Chapter 340

Nathan Blackwood arched an eyebrow. "I'll search this area too." He made a show of opening a cabinet. Evelyn Sinclair rolled her eyes at him, deliberately ignoring his presence as she continued rifling through the dusty shelves.

From his peripheral vision, Nathan spotted a small, unassuming box perched precariously on top of the cabinet. Evelyn stretched on her tiptoes, fingers just grazing its edge.

The box wobbled dangerously. Before she could steady it, the container tumbled downward. There was no time to react. Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact as her stomach dropped.

This is just perfect! But instead of pain, she felt the cool press of a broad palm against her forehead, shielding her face. The faint scent of sandalwood and citrus enveloped her.

The muffled thud of the box striking Nathan's hand made her flinch, though he didn't so much as twitch. Her heart did a peculiar little flip at the protective gesture.

Nathan withdrew his hand, his deep voice laced with amusement. "Close call." He handed her the offending box. "Though I doubt they'd hide anything important in such an obvious spot."

"Want to check anyway?" Evelyn shot him a sidelong glance before quickly looking away. She pried open the box to reveal... absolutely nothing.

Unfazed, she tossed it onto a nearby table with a careless flick of her wrist and resumed her search. She pointedly didn't thank Nathan, pretending their little moment never happened.

Yet when he continued shadowing her movements, she didn't protest like before. The second floor was dim, but shafts of sunlight through broken windows illuminated Evelyn's silhouette like a spotlight.

Her eyes sparkled with determination. The elegant curve of her profile could make Renaissance sculptors weep. Those full lips, painted a bold crimson today, looked positively sinful.

She was the kind of woman who commanded attention without trying - a natural queen among peasants who had to scream to be noticed. The more you looked, the more breathtaking she became.

Evelyn could feel the weight of Nathan's gaze burning into her back. Every time she turned to confront him, he'd suddenly become very interested in examining floorboards or ceiling beams. The man was terrible at subtlety.

The camera crew kept zooming in on her too, which was beyond irritating! After combing the entire floor without success, Adrian Blackwood bounded up the stairs. "Uncle Nathan! Evie! Let's switch floors. We've found nothing but empty containers."

Evelyn nodded and turned to leave when a flash of color on the opposite wall caught her eye. Nathan followed her gaze, sharp eyes narrowing. "Is that...?"

"A map!" Evelyn's heart leapt as she rushed over to examine it. She turned eagerly to the nearest staff member. "Is this it?" Her voice vibrated with excitement.

The staffer shook his head apologetically. "Sorry, no." Her shoulders slumped. "Should've known it wouldn't be that easy."

Just as she reached the stairwell, Sophia Laurent's triumphant shout echoed from above. "Found it!" All heads snapped upward.

Adrian scoffed until Ethan Caldwell confirmed, "She's right! Director!" The staff immediately herded everyone toward the third floor.

Against all odds, Sophia - who usually struggled with basic social interactions - had actually located the treasure map. Evelyn followed the group upstairs, where Sophia was practically vibrating with excitement as she presented her prize.

"This game is utterly ridiculous," Ethan muttered under his breath.

The director accepted the map with solemn ceremony and declared it authentic. Sophia jumped up and down, beaming. "Finally! My time to shine!" She turned hopeful eyes toward Nathan. "Director, isn't it time for team changes now?" Her desire to partner with Nathan was painfully obvious.

That had been the rule in previous episodes - winners of the first challenge could swap teammates.

The director hesitated, rubbing his chin. Before he could respond, Nathan's icy voice cut through from behind Evelyn. "That rule's been suspended for this episode."