Chapter 20 – The Unraveling Begins

The sun had barely risen over Seoul when Evelyn stepped into the executive boardroom of Drake Industries, shoulders squared, expression calm. Today was supposed to be another closed-door marketing review, but there was a shift in the air. Electric, expectant, and heavy with something unspoken.

She wasn't alone in feeling it.

Across the table, Genevieve sat poised in a crisp black suit, hair twisted into a severe chignon. Her mouth curled in a faint smile, though her eyes glinted like knives. To any outsider, the two women were professional equals. But beneath the table, a quiet war churned.

Alexander entered last, flanked by two senior board members and his longtime legal counsel. He offered no greeting. Instead, he simply said, "Let's begin."

Evelyn opened her laptop and, with the click of a key, cast the first stone.

"Before we review projections," she said, her voice firm but controlled, "I'd like to present a report comparing campaign strategies submitted over the past 4 weeks - mine versus the versions that were actually distributed."

The room shifted. A few board members exchanged glances. Genevieve's smile froze.

"Why is this relevant?" she asked smoothly.

"Because the data shows significant differences in consumer engagement depending on which version was used. And because the decision to override my content was never formally approved."

Evelyn clicked again. The presentation displayed two nearly identical strategy sheets—except where it mattered. The tone. The cultural nuance. The intent.

Alexander said nothing. He didn't need to. The silence was deafening.

Then Evelyn added the kill shot.

"These changes were made using my login credentials. But the metadata shows the documents were altered from an external IP address."

Noah, seated quietly near the back as marketing's data lead, stood. "That IP address was traced to Genevieve's temporary assistant's device."

Now the silence turned ice-cold.

Genevieve's voice didn't waver. "You're accusing me of corporate sabotage?"

"I'm showing that critical campaign decisions were made without transparency," Evelyn replied. "Decisions that could have compromised our expansion strategy."

"You're grasping, Evelyn," Genevieve snapped, her mask cracking. "You're junior. You're emotional. And frankly, you've always been..."

"Enough," Alexander said, voice like steel. "This meeting is adjourned."

"But..."

He stood. "Genevieve. My office. Now."

Evelyn didn't meet Genevieve's eyes as she left. She didn't need to. The damage was done.

Later that morning, in the privacy of his corner office, Alexander stared Genevieve down from behind his desk. She stood across from him, arms crossed, every inch of her bristling.

"You were sloppy," he said flatly. "You underestimated her."

"You're going to believe her over me?"

"I'm not believing anyone," Alexander replied. "I'm looking at proof."

"You're protecting her," Genevieve hissed. "She's just a convenience to you. A fling."

Alexander's jaw tightened. "You don't get to talk about her like that."

The warning in his voice was unmistakable.

Genevieve's composure cracked further. "Do you think I don't see what's happening? She's not just some assistant anymore. She has power. And I know why. You've been sleeping with her."

Alexander's silence was confirmation enough.

Genevieve's expression twisted. "She's a threat to everything we built. And if you think the board won't eat you alive the second they find out..."

"I don't care what they think," Alexander said, voice low and calm. "You're done."

A beat of silence. Then she laughed. Cold, sharp.

"You're going to regret this."

"I doubt it."

She stormed out without another word.

That night, Evelyn found herself pacing the rooftop garden of Alexander's penthouse. It was the only place that felt private enough to breathe. When Alexander joined her, the weariness in his face was unmistakable.

"She knows," Evelyn said quietly.

"She suspects," Alexander replied. "But after today, she's lost most of her leverage. The board's shaken. Your campaign was the clear winner, and the metrics proved it."

"What happens now?"

"She'll fight," he admitted. "She'll try to twist this. Go public if she can. But I've already started damage control."

Evelyn turned to face him. "And us?"

He stepped closer. "We decide what happens next."

For a moment, the only sound was the wind rustling the rooftop plants, the distant hum of Seoul below.

"I can't be a secret forever," Evelyn whispered.

"I know," Alexander said. "And I don't want you to be."

His hand found hers, fingers lacing through hers with quiet certainty. "We'll do this on our terms. No fear. No shame."

As she looked into his eyes tired but unyielding, Evelyn realized something else.

The unraveling had begun.

But it wasn't her falling apart.

It was the illusion that she had to stay small to survive.

And she was done hiding.