Chapter 258

"Can I help you?"

Evelyn Sinclair instantly noticed the man's breathing growing closer behind her.

She quickened her pace, but he matched her step for step.

"Ms. Sinclair, I just wanted to ask..." His voice dripped with forced deference. "Do you think I passed the interview?"

"HR will notify you within three days." She slipped into the elevator.

The man squeezed in after her.

"How did I perform?" He pressed, undeterred.

Evelyn silently pressed the close-door button.

It wasn't that she refused to answer—his invasive proximity made her skin crawl.

Only after exiting the hotel lobby and confirming he hadn't followed did she exhale in relief.

What kind of interview was this?

More like a stalker's pursuit.

She pulled up the email and dragged his resume straight to the trash.

......

In her living room, Evelyn finalized broadcast details for Winston Strauss's exclusive interview with the news station.

"Don't worry, Ms. Sinclair. Your segment is the grand finale..."

"We'll monitor live comments in real-time..."

"You must attend tomorrow's taping..."

Hanging up, she stared absently at her phone.

Her fan group chat lay dormant except for the occasional admin clearing spam posts.

She'd specifically instructed them not to promote tomorrow's interview.

As a journalist, she wanted no part of fandom theatrics.

But neither would she hide like before.

Horizon Media's transfer to the video department had unexpectedly aligned with her goals.

In this era, newsmakers must step into the spotlight.

Ding—

Her phone erupted with vibrations.

999+ unread messages.

Martha Nash and Iris Cooper's icons blinked simultaneously.

Before she could tap a notification, Martha's call blasted through.

"What's going on with you and Alexander Kingsley?" Martha's voice crackled with urgency.

Evelyn's pulse spiked.

Had Iris slipped up?

"What do you mean?" She kept her tone steady.

"It's trending! Explosively!" Martha's words tumbled out. "Someone claims they photographed you two meeting secretly at a hotel—and that you're pregnant!"

Evelyn nearly confirmed the pregnancy outright.

But she hadn't seen Alexander in days.

"I was at a hotel today—for work." She frowned. "Who's spreading this?"

Iris's call beeped through mid-sentence.

"Congratulations!" Iris's voice trembled with excitement. "You're finally public!"

A vein throbbed at Evelyn's temple.

She didn't need to check the trending list to know—

Someone was orchestrating a storm.