Chapter 278

"Evelyn, are you sure you want to go through with this assessment?" Rachel whispered nervously, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt.

A confident smile played on Evelyn's lips as she gave Rachel's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Trust me, I've got this."

The heavy doors swung open, revealing the assessment hall. The Lawson siblings entered first, followed by the stern-faced instructor. But it was the woman walking beside them that made Evelyn's blood run cold.

Rosalind Summers.

Evelyn's grip tightened on her practice sword as she watched Rosalind take her seat at the deputy examiner's table. Their eyes met across the room, and Rosalind's lips curled into a knowing smirk that sent shivers down Evelyn's spine.

"That's Ms. Summers," someone murmured behind her. "She's the deputy examiner today."

"Isn't she stunning?" another trainee sighed.

The whispers of admiration filled the hall. Rosalind had joined the training camp years ago, part of the same elite batch as Harrison and Chloe Lawson. Her senior status was undisputed. But the real commotion began when the doors opened again.

Nathan Goldmann strode in like a storm.

"Oh my God! Is that Mr. Goldmann?"

"Mr. Goldmann is attending our assessment? This is unbelievable!"

Rachel gasped beside Evelyn. "I can't believe we're seeing the legendary Mr. Goldmann in person!"

Evelyn's breath caught in her throat. What was he doing here?

Winifred, standing nearby with her clique, scowled at the awestruck trainees. "Don't even bother dreaming, girls. Mr. Goldmann would never look at any of you. Only Rosalind is worthy of him."

Winifred truly believed Rosalind was perfection incarnate, the only woman who could match Nathan Goldmann. Rosalind herself stood abruptly when she spotted Nathan. "Nathan? What brings you here?"

His response was ice cold, meant for her ears alone. "I don't trust you."

Harrison Lawson, the original head examiner, immediately surrendered his seat to Nathan. The entire hall erupted in shocked whispers.

"Mr. Goldmann is the examiner now?"

Rosalind's smile faltered at Nathan's words. Had he figured something out? A flicker of panic crossed her features before she schooled them back into calm. She hadn't personally interfered with Evelyn's assessment - she wasn't that stupid. Now she could only hope Winifred's arrangements wouldn't fail her.

Evelyn refused to look at the stage. Nathan as examiner? Watching him and Rosalind sitting together, so perfectly matched, made her stomach churn. He'd clearly chosen to believe Rosalind about the ring incident.

The instructor cleared his throat. "Assessment participants, let me reiterate the rules. Each match has a strict time limit. If a participant is forced out of the arena or rendered immobile within that time, they will be eliminated."

He picked up the list, pausing when he saw the first names. The tension in the room thickened as he announced, "Lillian Heinrich and Evelyn Vanderbilt."

Even the instructor seemed surprised by this pairing. Sending a newcomer like Evelyn against Lillian, who'd been training for two years? Lillian had been the top performer in last season's assessment. This was either an insult to Lillian or an overestimation of Evelyn's abilities.

Nathan's brows furrowed as he scanned the assessment sheet. Whose idea was this arrangement?

A cold satisfaction gleamed in Rosalind's eyes. Winifred hadn't disappointed her after all.

Winifred turned to smirk at Evelyn, her expression dripping with smug superiority. "How unfortunate for you, facing Lillian right away. Don't expect any mercy from her."