Chapter 336

Evelyn blinked slowly, her fingers tightening around the doorframe. "You dragged me into the Grayson mansion and demanded my cooperation. I complied. I followed your rules, avoided stepping on your toes, and asked for nothing in return."

Her voice dropped lower. "But the game has changed now. Since we're attempting this... truce, you'll need to respect my boundaries too. The past few days have been exhausting. I need space. Either I stay in this room alone, or I'll find another—the guest room, my own apartment, anywhere but here."

Nathaniel's eyes darkened at her ultimatum. Clever little fox.

"This isn't about ownership," he countered smoothly. "Have I ever denied you anything? If you want the room, take it. I'll work in the study."

"Much obliged, Mister Grayson." A sly grin curled her lips as she tilted her chin up, gaze flicking pointedly to his hand still braced against the door.

Though every instinct urged him to stay, Nathaniel knew better than to push. With a slow exhale, he withdrew his hand—only for the door to slam shut inches from his face.

A muscle jumped in his jaw. No one had ever dared dismiss him like this.

Yet here he was, letting her.

Lucas hovered nearby, visibly torn between speaking and fleeing. Nathaniel lit a cigarette, the sharp inhale grounding him. "Report."

"Sir," Lucas ventured, "we traced the video's origin, but the IP was spoofed. Our team's decrypting the real address now. Preliminary analysis suggests the influencer orchestrated this, using the chaos to retaliate against... Madam Evelyn."

Nathaniel flicked ash off his cigarette, the ember glowing dangerously. "Find her. Now. And inform the team I'm handling this personally."

Lucas stiffened. For Nathaniel to intervene directly... Evelyn's standing eclipsed even Amelia's.

"Understood." He vanished down the hall.

Alone, Nathaniel exhaled smoke, gaze lingering on the closed door before striding toward the study.

Steam curled around Evelyn as she stepped out of the shower, the tension leaching from her shoulders. Fresh clothes, cool air—finally, clarity.

Her laptop hummed to life. Notifications from Sebastian and Seraphina blinked urgently.

[Sebastian: Boss, status?]

[At Silver Moon.]

[Seraphina: Damage control in progress, but Nathaniel's team outpaced us on suppressing the hashtags.]

[Noted.]

[Sebastian: This was coordinated. The backlash is still escalating despite the blackout. Next move?]

Evelyn's fingers flew across the keys. [Stand down on the PR front. I'll handle the digital cleanup. Sebastian—dig deeper into that public confession at Century Bank Tower. Verify if "Charlotte Bennett" exists. Cross-reference recent arrivals under that name.]

[Sebastian: On it.]

[Seraphina: Wait. You think Nathaniel wasn't behind the confession?]