Chapter 21

The air in the conference room turned thick with tension.

Olivia Kensington's face burned with humiliation. She had clawed her way up the corporate ladder through years of relentless effort. This wasn't how her career at Sterling Corp would end.

Alexander Sterling's public defense of Evelyn Sinclair felt like a slap across Olivia's carefully made-up face.

All eyes darted between the executives seated around the mahogany table.

Evelyn's brow furrowed slightly. Starting her new position with enemies wasn't part of the plan. Just as she opened her mouth to diffuse the situation, Olivia rose abruptly, her chair scraping against the marble floor.

"Mr. Sterling," Olivia's voice trembled with forced composure, "I apologize for my inappropriate remarks. I fully support the board's decision and look forward to collaborating with Ms. Sinclair."

"Good. Meeting adjourned."

Alexander's curt response cut through the room like a blade. Without another word, the CEO strode out, his Italian leather shoes clicking against the polished surface.

Olivia exhaled sharply when the door clicked shut.

Though murmurs of dissent still lingered among the executives, nobody dared challenge Alexander Sterling's authority openly.

Evelyn dismissed the incident with a mental shrug. Her work would speak for itself soon enough.

Bennett entered her new office precisely at 10:15 AM. "Ms. Sinclair, I'll be assisting you moving forward. Please don't hesitate to delegate any tasks."

Evelyn appreciated the gesture. Having Alexander's most trusted aide as her assistant signaled the CEO's full support. "Thank you, Bennett. Could you pull all the files on Kingsley Tech's latest project? Alexander mentioned it during our briefing."

"Consider it done." Bennett gave a professional nod before exiting.

The door had barely closed when Isabella Montgomery breezed in, twirling her rose gold iPhone. "Darling! They gave me the corner office right across from yours. We're practically neighbors again!"

Evelyn's lips curved into a genuine smile. Having Isabella back in her daily life felt like reclaiming a piece of herself she'd lost during her disastrous marriage to Nathan Blackwood.

"It'll be chaos at first, but we'll manage," Evelyn warned.

Isabella tossed her caramel locks with a dramatic flip. "Please, I thrive on chaos. Oh! You have to see this." She thrust her phone at Evelyn.

Evelyn's eyes widened at the screen. Overnight, she'd become Twitter's top trending topic again.

Isabella had leaked the unedited security footage from Velvet Lounge to several influential bloggers. The viral video clearly showed Tristan Whitmore's hired thug harassing a intoxicated Isabella before Evelyn intervened.

The internet had exploded.

[OMG QUEEN BEHAVIOR! Who needs men when you have ride-or-die besties like this?!] [That's why she walked away from the Blackwood fortune - she's her own damn empire!] [Evelyn Sinclair for president!] [Somebody get this woman her own reality show!]

Evelyn shot Isabella an exasperated look. "You went back for the surveillance footage?"

"Please," Isabella scoffed, "one phone call to the club owner. Nobody messes with my best friend and gets away with it."

Evelyn shook her head but couldn't suppress a chuckle. The media circus hardly mattered now.

"Do you know who orchestrated this?" Evelyn already had her suspicions.

Isabella's expression turned serious. "Tristan Whitmore. Nathan's lapdog."

Just as Evelyn had guessed.

Whether it was Sophia Blackwood or Tristan Whitmore, they all answered to Nathan in the end.

Evelyn's smile vanished. She might have ignored petty gossip, but deliberate character assassination demanded retaliation.

"Call Dominic Young. I want every skeleton in Tristan Whitmore's closet."

Isabella's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Now that's the Evelyn Sinclair I know and love. Don't worry, I've been collecting dirt on that weasel for months."

She forwarded an entire dossier to Evelyn's phone. After scrolling through the files, Evelyn selected a particularly damning photo - Tristan at a pool party, arms around three bikini-clad women during his honeymoon.

Evelyn posted it with a caption that would make headlines by lunchtime:

[If you've got a problem with me, say it to my face. I fight fair. Unlike some people who pay paparazzi to doctor videos. Watch your back, Mr. Whitmore. Karma's coming for you.]