Chapter 30 – Exposure

Two days later, the morning brief at Drake Industries was filled with speculation. The sudden removal of Soo-jin from the Seoul office had sent waves through the ranks. Officially, it was a compliance issue. Unofficially, it was war.

Genevieve arrived later than usual. She swept into the building in a tailored navy coat, sunglasses still perched on her nose despite the early hour. Her assistant trailed behind her, nervously scrolling through her inbox.

"Any word from the board?" Genevieve asked coolly as they reached her office.

"They're convening an unscheduled session with Alexander this afternoon. Private, no external advisors."

"Perfect," she said, not missing a beat. "Let them think they're ahead."

But inside, Genevieve knew the walls were closing in. She had underestimated Evelyn, and now her best pawn was off the board. Still, she had one last maneuver. One final card that could fracture Evelyn's carefully curated image.

In the marketing suite, Evelyn reviewed Hana's update on public relations metrics. There was a subtle uptick in media engagement, a small but meaningful surge in investor confidence.

"We're getting traction," Hana said, tapping the tablet. "Your Q3 strategy rollout was posted in Forbes Asia this morning. Positive buzz."

"Good. Keep monitoring sentiment. We need clean optics from here on out."

Noah entered just then, waving a slim red envelope. "Someone slid this under my office door. No sender. Addressed to 'Mrs. Evelyn Hart-Drake.'"

Evelyn stilled. Hana looked up, eyes narrowing.

"Let me see it," Evelyn said quietly.

She opened the envelope, revealing three glossy photos.

One of Evelyn entering Alexander's private residence. One of the rooftop lounge, the evening light casting them in intimate proximity. Evelyn grasped air. The last a grainy but unmistakable shot of their wedding bands.

Hana's eyes widened. Noah took a slow breath.

"That was fast," Evelyn murmured.

"Too fast," Noah replied. "Genevieve must have had someone tailing you."

"Or she hacked Alexander's schedule."

"What do we do?" Hana asked.

Evelyn folded the photos and tucked them into a file drawer. "We wait."

At the afternoon board meeting, Alexander stood before the directors with the confidence of a man who had already made his decision. The boardroom was silent as he outlined the recent findings and the temporary reallocation of oversight responsibilities.

Genevieve entered five minutes late.

"Apologies," she said crisply, sliding into her chair.

Alexander barely acknowledged her. When he finished his report, one of the board members cleared his throat.

"Thank you, Mr. Drake. Before we close, there is one more concern that has been raised to us anonymously. It involves potential conflicts of interest stemming from a personal relationship."

The room tensed.

Alexander looked to Evelyn, seated as a silent observer.

Genevieve leaned forward, feigning concern. "It's essential we ensure no personal affiliations compromise leadership decisions. Especially in light of recent promotions."

Evelyn met her gaze with calm steel.

Alexander's voice didn't waver. "If any board member wishes to formally question my judgment, I welcome it. But I stand by the results and the integrity of our decisions."

One board member leaned forward. "Are you denying any personal involvement with Ms. Hart?"

Alexander paused.

"I'm saying that personal speculation has no place in evaluating professional performance. Evelyn Hart earned her promotion. If there's evidence suggesting otherwise, present it. If not, this meeting is adjourned."

Genevieve's jaw locked, but she said nothing.

That night, back at her apartment, Evelyn sat on the balcony, nursing a cup of tea. Alexander joined her quietly, rolling up his sleeves.

"She played her hand," Evelyn said.

"And lost the room," he replied.

"They'll talk."

"They already do."

Evelyn looked at him. "We're running out of shadows to hide in."

Alexander leaned in, voice low. "Then let them see us. Just not yet."

The night stretched before them, full of fireflies and silent resolve.

Exposure was inevitable.

But surrender was not.