Chapter 59
Neon lights flickered across the food plaza in the night.
Melissa Lee sat by the café's floor-to-ceiling window, her fingers absently tracing the rim of her cup.
Her hand suddenly froze.
Outside the glass, Julian Ashford and Evelyn Sinclair walked side by side.
The man was scrolling through his phone, occasionally showing the screen to the girl beside him. Evelyn shook her head with a soft laugh, taking a bite of the sugar art in her hand.
It was a butterfly, its wings spread as if ready to take flight.
Melissa's nails dug deep into her palms.
She knew better than anyone about Julian's obsession with butterflies. Those precious specimen albums in his study—he wouldn't even let her touch them.
"Julian, can I have one butterfly specimen?" she had once cooed.
"Buy your own," he'd replied without looking up.
Yet now, he'd specially commissioned this enormous sugar butterfly for Evelyn. The golden syrup glistened under the lights, stinging Melissa's eyes.
The pair stopped in front of a barbecue stall.
Melissa saw Julian frown. Evelyn said something, and suddenly he laughed, following her inside.
The glass cup creaked ominously in Melissa's grip.
Julian detested the smell of grease. Every time their department dined out, she made sure to avoid hotpot and barbecue places.
Yet now, he willingly entered a street-side grill.
Soon, Julian emerged alone to pick ingredients. Rolling up his sleeves, he carefully selected items from the freezer, occasionally turning to ask for Evelyn's input.
Melissa finally slumped forward onto the table.
Across from her, Victoria Henn didn't dare breathe.
"Not a word about what you saw today," Melissa said as she lifted her head. Her makeup remained flawless, but her eyes gleamed with venom.
......
In the Finance Department's break room, a group of female employees huddled together.
"Did you hear? Evelyn Sinclair is being transferred to our department."
"That performance harvester from Entertainment? Great, she'll steal all our resources."
"Just riding on her looks, isn't she? Alexander Kingsley, Ryan Holt, Vincent Sullivan—which exclusive interview didn't she land by batting her eyelashes?"
"Let's see how Melissa deals with her..."
......
An HR specialist escorted Evelyn into the Finance Department's workspace.
The noisy office instantly fell silent, everyone pasting on professional smiles.
Melissa emerged from her office, scanning the room.
"Welcome, Evelyn," she said with a polished smile. "Penelope, you'll mentor our new colleague."
Penelope Pope glanced around helplessly. "Melissa, we don't have any free desks."
"What about that one over there?" Melissa pointed casually.
In the corner sat a small, dust-covered table, glaringly out of place amidst the modern office setup.
Evelyn walked over without batting an eye.
Last night at dinner, Julian had asked worriedly, "What if they give you a hard time?"
"Could it be worse than now?" She'd chuckled around a bite of rib.
Those who've already hit rock bottom can't be broken by petty workplace games.
......
Julian remembered that rainy day.
He'd waited at the school gates for Evelyn, only to see Alexander's car parked nearby.
"Evelyn, come here," the young man had called coldly.
Without a backward glance, Evelyn had run to Alexander like a kite with its string cut.
As the car window passed, Julian heard her soft voice: "Alex, don't be mad. I'll never talk to him again..."
Standing in the rain, Julian had felt his heart shatter.
He'd once promised to return the financial empire to her.
But now, he couldn't even protect her.