Chapter 275

The car door slammed shut. Ethan Sullivan's face was icy as he ordered the driver to go.

The black Maybach merged into traffic. He turned to glare at Evelyn Sullivan, his eyes dark. "I warned you to stay away from Ryan Paisley."

"Mr. Sullivan, MY Fashion Group has business dealings with Paisley Corp. Having dinner with him is perfectly normal." Evelyn smirked. "Should I pretend not to know him when we meet?"

Ethan's jaw tightened. After a moment of silence, he spoke. "That's not what I meant."

"Your meaning doesn't matter." Evelyn stared straight ahead. "Last night you said we needed to talk. About what?"

"About what you proposed. I want you to reconsider."

Evelyn frowned. "There's nothing to reconsider. You and I—"

Before she could finish, Ethan suddenly cupped the back of her head and crushed his lips against hers.

Caught off guard, Evelyn struggled, but he held her firmly. The kiss was relentless, leaving her breathless by the time he finally pulled away.

"You still feel something for me." Ethan brushed his thumb over her swollen lips. "Why won't you give us another chance?"

Evelyn shoved him away, her eyes clear and cold. "So what if I do? You and Isabella Jackson are always tangled up together. I won't make the same mistake again."

"There's nothing between us."

"Nothing? Then why do you take her to every event? Why let everyone think she's your girlfriend?" Evelyn's lips curled in mockery. "Ethan, don't treat me like a fool."

His gaze darkened. "Some things can't be explained right now. But I swear, Isabella and I will never be together."

"Save your lies for someone else."

"I'll prove it to you."

Silence filled the car. When it stopped in front of the villa, Evelyn turned to him before getting out. "Don't waste your effort, Mr. Sullivan. Nothing you do means anything to me now."

She'd given him too many chances in those three years. It was too late now.

Ethan clenched his fists as he watched her walk away without looking back.

For the next few days, Ethan didn't appear again. But the entertainment pages were flooded with photos of him and Isabella. Soon, news broke that Isabella had been appointed CEO of Brocade.

"Making it look like a coronation," Sophia Reynolds muttered, flipping through the headlines.

Evelyn raised a brow. "You really dislike her, don't you?"

"I've hated her fake act since we were kids! Now I hate her even more for scheming against you." Sophia snorted. "She's just a fraud propped up by Sullivan Group."

"Don't underestimate her." Evelyn handed her a file. "Brocade has Sullivan Group's backing. We need to stay sharp."

Sophia took the file. "With you here, we won't lose to that impostor!"

"We've lost before." Evelyn chuckled.

"Only because Sullivan Group interfered!" Sophia fumed. "That's all she's good for."

Meanwhile, in Simon Reynolds' office...

"Brother, are you ready?" he asked into the phone, his tone deceptively gentle.

The voice on the other end wavered. "Simon, I'm still scared carrying this fake bomb..."

"Relax, it's just mud inside." Simon's eyes turned cold. "Think about how Sophia abandoned you. If Evelyn hadn't poisoned her against you, she wouldn't have left you to rot."

"But—"

"I paid off all your gambling debts. Would I really harm you?" Simon lowered his voice. "We're just scaring her a little—making her back off."