Chapter 156

Evelyn froze at the sound of Julian’s voice, suddenly remembering he had been waiting for her.

She quickly composed herself, turning to face him as he approached.

"Julian," she greeted softly.

"Evelyn, what's wrong?" His brow furrowed as he studied her face. "Are those tears? Did someone upset you?"

She wiped her cheeks with a quick motion. "It's nothing. I just visited Eleanor earlier. Seeing her like that... it got to me."

Evelyn swiftly changed the subject. "Actually, I was looking for you earlier. You weren’t downstairs."

"Ah, about that." Julian rubbed the back of his neck. "I got caught up in a call with a friend. Lost track of time."

A flicker of guilt passed through his eyes.

Unbeknownst to Evelyn, Julian had just run into Victoria downstairs.

If Evelyn had come down a minute earlier, she would have seen them together.

And that would have been disastrous.

The six brothers had a pact: whoever revealed their true identities to Evelyn first would have to perform a humiliating naked dance.

Julian might lack integrity, but he wasn’t about to suffer that fate.

Evelyn nodded, her lips curving into a self-deprecating smile.

"Julian, I really appreciate your help, but... I think your friend won’t need to step in after all. I’m sorry for the trouble."

Julian’s mind raced. Had Victoria said something? The timing was suspicious—Evelyn running into both Victoria and Nathaniel downstairs.

He sighed. "It’s fine. As long as Eleanor’s surgery goes well, that’s all that matters."

"That’s all I care about too. The rest... doesn’t matter."

She hesitated. "I just feel bad for dragging your friend into this. Now that he won’t be doing the surgery, he might be upset."

"Don’t worry. He won’t mind."

Julian gave her a reassuring smile. "Come on, let’s head back."

He wanted to ease her worries. If Evelyn’s only concern was Eleanor’s surgery, he’d make sure she had nothing to fear.

Once home, Evelyn pushed her anxieties aside.

With Victoria’s brother handling the surgery, there was no reason to fret.

—

Days later, Evelyn came across a gossip headline: "Socialite Victoria Sinclair Dines with Future Mother-in-Law, Beatrice Harrington—Bond Blossoms Between Soon-to-Be Family!"

The accompanying photo showed Victoria and Beatrice, hands clasped, beaming at the camera.

It seemed Beatrice had finally found the perfect heiress for her son.

Evelyn’s fingers brushed her stomach absently.

Soon, once the waiting period ended, she could file for divorce from Nathaniel.

"Evelyn, you keep touching your stomach. Why?"

Cassandra leaned in suddenly, eyes sharp. "You’re not pregnant, are you?"

Evelyn’s hand stilled. "Why do you care?"

"Stop playing dumb. You’ve gained weight—enough to look pregnant. So, whose baby is it?"

"Cassandra, instead of gossiping, maybe focus on fixing the mess in your designs. If you don’t, the whole studio will suffer."

Cassandra’s face darkened. She stormed off in her heels and immediately dialed Penelope.

"Ms. Whitmore, I think Evelyn might be pregnant."

Penelope laughed. "Evelyn might wish she was pregnant, but the odds of that are slim, aren’t they?"

"By the way, I have a task for you. Get Evelyn into trouble—something tied to your designs. Do it well, and I’ll buy you that designer bag you wanted last time."

Cassandra brightened instantly. "You can count on me, Ms. Whitmore!"

After hanging up, doubt niggled at her.

Still, Evelyn’s possible pregnancy was hard to ignore.

With so few women in the office, it was obvious Evelyn hadn’t had her period in weeks.