Chapter 15 – The Thorn Beneath the Crown

The Monday after the gala unfolded like a ceremony of consequence.

Evelyn walked into Drake Industries headquarters with her shoulders squared and eyes focused, but inside, her nerves simmered. Her every step echoed through the lobby, bouncing against glass and polished steel. The whispers she passed on her way to the marketing floor weren't loud, but they were pointed.

Everyone had seen Genevieve beside Alexander on stage.

Everyone had seen how they stood together.

"Power couple energy," someone muttered behind Evelyn in the elevator.

She pretended not to hear.

At the tenth-floor marketing hub, Evelyn opened her laptop and tried to drown in work. Campaign projections. Social performance. Ad metrics. It didn't matter. Anything to keep her mind away from the night of champagne and crimson silk.

But a soft chime interrupted her rhythm. An internal calendar invite, sent by Genevieve herself.

Creative Alignment Check-In – Today, 3:00PM. Participants: Genevieve Moreau, Evelyn Hart.

Her stomach flipped.

Genevieve didn't do "check-ins." She did ambushes.

By the time Evelyn entered the glass-walled conference room, Genevieve was already seated, flipping through a mockup deck Evelyn hadn't yet presented.

"How did you even get these?" Evelyn asked, trying not to sound defensive.

Genevieve didn't look up. "Alexander forwarded them."

Evelyn's breath caught.

Genevieve raised her eyes then sharp, glinting. "Relax. I asked. Told him I wanted to personally get up to speed on the Seoul branch's current campaigns."

She let the sentence linger in the air like a trap.

"Anything you want to clarify before I offer my notes?" she asked sweetly, tapping one page.

Evelyn took a seat, back rigid. "The campaign is tied to both regional values and next-gen brand identity. The tone is emotionally aspirational with a soft-tech overlay."

Genevieve's red lips curved slightly. "Yes, I saw that. And that's precisely what I want to address."

She pushed a page forward.

"This copy... 'Beyond borders, beneath stars'... a bit naïve, don't you think? It sounds more like a travel poem than a tech message."

"It's aspirational," Evelyn replied calmly. "It ties to our global partnerships—space, exploration, technology that feels human."

Genevieve tapped her pen. "And emotional resonance is good, but too much softness can blur the message. Investors don't fund poetry."

She leaned back in her chair, tilting her head. "You're talented, Evelyn. But sometimes your ideas bleed too much heart. You need to think more like a strategist. Or perhaps... like a wife."

The last word dropped like a shard of ice between them.

Evelyn's blood ran cold.

Genevieve smiled, satisfied. "Oh, you didn't think I hadn't noticed?"

Evelyn's fingers curled under the table.

"Your nervous glances, the way you tense when I'm in a room with him... darling, I've been trained to read alliances since I was twelve. I've seen royal courtships with less subtlety."

"I don't know what you're implying," Evelyn said quietly.

Genevieve's smile widened. "Of course you do. But here's the thing. I'm not interested in sabotaging your... affair."

She rose to her feet, gathering the mockups in a neat stack.

"I just want to remind you," she said, pausing at the door, "that there's a difference between having his attention and holding his legacy."

And with that, she left.

That evening, Evelyn sat alone in her apartment, the city stretching like starlight beyond her window.

She hadn't told Alexander.

Not yet.

Part of her wanted to warn him. Part of her wanted him to see what Genevieve was doing. But another part of her, a quieter, sharper one, knew that Alexander didn't need protection.

He needed a partner who wouldn't blink when the game turned ruthless.

She reached for the hidden drawer beneath her desk and pulled out a velvet box.

The ring.

Simple. Undeniable.

And still unseen.

One day, the world would know.

But today, Evelyn wasn't ready to make it war.

Not yet.