Chapter 421

A shiver ran down Evelyn's spine at Dominic's furious tone.

Oh no. She'd been so absorbed in work that she completely disregarded his explicit orders about not overexerting herself. He'd strictly forbidden overtime at the company.

"I'll be finished soon..." Evelyn's voice came through clearly on the phone.

Dominic remained silent for a beat. Then his voice sharpened. "I specifically instructed Bernadette to assign you light tasks. Did she disobey me?"

"No..." Evelyn fumbled awkwardly. "Everyone else is swamped. It wouldn't look right if I'm the only one not contributing. Besides, this urban renewal project is crucial—"

Her left hand held the phone while her right continued moving the cursor across her design drafts. Stacks of documents surrounded her.

"If I hadn't called, how late were you planning to stay?" Dominic's tone turned icy.

"Um... maybe another thirty minutes?" She glanced at the clock in the corner of her screen. "Time flies when I'm focused."

Normally, Lawrence drove Evelyn home. Dominic, being a workaholic, often stayed late himself. On rare evenings when he left early, they'd go home together.

Dominic sighed deeply. "What am I going to do with you?"

The line went dead without warning.

Evelyn blinked at the abrupt disconnection, then shook her head. No point overanalyzing.

Facing the mountain of paperwork and unfinished designs on her computer made her head spin.

She grabbed her facial mist, spritzed herself awake, and dove back into work.

In the vast empty office, only the clicking of her mouse broke the silence.

When uninterrupted, Evelyn worked with remarkable efficiency. Before she knew it, thirty minutes had passed, and she neared completion.

She considered finishing before heading to the CEO's office, but knowing Dominic's temper, he'd be furious if she stayed past nine.

Evelyn saved her progress, copied files to her flash drive, and began packing up to complete the work at home.

As she organized her materials, footsteps sounded behind her.

Evelyn froze.

The office should have been deserted at this hour.

Yesterday's accidental click on a "Haunted Office Buildings" video flashed through her mind.

Panicked, she grabbed the nearest object—a heavy pen holder—and hurled it toward the sound.

"Attempting spousal homicide?" A deep male voice chuckled before strong arms enveloped her.

Evelyn looked up in shock to find Dominic. He held her with one arm while the other hand clutched the projectile she'd launched. Heat flooded her cheeks.

"Sorry! I thought—I didn't realize—" She hastily retrieved the pen holder, mortification burning her face.

"Let's go. It's the Light Festival tonight. I'm taking you somewhere." Dominic's eyes held nothing but tenderness.

Under the office lights, his chiseled profile appeared even more striking, his jawline impossibly perfect.

Evelyn nodded obediently. She quickly organized her documents into her bag before beaming up at him. "Ready!"

Dominic ruffled her hair as they left.

Their BMW glided toward a historic town outside the city. Dominic played Evelyn's favorite violin concertos—light, uplifting melodies that made the hour-long drive feel like minutes.

The festival had drawn massive crowds. Parking should have been impossible, but Dominic had arranged for space at a luxury hotel owned by an acquaintance.

After parking, he took Evelyn's hand as they wandered the cobblestone streets.

Phoenix Town, a thousand-year-old northern treasure, ranked among the nation's most enchanting destinations, famous for its nighttime beauty.

Lanterns glowed above every doorway, casting warm light on smiling faces below, transporting visitors to another era.

Clutching Dominic's arm, Evelyn marveled, "This is so different from my hometown. Ours resembles Peaceful Town—ebony window frames, tiled roofs, that merchant compound grandeur. But here... it's like walking through a painting. So tranquil..."

Dominic adjusted her coat belt tenderly. "As long as you're happy."

Though born in the north, Evelyn lacked the region's typical boldness, instead embodying southern grace. He'd known she'd adore this town's dreamy ambiance and made time to bring her here despite his packed schedule.

For the first time ever, he'd skipped the traditional family Light Festival dinner at Blackwood Manor for this.

The striking couple drew admiring glances from passersby even as they admired the lanterns.

Countless red lanterns stretched endlessly, their glow softening Evelyn's features until Dominic's chest ached.

He'd never cared for holidays before. Meeting Evelyn had changed everything.