Chapter 178

The phone buzzed in Evelyn's hand as Victoria's shrill voice pierced through the receiver.

Evelyn kept her tone steady. "It's not like I froze your accounts. You should take that up with whoever did."

Without another word, she ended the call.

But Victoria was relentless. The phone lit up again and again, forcing Evelyn to mute it entirely.

The rumors that had been swirling around her lately had died down faster than she expected. She hadn't even needed to lift a finger.

A quiet relief settled over her.

Her fingers brushed gently over her abdomen, where the faintest flutter reminded her of the life growing inside.

After Eleanor's surgery at the end of the month, she could finally cut all ties with Nathaniel for good.

The thought brought a strange mix of sorrow and freedom.

She realized she should schedule a prenatal appointment.

Pulling out her phone, she booked the earliest slot available and gathered her things to leave work early.

"Evelyn, heading out already?"

Jonathan's voice made her turn.

"Yes, there's something I need to take care of. My workload is light today, so I thought I'd go now."

She hesitated, then added, "If anything urgent comes up, I can stay."

He shook his head. "No, it's fine. I was just worried about you. After the rumors, people are bound to talk, especially at the university."

A small smile touched her lips. "Thanks, but I'm not going to campus."

Jonathan chuckled. "Evelyn, you don't have to be so guarded around me. I'm not the enemy. We're friends, aren't we?"

She relaxed slightly, though the instinct to keep her distance remained. Her past with Nathaniel had left her wary of men, even well-meaning ones.

Luckily, Jonathan didn't press further.

Stepping into the elevator, Evelyn headed straight for the hospital.

She hadn't told Julian about the appointment.

His schedule was always packed, and she didn’t want to burden him. She could handle this alone.

The doctor’s words were a balm to her nerves. "Everything looks perfect. The baby is healthy."

Carefully, she tucked the ultrasound images into her bag. She had started keeping every scan, every report—tiny fragments of her child’s existence, even if the details were still blurred.

Glancing at the time, she realized it was still early.

Maybe she’d stop by Julian’s office.

The elevator doors slid open.

And then she froze.

Julian stood in the hallway, deep in conversation with a woman.

Victoria.

Evelyn’s breath hitched.

What were they doing together? Did they know each other?

She ducked behind a corner before Victoria could spot her.

Every encounter with that woman brought trouble. The last thing she wanted was to drag Julian into it.

From her hiding spot, Evelyn watched as Victoria gestured animatedly, her expression tight with frustration.

Were they arguing?

Julian’s voice was clipped, impatient. "I already told you—I don’t have time for your engagement."

"But Alexander promised you’d make it! I can’t have my own engagement without a single family member there. Do you know how that would look?"

Julian’s tone turned sharp. "If family matters so much, why did you refuse his help in finding your real one?"

Victoria paled.