Evelyn barely slept that night. The memory of confronting Damien Blackwood outside his tower replayed endlessly in her mind. By morning, anxiety had twisted into a tight knot in her stomach. She dressed carefully in her white blouse and black pencil skirt, added light makeup to hide her exhaustion, and left the house before her parents could ask too many questions. She told them she had an early errand.
The ride to Blackwood Tower felt longer than ever. When she reached the security desk and gave her name, the guard checked his screen and nodded. “Mr. Kane is waiting for you on the executive floor.”
The private elevator carried her upward in silence. Martin Kane met her when the doors opened, his face professionally blank.
“Miss Hayes. This way. You have fifteen minutes.”
He led her do
