Chapter 40 – Whispers in the Blood

Evelyn stood at the center of the marketing war room Friday morning, her gaze bouncing between charts, campaign decks, and her newly promoted assistant managers. The energy was lighter without Genevieve's withering glare poisoning the room, but Evelyn remained cautious. Her instincts, honed by months of corporate landmines, told her this peace was temporary.

"I want all Q4 digital campaigns reformatted for multi-platform by next Wednesday," she said, clicking through slides. "No auto-generated translations, localized edits only."

A few of the younger team members exchanged surprised glances, but none argued.

"Hana and I will review final storyboards before rollout. Questions?"

When none came, she gave a sharp nod. "Great. Meeting adjourned."

As the room emptied, Hana approached with a tablet in hand. "You really are terrifying when you're focused. Remind me never to miss a deadline."

Evelyn smiled, but her voice dropped. "I need you to look into something. Discreetly."

"Go on."

"Claudia Drake. I want a list of board motions she's blocked or rerouted in the past six months. Especially anything related to strategic partnerships, HR restructuring, or legal indemnity."

Hana tilted her head. "You think she's setting traps?"

"I think she's laying groundwork. And if she's poking around my past like I suspect, I want to be five steps ahead."

Hana nodded. "Give me a day."

That afternoon, Noah joined Evelyn and Alexander in Alexander's office, where a rare collaborative strategy session was underway.

"We need a new narrative for the Seoul investors," Alexander said. "One that doesn't rely on fabricated performance metrics."

"The honest numbers are strong," Evelyn said. "They just haven't been positioned correctly."

Noah tapped a pen against his notepad. "We lean into stability. Leadership unity. Show we're correcting past internal corruption with transparency and long-term vision."

Alexander glanced at Evelyn, and something wordless passed between them.

"We can sell that," she said softly.

Noah frowned slightly, his eyes flicking between them. He didn't say anything, but Evelyn felt the heat of realization spark behind his calm gaze.

He knew. Or at least suspected.

Meanwhile, in a dim corner of Seoul's business district, Genevieve sat across from a discreet private investigator with a laptop open between them.

"I want everything," she said. "Family history, educational records, employment gaps. Focus on her early career and any legal settlements tied to the Bennetts."

"She's clean on the surface," the man said, fingers flying over the keyboard. "But there are sealed documents tied to her first year at Bennett & Sloan. That's where I'll start."

Genevieve tapped one manicured finger against her wine glass. "Good. I need leverage. Personal. Something that can't be scrubbed by PR."

The investigator hesitated. "It may take time. And accessing sealed records won't be simple."

"Time is the one thing Evelyn doesn't have," Genevieve said, her eyes narrowing. "Start with the people. Colleagues, clients, interns. Someone remembers something."

That evening, Evelyn sat in Mason's car as it idled in the garage of a quiet hilltop restaurant. They had dinner with his grandmother again, who insisted Evelyn take home a handmade scarf and a stack of sweet rice cakes.

Mason reached over and touched her hand gently. "I'm glad you came. Gran doesn't like most people."

"She's a force of nature," Evelyn smiled. "I adore her."

He hesitated, then asked, "Are you okay? Really? The fire, Genevieve, the board..."

"I'm tired," she admitted. "But I'm also more clearheaded than I've been in years. Maybe because I know what's at stake now."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he just gave a small nod and reached for her hand again.

It was quiet, easy. And Evelyn let herself sit in that stillness for a moment, unsure of what it meant, but grateful for the calm.

Before she got out, Mason added softly, "You don't have to fight alone, you know."

Evelyn turned, surprised. There was no romantic implication in his tone, just a genuine offer of friendship.

"Thank you," she said and meant it.

Later that night, back in the townhouse, Evelyn found Alexander in the living room, eyes closed, listening to a vinyl record spinning softly. She sank onto the sofa beside him without a word, letting the music wash over them.

After a long pause, he murmured, "Claudia sent another memo tonight. She's demanding we publicly address Genevieve's suspension."

Evelyn didn't flinch. "Let her. Transparency works both ways."

He turned his head, watching her. "You've changed since you got here."

"How so?"

"You don't defer anymore."

She smiled slightly. "That woman burned down my life, and I walked out with my spine intact. Deference doesn't serve me anymore."

Alexander reached out and touched her cheek lightly. "You terrify me. In the best way."

She leaned into his hand and closed her eyes. Outside, the wind brushed against the windows. Inside, Evelyn felt it. The whisper of danger, of legacy, of old wounds awakening.

And somewhere in the shadows, Genevieve was watching.

The next morning, Hana slipped a sealed envelope onto Evelyn's desk as the office hummed to life. Inside were confidential internal documents showing Claudia had rerouted funds from the employee wellness budget toward a ghost consultancy, one registered to an offshore holding group tied to a long-retired Drake board member.

Evelyn stared at the pages, fury and strategy swirling in her chest. "She's not just undermining me," she whispered. "She's laundering influence."

"I thought you'd want to handle it yourself," Hana said quietly.

Evelyn nodded. "Good instinct. Don't share this with anyone. Not even Noah."

As she slipped the folder into a locked drawer, her phone buzzed with a new calendar invite: BOARD FINANCE COMMITTEE – EMERGENCY SESSION.

The subject line chilled her: "Strategic Realignment Proposal."

Evelyn's jaw tightened. The next move had already begun.