The soothing scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air for the third time that morning. Completely erase her father’s words from her mind.
Evelyn sighed as she poured the frothy milk into her cup, her third latte since sunrise.
The caffeine had become less about energy and more about sanity.
She took a long sip, savoring the warmth before turning back to her desk, where her laptop screen glowed with files, charts, and confidential data.
Her latest client was Finley Morgan, a young politician. He was charismatic, ambitious, and dangerously persuasive.
He was running for president and had requested a complete dossier on his rivals.
Initially, she had refused because politics was a stinky swamp she preferred to steer clear of whenever she encountered it.
However, after checking his background and seeing that he was genuinely different—intelligent, kind, and sincere—she reconsidered his offer.
Still, she wasn’t easily swayed. She had named a fee ten times her usual rate, expecting him to back out immediately.
To her surprise, he had agreed without hesitation. That, if anything, had made her suspicious.
Now, as she scrolled through confidential data, Evelyn’s brows furrowed. Oscar had already begun digging into the backgrounds of the top three rivals.
It wasn’t the first time she’d taken on a risky project, but something about this one felt heavier.
Every document she opened reminded her that she was helping shape the next leader of the country.
And that power could be terrifying in the wrong hands.
Her phone buzzed occasionally, but she ignored it.
Time blurred as she worked. She couldn’t delay this; her client had a deadline. And she didn’t have much time.
The sun was already high, but she didn’t notice until a gentle knock on the door pulled her out of her work.
"Come in," she said, rubbing her temples.
Laura, the senior maid, stepped in with her usual calm grace.
"Mrs. Knight, it’s past noon," Laura said softly. "Lunch is ready, and the young master is already waiting in the dining room."
Evelyn blinked, glancing at the clock.
"Oh no, I didn’t realize the time. Thank you, Laura. Tell Oliver I’ll be right over."
Laura smiled knowingly.
"Yes, Ma’am. He’s been waiting patiently. Though I think he’s tempted to start without you. He said he was starving today and nearly fell over at the wonderful aromas of the food, and started without you. But he loves you too much to do it. Oh, what a wonderful boy, young master is."
Evelyn chuckled, saving her files and shutting her laptop.
"Then we shouldn’t keep him waiting any longer. You know how cranky he gets when he’s starving..."
"I know, madam," Laura nodded slightly while smiling. "He’s just like his father," she said before leaving.
A gentle smile appeared on Evelyn’s lips.
"Yeah. Laura was right... Oliver, just like Axel," she murmured, pushing back her chair.
Just as she was about to leave her office, her phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Oscar.
She unlocked it, expecting an update about her client’s files, but the content made her heart drop.
"Eve, I’ve found out how your Old man got your number. He paid someone to hack Alicia’s phone." From: Oscar
Evelyn stared at the screen, her pulse racing.
"What?" she whispered. Her mind instantly raced to Alicia and Stella.
Her fingers darted over the keyboard as she typed her reply:
"Oscar, ensure Alicia and Stella are protected. Add some extra firewalls to all their devices. Can you handle that?"
"Easy! Already on it," came his quick reply.


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