Chapter 1000

Evelyn Sinclair glanced at William Sterling.

William's brow furrowed momentarily before relaxing with a resigned sigh.

"Oliver's right. I'm furious with him, but he didn't raise that woman. It must have taken tremendous humility for him to come here today." His jaw tightened. "But that doesn't change anything. That scheming woman dared to cross us. This isn't over!"

William fixed his daughter with a pointed look.

His friendship with Charles Dudley went way back, but no such bond existed with that manipulative woman.

Evelyn nodded sharply. She had no intention of letting Cassandra Blake off the hook either.

If Cassandra wanted a war, she'd get one. Moments later, the butler returned.

"The guest has departed. He seemed somewhat improved from when he arrived, though still rather shaken. He inquired about Ms. Sterling's preferences."

Evelyn arched an eyebrow. Charles Dudley's instincts were surprisingly sharp.

If Evelyn remained firm, the Sterling family would undoubtedly follow her lead.

William snorted derisively as he stood. "What's an old man like him doing worrying about such things now?" It had been a last-minute decision for Evelyn not to meet him face-to-face.

With William present, seeing his old friend in distress would have been uncomfortable.

But clearing the air now prevented future awkwardness. Evelyn headed upstairs to switch phones, transferring all data from her damaged device to the spare.

She spent the entire day at Sterling Manor. Leo, bored out of its mechanical mind, attempted a system upgrade that resulted in catastrophic failure. When Evelyn discovered the AI tiger, it hung lifeless from the indoor swing like a stuffed toy, still wearing Claire Laurent's custom-knit sweater.

A remote consultation with Emily Whitaker revived Leo. "How did it crash?" Evelyn asked.

Emily chuckled. "It overestimated its processing power and tried to rewrite its own code."

Leo rebooted with an indignant flick of its tail, nuzzling Evelyn's hand dramatically. "My beautiful creator!"

Evelyn couldn't help but laugh. "Silly cat."

"I'm highly intelligent!" Leo wailed before scampering off to join William for some fishing. After dinner, Evelyn grabbed her keys. Preston Sinclair had been messaging nonstop.

His texts danced around the real question: "Have you eaten? I prepared a healthy meal if you'd like to join me." "Storm's coming tomorrow - will commuting from the manor be difficult?" "Saw your social media post - I've got some professional feedback if you're interested."

Another message arrived as she reached the door:

[Fever's gone. Promise I'll behave this time.]

Preston assumed Evelyn's absence stemmed from their morning kiss.

He was overcomplicating things.

Evelyn exhaled sharply, momentarily tempted to turn back. The man knew exactly which buttons to press.

Preston Sinclair remained utterly inexplicable.

En route, she spotted her favorite patisserie still open and impulsively stopped for a slice of passionfruit cake.

Her disciplined lifestyle rarely allowed such indulgences.

The guilt was delicious.

'Just this once won't hurt,' she rationalized.

Back at the penthouse, the smart home system adjusted the climate instantly.

"Shall I prepare your bath, madam?"

Perfect timing for a long soak.

Evelyn hesitated. "Not yet. Start it in thirty minutes."

Clutching the dessert box, she headed upstairs—