Chapter 881

Evelyn fell silent, and Preston pressed his lips together.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm not trying to push you. But you did promise me a chance."

His voice softened. "You won't take that back, will you?"

Evelyn bit her lower lip, suddenly aware of the heat rising in her cheeks.

Maybe it was the lack of air circulation in the car.

She answered quickly, eager to shift the topic. "Mr. Sinclair, aren’t you curious how Julian and I met?"

Preston paused, then smiled. "How did you?"

Relieved to steer the conversation somewhere lighter, Evelyn recounted the past.

"Years ago, Julian was just a low-level manager at Pacific Crest International. I interned under him while studying abroad."

Preston’s brows lifted in surprise.

There was a lot to unpack in that statement.

With her background as a Sterling heiress, why would she even need an internship?

And how had Julian climbed to Vice President in just a few years?

Yet, he clearly didn’t know her true identity.

"But from how you two interacted tonight, you don’t seem like old friends."

Evelyn scoffed.

"He’s competent, sure. But the kind who claws his way up by any means necessary."

She crossed her arms. "Once, at a company event, his associate tried to pressure me into drinking. Julian encouraged it."

Her lip curled. "A man like that has no principles. Why would I befriend him?"

No wonder her demeanor toward him had been icy rather than warm.

Preston’s voice dropped, concern threading through. "What happened? You didn’t drink, did you?"

Evelyn smirked. "I suspected the wine was spiked. Not only did I refuse, but I threw the glass in his face, quit on the spot, and walked out."

Preston turned to look at her, admiration glinting in his eyes. "Classic Ms. Sterling. Never one to suffer fools."

The memory was satisfying.

She hadn’t been there to grovel—she’d gone to learn. If the lesson was corporate backstabbing, she had no patience for it.

A Sterling didn’t endure humiliation.

Evelyn tilted her head. "How did someone like him become Vice President?"

Pacific Crest International’s VP wasn’t just a regional title—it was second only to the CEO. Julian’s rise had been meteoric.

Preston shrugged. "If he delivers results, no one cares about his methods. And in the business world, Julian’s reputation is polished. Sharp, yes, but generous where it counts."

Seeing Evelyn’s frown, he quickly amended, "Or maybe everyone else only sees the facade. You saw the real him."

Evelyn’s expression cleared, pleased with the correction.

"Exactly," she agreed. That had to be it.

When they reached the theater, Preston offered her his coat.

Evelyn hesitated, then took it—better than freezing.

She tugged the collar up, hiding half her face. No one would recognize her now.

Preston watched her drown in his jacket, amused, before heading to buy tickets.

He returned in under a minute.

Evelyn had been eyeing the movie posters, all of which looked intriguing.

Preston tugged her sleeve. "Only one film’s still playing."

So much for choice.