Chapter 25 – Countercurrents

Genevieve stood at the tall window of her penthouse suite, staring out at Seoul's skyline. The city pulsed beneath her, oblivious to the undercurrents she had already begun to stir. The news of Evelyn's promotion had hit her desk with infuriating swiftness. Interim was one thing but permanent?

She crushed the memo in her hand.

"Foolish move, Alex," she whispered to herself. "Too fast. Too emotional."

Linda's dismissal had been unfortunate, but not irreversible. If anything, it provided Genevieve with the opportunity to take full control of the chessboard. She needed new pieces, smarter plays. Her gaze shifted to the files spread across her marble table. Evelyn's personnel folder, performance reviews, even candid photographs taken during a few recent events. Surveillance, light but thorough. The beginnings of a campaign.

She buzzed her assistant. "Tell Seo-Min to move forward with the analyst position job post. I want it filled by end of next week. Prioritize people with digital background and minimal loyalty to the existing marketing team."

"Understood, Ms. Moreau."

Genevieve smiled thinly. "And set up a meeting with Legal. I want to review internal audit protocols. Quietly."

At the marketing floor, Evelyn held her morning team meeting, adjusting to her new role with each passing hour. The team was still warming up to her, but the shift in morale was obvious. With Linda gone, ideas flowed more freely. Suggestions were made without fear. Even the interns seemed bolder.

"We'll be relaunching the winter campaign with a stronger influencer tie-in," Evelyn said, pointing to the restructured brief. "We're starting fresh with a new voice, new vision. Submissions by Friday."

Noah leaned in after the meeting. "Still breathing?"

"Barely."

He grinned. "You looked like you've been in that chair for years."

"I haven't slept for days. But thank you."

He hesitated. "Genevieve requested marketing metrics from Q1-Q3. She said she needs it for an executive review."

Evelyn raised a brow. "She could have asked me directly."

"She didn't. She asked Marcy from Finance."

A beat of silence.

"She's poking around," Evelyn said quietly. "Trying to find leverage."

"What do you want to do?"

"Beat her to it. Let's compile a clean performance report, fully audited and cross-referenced with budget allocations. If she wants to play with numbers, we'll give her truth she can't twist."

That night, Evelyn met Alexander in the secluded back dining room of an art gallery opening. They had agreed on discretion, but her new position made secrecy harder. Her nerves buzzed as she walked past glittering installations and murmuring patrons, finally slipping into the candlelit room where he waited.

He poured her a glass of soju, the flickering candlelight catching the tension in his jaw.

"She's already circling," he said without preamble.

Evelyn nodded. "She's gathering intel. Building a case. She won't strike until she thinks she has something solid."

"And we still can't go public."

"Not yet. The minute the board learns we're married, they'll use it to discredit everything I've done."

Alexander leaned back, swirling the liquid in his glass. "Then we buy time. Protect your seat."

Evelyn looked at him, her voice low. "I need you to let me fight this my way."

His eyes flicked to hers, searching. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I didn't come this far to be protected. I came to lead."

He gave her a small nod, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Then lead. But do it smart. And speaking of that..."

He reached into his jacket and handed her a small, folded list. "You need an executive assistant. Someone who knows how to move between departments, gather internal sentiment, and catch red flags before they hit your desk."

Evelyn blinked at the list. "I... I hadn't even thought that far."

"Well, I have and you don't have time to waste. Talk to Noah. He knows the internal network better than anyone. Let him help you find someone trustworthy."

She looked down at the paper in her hands, her heart skipping a beat. The gesture was practical, necessary, and yet deeply personal in its thoughtfulness.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Alexander tilted his head. "I need you focused on vision, not logistics. Let someone else worry about your schedule and inbox."

Evelyn tucked the list into her handbag. "Okay. I'll talk to Noah tomorrow."

He raised his glass. "To surviving sharks."

She clinked his. "And to knowing how to swim."

Outside, the city lights glimmered like stars that refused to burn out.

Inside, Evelyn Hart was already preparing her next move and this time, she would not be playing defense.