Chapter 741

Evelyn Sinclair wasn't one to stir up trouble, but she wasn't naive enough to leave without evidence. Those greedy vultures would come circling again, and she needed to be prepared.

Nathan Blackwood watched her with quiet admiration, nodding in approval.

What should have been a messy, complicated situation had been handled with precision—part charm, part steel.

That was why she was CEO material.

She retreated to her office for a brief respite, exhaling slowly. Thirty minutes later, Jonathan Reeves burst in, slightly out of breath.

"Ms. Sinclair, the crowd's dispersed—"

Evelyn arched a brow. "And?"

Jonathan nearly applauded her brilliance. "Half took the money and left. Five or six wanted jobs, so I took their details. The rest scattered."

A faint smirk curved her lips as she traced the rim of her coffee cup.

The ones who refused the money? Probably afraid of repercussions. Smart. Family-oriented.

"That ringleader?"

Jonathan nodded. "Police took him. Turns out he's Lawrence Sinclair's brother-in-law. Safe to say Lawrence had a hand in this mess."

Evelyn's lips thinned.

"Stay sharp. Nothing can derail the project unveiling."

Jonathan knew the stakes. He straightened. "Understood."

Then, hesitating, he added, "Victor Langley confessed to falsifying records under Lawrence's orders. With the evidence, Lawrence had to admit fault, but..."

Evelyn waited.

"Lawrence set traps throughout this project. He won't take responsibility for the deaths. His father-in-law and brother-in-law handled construction. Even after accidents, they never changed contractors. When someone died, they just paid hush money and moved on. When we tried to hire a new contractor, they blocked every bid in Sandford."

Evelyn paused. "Then how did we get one?"

Jonathan stiffened. "Mr. Blackwood's referral."

Evelyn's gaze sharpened.

Jonathan rushed to clarify. "Leonard Whitmore passed along the contact, but he made it clear—Nathan Blackwood arranged it. He knew we'd struggle to find someone."

He added quickly, "I vetted them. Clean record. Solid reputation. No skeletons."

Meaning this contractor was practically heaven-sent.

Evelyn's mouth twitched. Since when does Nathan Blackwood care about my problems?

"If the contractor's clean, use them. Nathan might have lost the bid, but he's not petty enough to sabotage construction."

That would be beneath him.

Jonathan exhaled in relief, nodding eagerly. "I think he did it for you—didn’t want you stressed over minor details—"

Bennett, standing nearby, shot him a look. Wrong move.

Evelyn's expression remained cool. She stood, glancing at Bennett. "Let's head back to the hotel."

The Sterling Enterprises-owned hotel was still under renovation, so Bennett had booked a luxury service apartment instead.

Back in her suite, Evelyn powered through urgent emails before changing into something comfortable. A nap was overdue.

Bennett left to collect documents from Zenith Corp.

When Evelyn woke, dusk had settled over the city.