Chapter 17 – Red Threads and Loose Ends

Evelyn was beginning to see the pattern.

Every interaction with Genevieve left behind threads with traces of menace woven through polite smiles and polished words. But now those threads were tightening, knotting themselves around Evelyn's work, her team, her sanity.

The following week was chaos. Deadlines shifted without warning. Presentation times were changed last minute. Notes went mysteriously missing. Her team grew anxious under the new scrutiny, and Evelyn felt the blade of invisible sabotage pressing closer.

Genevieve's fingerprints were everywhere, yet never quite traceable.

It wasn't just manipulation.

It was artful warfare.

And Evelyn was tired of being the quiet target.

She needed someone who saw through Genevieve's games. Someone who wasn't afraid to say what others whispered.

That someone turned out to be Noah Bennett.

Noah wasn't part of the marketing department. He worked in finance strategy, a man with an immaculate record, a razor-sharp mind, and a reputation for unfiltered honesty that made most department heads slightly nervous. His loyalty to Alexander was unwavering. What Evelyn hadn't known was that he'd been watching the company from the edges and paying attention to the ripples Genevieve had been making since her return.

He approached Evelyn during a post-meeting coffee run, sliding into step beside her as she crossed the mezzanine.

"You're bleeding out in smiles," he said without looking at her. "That woman's driving you mad."

Evelyn blinked. "Excuse me?"

Noah held the elevator doors open, giving her a pointed look. "Genevieve. She's sabotaging your work and daring you to fight back."

Evelyn hesitated. "You noticed?"

"Everyone with a spine has noticed," he said. "Only difference is, most people are too scared to call it what it is."

The elevator chimed shut behind them.

"I know you and Alexander are..." He paused, lowering his voice. "...close. I won't ask details. But if you want this to stop, you'll need leverage."

Evelyn raised a brow. "And you have some?"

Noah smiled faintly. "Not yet. But I know how to get it."

Later that evening, Evelyn met Alexander on the rooftop, their secret meeting spot away from prying eyes and glass walls. The wind was cool, Seoul's skyline glowing behind him in sharp silhouettes.

"I think we need to go on the offensive," Evelyn said, leaning beside him on the railing.

Alexander studied her face. "I was hoping to avoid that. Keep things clean."

"She's not playing clean," Evelyn replied. "She's making it personal."

He sighed. "She's never lost anything she wanted. Until now."

"And she knows she's losing you."

He didn't argue.

Instead, he turned to her, pulling her hand gently into his. "Then we fight together. Quietly. Strategically."

A pause.

"What do you need?"

Evelyn met his gaze. "I need time and I need Noah."

Alexander's eyebrow arched. "Noah?"

"He's not afraid of her and he sees things."

A smile touched Alexander's mouth. "He's always been trouble in a very useful way."

"Good," Evelyn whispered. "Because I think we're going to need him."

Across the city, Genevieve stood before her mirror, brushing crimson lipstick over her mouth with practiced precision.

Her reflection smiled back.

She'd seen Evelyn and Alexander slip into the elevator together earlier.

She had eyes everywhere.

Let them play their game.

She was about to remind them who wrote the original rules.