Chapter 173

Evelyn caught sight of Victoria walking ahead, the unexpected encounter instantly souring her mood.

When Victoria turned and noticed Evelyn, her expression darkened visibly.

Fresh off a call with Penelope, Victoria was still reeling from the events at the studio earlier that day. It was baffling how effortlessly Evelyn had wriggled out of trouble.

Where had Evelyn gotten those damning videos and photos? And more intriguingly, how had she managed to secure Andrew’s firm to personally step in and demand accountability?

A wave of discomfort washed over Victoria, her face turning icy as she brushed past Evelyn.

Spotting Victoria’s approach, Evelyn turned to Jonathan and said casually, “I just ran into someone I know. Jonathan, why don’t you grab a seat and wait for me?”

Jonathan nodded understandingly, stepping aside to give them privacy.

Evelyn turned back to Victoria, her voice cool. “You and Penelope were behind the Cassandra incident, weren’t you?”

“Honestly, I never expected you to slip out of it so easily. That did catch me off guard,” Victoria admitted with a smirk.

“But that’s not the point. I wanted to let you know that Nathaniel and I are getting engaged. I’ll be sending invitations to my brothers for the ceremony.”

“You’d better keep a low profile. If my brothers find out what you’ve done, they won’t go easy on you,” she added, her tone dripping with warning.

Crossing her arms, Evelyn met her gaze squarely. “If I uncover proof that you’re involved in this, don’t think for a second I’ll let you off lightly.”

Victoria scoffed. “Go ahead, if you can even find the evidence. Just remember—my brother owns the top law firm in Nord City.”

“One call from me, and they won’t lift a finger to help you.”

Her eyes flicked toward the restaurant entrance, and she abruptly changed the subject. “Evelyn, I never took you for the type to cozy up to men so easily.”

“Dining out with someone else behind Nathaniel’s back… What do you think he’d do if he found out? Dump you?” she sneered.

Realizing Victoria’s game, Evelyn didn’t bother explaining. “My personal life is none of your business. Whether I date one man or ten is entirely up to me,” she shot back.

As the words left her lips, Evelyn noticed an odd glint in Victoria’s eyes—something almost gleeful.

A sudden tension prickled the air. Evelyn turned and found herself locking gazes with Nathaniel.

The intensity in his narrowed, dark eyes made her expression freeze.

Of course. Now she understood why Victoria had shifted the conversation so abruptly. She’d been waiting for Nathaniel to arrive all along.

Evelyn quickly composed herself. With their divorce proceedings underway, she had no patience for more complications.

Without hesitation, she turned back to Jonathan. “Let’s go.”

Glancing at Nathaniel and Victoria across the room, Jonathan studied Evelyn with curiosity. “How do you know them? Isn’t that Nathaniel Whitmore, the heir to the Whitmore Group, and his rumored fiancée?”

Evelyn stiffened slightly. “You recognize them?”

Nathaniel was notoriously private, so few people knew him by sight.

“I saw them at an event once. Someone pointed him out,” Jonathan explained.

Lowering her gaze, Evelyn offered a vague reply. “I used to work as a caretaker for Eleanor Whitmore. That’s how I know the family.”

“Ah, I see.”

Jonathan glanced back, only to meet Nathaniel’s piercing, ice-cold stare.

The sheer hostility radiating from Nathaniel made it impossible to hold his gaze. Jonathan couldn’t shake the feeling of being sized up—like prey.

He looked at Evelyn beside him. Was he imagining things, or was there something more between them?