Chapter 331
No.1
Sunlight filtered through the curtains as Evelyn Sinclair stared at her phone screen, fingers trembling slightly over the graduate school admission notification.
She immediately dialed the memorized number.
"Alex, I got the recommendation for grad school!" Her voice brimmed with excitement.
A cold laugh came through the phone. "Julian helped you again, didn't he?"
Evelyn's smile froze.
"Evelyn," Alexander Kingsley's voice turned icy. "Can't you achieve anything without relying on men?"
The phone slipped from her hand, landing on the carpet with a dull thud.
No.2
That day, she tore up the admission form—along with her dreams.
Looking back now, it all seemed absurd.
......
The glow of the computer screen reflected off Evelyn's pale face as she mechanically submitted resume after resume.
The Kingsley family's supplementary credit card sat on the desk corner like a burning brand.
From now on, she wouldn't touch a single cent from them.
Ding—
No.3
A new email notification popped up.
[Horizon Media Interview Invitation]
Evelyn's heart skipped a beat.
Three years ago, she'd rejected Horizon's offer. Now fate had circled back to give her another chance.
The sharp scent of hospital disinfectant hit her as she entered.
"Sis!" Sophie's delighted voice called from the hospital room.
The sharp-eyed girl immediately noticed Evelyn's stiff gait, her small face scrunching in concern. "You're hurt?"
No.4
Evelyn paused.
Last night, she'd fallen hard at the airport while chasing the surgeon. Yet Alexander had kept her up until dawn without noticing her bruises.
"Just a strained back," she forced a smile, ruffling Sophie's thinning hair.
Sophie suddenly grabbed her hand. "When I get better, I'll work so Alex can't yell at you anymore."
Evelyn's nose stung.
Even a ten-year-old could see what she'd refused to acknowledge for years.
......
No.5
Horizon Media's skyscraper towered before her.
The interviewer frowned at her resume. "Your qualifications are impressive, Ms. Sinclair, but there's a three-year gap..."
"I'll start at entry-level," Evelyn straightened her spine.
"The monthly salary would only be six thousand."
"That's fine."
The interviewer looked up in surprise. "Entertainment reporters work long hours, travel frequently, even—"
"I can handle it," Evelyn met his gaze steadily. "I can start immediately."
No.6
Leaving HR, she froze mid-step.
At the end of the hallway, Julian Ashford stood smiling at her. Sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows gilded his silhouette.
"Welcome back, Evelyn."
"Long time no see, junior." Julian Ashford stood in the light, his lips curved in that familiar smile.
Evelyn Sinclair's fingers trembled slightly. "Senior, it's been a while."
She thought he was still abroad.
After all, when he left, he'd said he wouldn't appear before her again—to avoid complications.
No.7
She never expected to meet him here.
"Did he agree to let you work?" Julian took her onboarding documents, his tone casual.
Evelyn's breath hitched before she forced a smile. "We broke up."
Julian froze mid-step. Surprise flickered behind his glasses. "Does the Kingsley family know?"
"No need for them to." Her voice remained steady. "He ended it."
The memory of Eleanor Kingsley threatening suicide to force their relationship still haunted her.
Love obtained through coercion was nothing but a farce.