Chapter 37 – Hidden Truths

Evelyn woke in the guest bedroom of Alexander's townhouse, cocooned in luxurious linens and the soft hum of morning Seoul traffic outside. For a brief moment, she forgot the fire, the scheming, and the pressure building at Drake Industries. Then it all came rushing back.

She sat up slowly, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Her suitcase, hastily packed by a building supervisor after the fire, sat in the corner with smoke-scented clothes and charred notebooks. Her life, scorched and folded neatly.

She padded out into the hallway and found Alexander in the kitchen, already dressed in a dark tailored suit, nursing a mug of coffee and reading something on his tablet.

"Morning," she said, voice still hoarse from the smoke.

He looked up, his expression immediately softening. "Morning. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been through a fire," she quipped, earning a smile from him.

"There's fresh coffee," he said, gesturing to the pot. "I had the housekeeper pick up some essentials for you. Clothes, toiletries. They're in the guest bath."

"You didn't have to..."

"I wanted to."

The quiet finality in his voice made her heart stutter. She busied herself with pouring a cup of coffee to hide the warmth in her cheeks.

As she took a sip, he cleared his throat. "Evelyn… I think you should stay here. For a while."

She looked up. "Until the apartment is repaired?"

He nodded. "Yes. Or longer, if you want. It's safer here. And we both know things are going to get more complicated before they get easier."

She hesitated, heart thudding. "Okay. But we keep it professional at the office."

His smile turned amused. "As always."

Later that morning, Evelyn entered the office to hushed glances and whispered curiosity. News of the fire had traveled fast. Hana met her at the elevator with a sympathetic look.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"Charbroiled, but intact," Evelyn said. "Any word from the audit team?"

"They're requesting a follow-up meeting tomorrow," Hana said. "They've already cross-checked your flagged expenditures against security logs. It's not looking good for Genevieve."

Evelyn nodded. "Let's keep the pressure subtle but constant. I want her to feel it closing in, inch by inch."

Hana smirked. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"You're one of the few people I trust right now."

Hana's smile faded slightly, replaced by something softer. "Same here."

Noah stopped by mid-morning with two cups of iced matcha. "Peace offering," he said, placing one on Evelyn's desk.

"What am I forgiving you for?"

"For not checking in last night. I heard about the fire late. I'm sorry."

"I'm okay. Really."

He studied her. "You don't look okay."

"I'm staying at Alexander's place."

His eyebrows rose. "That okay okay or complicated okay?"

She gave him a pointed look. "Private okay."

He raised both hands. "Got it. I'll keep my nose out of it."

But he didn't miss the way her eyes drifted toward the window, as if measuring the risk of being close to Alexander and what she might lose if the secret unraveled.

By early evening, Evelyn received a text from Mason:

Still up for dinner with Gran? She insists on meeting you.

Evelyn smiled and texted back a quick yes. After the fire, she hadn't expected anything social, but a warm distraction might be just what she needed.

An hour later, she found herself in the elegant Hanok-style home of Mason's grandmother, tucked away in a quieter district of the city. The older woman greeted her with a wide, knowing smile.

"So this is the girl who taught my grandson to stop checking emails at dinner," she said in Korean.

Evelyn bowed respectfully. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Mason's grandmother wasted no time pulling her into a tight embrace. "You remind me of myself when I was young. Ambitious. Tired. But burning with fire."

Dinner was a mix of Korean comfort food and family stories. Evelyn relaxed in a way she hadn't in weeks. It felt like a stolen evening which was peaceful, bright, normal.

As she helped clear the dishes, Mason caught her by the sink.

"She adores you already," he said.

"She's incredible," Evelyn said softly.

"So are you."

They lingered in the kitchen for a moment too long before laughter in the next room broke the silence. Evelyn turned away, flustered.

Outside, under the soft moonlight, Mason walked her to her rideshare.

"Thanks for coming," he said.

"I needed this."

He hesitated. "If you ever need anything—anything—I'm here."

She nodded. "I know."

As the car pulled away, she glanced back at him. And for the first time in a long time, Evelyn let herself believe that maybe—not everything was meant to be fought alone.