Chapter 194

The examination ended, and the colleague descended the stairs.

Evelyn unlocked the second-floor apartment with her key. The space measured roughly three hundred square feet.

Pale wooden tiles covered the floor. A single bed and a modest wardrobe stood as the only furnishings.

Before she could unpack, another department's colleague appeared at her doorway.

A young man in his twenties lingered outside without entering. "You're Evelyn Sinclair from design, right? Pleasure to meet you. I'm Julian Montgomery."

"Likewise. Evelyn Sinclair." She greeted him politely.

Julian gestured downstairs. "The team hasn't eaten yet. Town restaurants proved... unsatisfactory. Some city girls couldn't stomach the conditions. Since our department lead mentioned you grew up here, we hoped you'd show us around. Maybe we could buy ingredients and cook lunch together."

Understanding dawned. Evelyn closed her trunk and nodded. "Of course. I'll come down now."

"No hurry. Settle in first." Julian nodded and left.

Her watch showed nearly two o'clock.

'We'll be preparing dinner at this rate!'

She grabbed her power bank, plugged in her phone, and abandoned unpacking. Keys and purse in hand, she followed Julian downstairs.

Multiple notifications buzzed.

Missed calls from Dominic. Then a text: [Call me when you're back online.]

Surrounded by colleagues, she typed instead: [Talk later. Grocery shopping with coworkers.]

Another message arrived mid-conversation: [Don't let me catch you cooking for other men!]

Dominic's signature possessiveness.

A City.

After leaving the hospital, Beatrice Lockwood visited her brother's residence.

Frederick Lockwood startled at his sister's abrupt appearance. "What's wrong? You seem agitated."

Eleanor Lockwood descended the staircase as Beatrice glanced between them. "What else? Your daughter-in-law's entanglement with my son."

Frederick and Eleanor's expressions soured. No parents wanted to hear about their daughter-in-law's alleged infidelity, even if plausible.

Beatrice pressed on despite their discomfort. "Last year, the company acquired full development rights to a town near A City. Your daughter-in-law from the design department went there." Her lips curled. "Only my intervention stopped my son from following!"

Frederick's head snapped up. "What?"

Eleanor, never fond of Beatrice, countered: "She's our daughter-in-law. He should know better!" Anger colored her tone.

"Sister-in-law, my son isn't the instigator!" Beatrice interjected. "Your daughter-in-law lures him. Would any red-blooded man refuse such advances?"

The argument escalated until Maxwell Lockwood descended, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Who's seducing whom now?"

Beatrice smiled sweetly from the sofa. "Who else but your wife? No ordinary woman could bewitch so thoroughly."

A caretaker offered Maxwell water. He drank deeply before retorting: "You're a woman too, Aunt Beatrice. Must every charming woman be branded a seductress?"

Beatrice bristled. "She fits the description! Poor family, ailing father and grandfather - survives by ensnaring men. If that's not a seductress-"

"By that logic, you seduced my wealthy late uncle-in-law. Doesn't that make you the grand seductress?" Maxwell's first-ever rebuttal stunned Beatrice.

Her face darkened instantly.

Yet Maxwell's casual smile left her guessing - was he joking?

Frederick, uncomfortable with domestic disputes involving his son, glanced at his wife.

Eleanor understood. "Maxwell, monitor your wife. You're legally married, announcements made. We tolerated this union solely because of her pregnancy!"

"Pregnant?" Beatrice's shock was palpable. "Since when?"

Eleanor confirmed with a nod. "Precisely why we accepted her. The Lockwood heir matters."

Beatrice struggled to process this revelation.

Eleanor continued: "She's your wife. If you won't safeguard her, why should we? She avoids us, yet risks our grandchild in some backwater town! Does she plan to miscarry 'accidentally'?"

Frederick, aging and desperate for a grandson, erupted. "Retrieve her immediately! After delivery, she can go wherever - but not now!" He jabbed a finger at Maxwell. "Go!"