's gaze evenly. "I only took leave because of family financial difficulties. That prize money is the only reason I can afford to return. I've always admired all of you."

Sophia quickly intervened, whispering to Evelyn, "Don't mind her. She's just bitter."

Evelyn shrugged it off. Compared to the privilege of continuing her education, petty jealousy meant nothing.

After lunch, Professor Hartwell pulled Evelyn aside. "Winning the Fleur competition brings great honor to our department. There's an awards ceremony next week - I've secured you a spot. Plus, there's a generous grant that should ease your financial burden."

"Thank you, Professor," Evelyn said sincerely. The grant would be a lifeline given her current situation.

Their meal stretched into late afternoon when Evelyn's phone buzzed. Nathaniel's message appeared: "Where are you?"

Pausing, Evelyn typed back carefully: "Having dinner off-campus with friends. Will return later."

She pocketed her phone, certain Nathaniel's sudden interest stemmed from Victoria Hawthorne's watchful eyes. He'd never cared about her whereabouts before.

Her response gave Nathaniel plausible deniability if he came to pick her up - nothing to arouse Victoria's suspicions.

Thirty minutes later, Evelyn said her goodbyes and prepared to face whatever awaited her back at the Whitmore estate.