Chapter 12

Evelyn shut the bedroom door behind her with a soft click, like she was shutting out all the stupidity from her past life right along with it.

She flopped onto the bed, the mattress swallowing her up as she let out a long sigh.

All the frustration from earlier had finally faded, leaving her drained to the bone. Regret coiled tight in her chest, heavy and clingy. She'd been so blind—years of Alexander silently caring for her, and she'd seen none of it.

She'd pushed everyone who truly loved her away, snapping at them like a hedgehog when they tried to come close.

And in doing so, she practically rolled out the red carpet for Lillian and Nathaniel.

"Lucky me, the universe cut me some slack and gave me a second chance," she whispered, brushing away the tears collecting at the corners of her eyes.

Her gaze sharpened.

She wasn't going back to being that clueless girl getting played like a puppet.

Anyone who dared to mess with her or the people she cared about? She'd make sure they regretted it.

Evelyn pushed herself off the bed, shaking off the fog of guilt and self-loathing. She headed to the walk-in closet and flung the doors open.

Rows of fancy clothes stared back at her—extravagant gifts from Nathaniel or things Lillian had convinced her to buy under the guise of "fashion advice."

Some were even Lillian's leftovers from when she "crashed" here.

Looking at them now, each piece felt like a joke at her expense.

She grabbed a handful and chucked them to the floor, forming a messy little pile she planned to toss out later.

Nathaniel's gifts weren't even worth keeping—a flashy Zippo with cheesy initials, a bracelet she once thought looked artsy.

A few photos too—she used to treasure them.

Snapshots of a girl smiling like she had everything she needed.

Now? With a blank face, ripped them in half, then into shreds.

Once the room was cleared, she turned and opened the door. "Chloe!"

"Coming, Miss. What do you need?" Chloe White jogged up the stairs, taking one look at the mess and immediately catching on.

A knowing grin spread across her face—finally.

She'd never liked those two anyway.

"Can you get rid of all this? I don't wanna see it again.

"Also, tell the bank to stop sending Lillian money. That arrangement's over. And cancel the watch I was planning to give Nathaniel.

"If either of them shows up, I don't want to see them."

"On it!" Chloe chirped, nearly skipping out of the room.

...

Meanwhile, at Gray Corporation's HQ.

Alexander sat at his desk, a pile of documents needing his signature right in front of him—but he hadn't touched them yet.

Instead, he tapped a finger slowly against his lower lip, lost in thought.

The usually unflappable CEO, feared and admired for his sharp mind and colder-than-steel business tactics, was... distracted.

A deliberate cough echoed at the doorway.

Snapped out of it, he looked up to see Olivia Wells lounging against the frame, arms crossed, a smirk teasing her lips.

Right behind her, Samuel walked in quietly, holding a thick file.

"Alexander, ever since you walked in this morning, you've been zoning out. So, how did it go last night, playing knight in shining armor and escorting our lovely Evelyn home?" Olivia said with a grin.

Alexander shot her a cool look—flavored with a hint of warning. "Don't you have work to do?"

"Oh, loads," Samuel added, raising one hand in mock surrender as he stepped in, "just stopping by to deliver files."

Her teasing tone eased, but curiosity still danced in her eyes. "Seriously though, word is the Thompsons are spreading merger rumors again. Are you just gonna let them keep riding your coattails like this?"The moment marriage alliances were mentioned, Alexander's gaze turned cold—visibly so.

He leaned back in his chair, set down his pen, and his eyes gleamed sharp and dangerous.

"I have nothing to do with the Thompson family, and I never will." He tilted his head toward Samuel. "Tell PR to put out an official statement. Make it clear—Gray Group has zero intentions of any marriage alliance with the Thompsons.

"Cut all partnerships between any of our subsidiaries and Thompson Corp.

"Anyone who dares to spread rumors again? I won't mind showing them exactly how we handle things at Gray Group."

"Yes, Mr. Gray." Samuel nodded and left quickly with the orders.

Standing to the side, Olivia quietly gasped. Frowning, she hesitated before saying, "By the way, about the Fisher situation... don't you think we're moving a bit fast? I get that you hate Ryan touching Evelyn, but the Fishers aren't exactly some small-timers..."

"A family like the Fishers? Not even in the same league as us."

Alexander let out a short laugh, his voice icy. "Even if I didn't do anything, the Mitchells wouldn't let this slide."

"I just didn't want Evelyn to waste her breath cleaning up that trash."

...

Meanwhile, the Fisher estate was in total chaos.

Mr. Fisher had been bombarded with urgent calls since early morning—it was a full-on crisis.

Their company stock had hit the floor, losing nearly half its market value in an instant!

Almost every major partner had pulled out—nearly all at once.

Out of nowhere, Gray Group had slapped them with a total blockade.

Anyone still working with the Fishers? Automatic blacklist by Gray.

Mr. Fisher was losing it, scrambling to dig through every connection, trying to figure out what the hell had ticked Alexander off.

Eventually, after quite a few calls, the line made it to someone close to Samuel.

Out of old friendship, the person hinted, "Mr. Fisher, you should go home and have a serious chat with your second son. Word is... he really messed up—crossed someone he shouldn't have."

A sick feeling sank in Mr. Fisher's chest.

He knew how Ryan had always acted—cocky, no brakes.

Could he have finally pissed off the wrong person?

Mr. Fisher immediately called in favors and launched an investigation.

And sure enough, it didn't take long to uncover what Ryan had done.

Harassing Evelyn. Right when Alexander happened to show up. Got smacked down hard and completely humiliated.

Mr. Fisher's heart nearly stopped. He staggered, catching himself on the wall.

It was Evelyn. And Alexander.

That idiot son of his had practically handed the Fishers over for execution.

Fueled by rage, Mr. Fisher stormed back home and kicked Ryan's door open.

Ryan was passed out from drinking, snoring away without a clue.

"You little bastard! Get your ass up!" bellowed Mr. Fisher as he yanked Ryan straight out of bed. Before Ryan could even blink, his dad's arm swung back—

SLAP!

That hit cracked through the room, sharp and nasty.

Ryan hit the floor hard, half his face swelling up instantly.

The pain snapped him sober. Clutching his cheek, he looked up, panicked and furious. "Dad?! Are you crazy?! Why are you hitting me?!"

"Crazy? I should beat you to death right now, you disgrace!" Mr. Fisher was shaking with pure fury. "Do you know what you did last night? Harassing every girl in sight—till you landed on Evelyn!"

Ryan's face went white. He froze.

That woman from last night—she was Evelyn.

The Evelyn everyone knew Alexander adored.

He just thought she looked stunning and had this captivating vibe. Alone, drinking—he figured she was some heartbroken stranger...

Now he sat paralyzed on the floor, lips trembling. Couldn't even put a sentence together.

"It's over. It's all over," Mr. Fisher muttered, like the life had been sucked out of him. "Fisher Group... is done for..."