Chapter 398

Evelyn gave a rough account of her kidnapping in Laurentia but carefully avoided mentioning Alexander Kensington's frantic trip to find her.

She also downplayed her own role in dealing with the kidnappers, making it seem far less dramatic than it had been.

Even so, her two closest friends, Sophia and Victoria, turned pale at the mere retelling.

"Wait—they had guns?!" Sophia gasped, clutching her chest.

"They must have been part of some underground syndicate!" Victoria added, her voice trembling.

"How did you even get out of that alive?"

The two exchanged stunned glances.

Just picturing the scene sent chills down their spines, and seeing Evelyn standing there unharmed seemed nothing short of miraculous.

Victoria reached out, squeezing Evelyn's hand. "Evelyn, are you sure you're okay? If anything happened—anything at all—you have to tell us."

Sophia nodded vigorously. "Exactly! Don't bottle it up! No matter what they did, we're here for you. We'll keep it between us!"

Evelyn blinked, then let out a dry laugh. "Why does it sound like you two wanted something terrible to happen to me?"

"Of course not!"

"Don't even joke about that!"

For once, the two were in perfect agreement.

Sophia huffed. "We're just worried about you! Now, tell us—did the police catch the mastermind? Who was behind it? Why target you?"

"The mastermind..."

Evelyn's mind flashed to Lucien Dubois, arrested by the authorities, and Vanessa Blake, who had vanished from Laurentia shortly after. She didn’t know the full aftermath—only that Lucien and his men had been taken into custody.

Given the evidence against them, their sentences wouldn't be light.

Before they could delve deeper, a commotion erupted outside Victoria's office.

Frowning, Victoria set down her coffee and marched to the door. "What's going on out here? The celebration isn't until tonight! Get back to—"

She froze mid-sentence.

The employees weren’t slacking off—they were all pressed against the windows, staring in awe at the spectacle outside.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of vibrant balloons were rising into the sky, their ribbons fluttering in the breeze. The sight was almost surreal.

"Where did these come from?" Victoria muttered.

Then she spotted it.

Tied to each balloon was a long satin ribbon, each bearing the same bold declaration:

"I LOVE YOU, EVELYN."

Victoria immediately slammed the door shut and whirled around. "Evelyn! Look outside!"

The blinds in Victoria's office had been drawn, so none of them had noticed the display until now.

Victoria yanked them open, revealing the breathtaking scene.

Balloons filled the sky, each one carrying its heartfelt message upward.

Evelyn could only stare, speechless.

Was this some kind of elaborate joke?

Or was it something far more serious?