Chapter 40

No.1

"Evelyn, do you actually have dirt on Ryan?" she asked.

The entire office strained to listen.

"Of course." Evelyn's tone was breezy.

"Then produce it!" Martha was sweating. Victoria had slashed her resources again, hinting everything would improve if she ditched Evelyn.

Martha wasn't fooled.

Victoria kept pushing her to play the villain.

"This Ryan situation is catastrophic," Martha whispered. "I might not be able to protect you. Maybe... a transfer?"

"No." Evelyn's voice was calm. "I said three days. There's still half a day left."

"What are you waiting for?"

Evelyn lifted her gaze. "I hear I'm Horizon's disgrace because Ryan chose Orange?"

The office fell silent.

Everyone pretended to work.

Then she smiled—a rare, fleeting bloom.

No.2

"Martha, what if I could turn this around? Make Orange lose their prize and their leverage?"

"Holy shit! Is this woman insane?"

The private chat group exploded with messages.

"If she can turn this around, I'll livestream drinking bubble tea upside down!"

"Bubble tea? I'll swallow a keyboard!"

"Keyboard's child's play. I'll eat a monitor!"

The group fell silent for a second.

"Anyone dare to eat shit?"

"I will!"

The journalism circle never lacked daredevils.

Entertainment reporters were the most ruthless of them all.

Victoria Henn's roar cut through the office noise: "Are you all deaf? Check the work group chat!"

Instant silence fell.

No.3

Her next words froze the air:

"Ryan Holt just got exposed by his ex! Cheating, sleeping with fans, forcing abortions! Are you all dead—"

The sharp crack of a keyboard slamming on a desk made everyone jump.

Evelyn Sinclair stood up with a dark expression and left.

Stunned silence filled the room.

"She dug this up?"

"Why wait until now to drop such explosive news?"

"How did she even get this?"

"She looks... upset?"

Ten minutes later, Evelyn returned to her desk.

Her expression had softened slightly, but her brow remained furrowed.

Martha Nash's laughter broke the tension: "Evelyn! Orange Media just recalled their freshly printed magazine! All pre-orders canceled. Bet they're fuming!"

Evelyn pressed her lips together.

No.4

Orange Media had specially added a Ryan Holt feature.

Fans had pushed pre-orders past 100,000 copies.

Their editor-in-chief had bragged about "Orange Media speed" on social media.

Now reality had slapped them hard.

Horizon Media staff worked overtime tracking developments.

Strangely, previously unverifiable rumors now flooded out like a broken dam.

Even his kindergarten teacher claimed he'd kissed girls at age three.

At 4 AM, as they wrapped up, someone muttered:

"Who promised to livestream eating shit earlier?"

"Ugh—" Someone actually gagged.

Martha walked Evelyn downstairs:

"Brilliant work, but warn me next time."

Evelyn looked down: "No one believed me..."

No.5

Martha looked guilty: "It's not that. Orange Media... they tried to acquire Horizon during our crisis years."

Evelyn's lashes fluttered.

Was that the rainy night?

When she'd knelt outside Royal Gardens begging Alexander Kingsley to believe her...

Julian Ashford's car waited below.

"It's late. Your parents asked me to look after you."

Evelyn seemed lost: "Before age ten... I don't remember."

The night her mother jumped, trauma stole her voice.

After recovery, all memories before ten had vanished.

The Kingsleys said her parents died saving their family.

Each mention felt like a boulder on her heart.

Tears welled but never fell.

She'd scoured every Autumn Detail report:

No.6

[Annual Corporate Rankings]

[Industry Trends]

[Short-Selling Legends]

[Fraud Scandals]...

Alexander would never understand.

"Mommy, the brooch is gone..."

This lone memory haunted her childhood.

The night deepened, streetlights casting dappled shadows across Evelyn Sinclair's face.

She stood beside Julian Ashford's car, fingers absently tracing the strap of her purse.

"Senior, you really don't need to drive me," she murmured.

Julian rested one hand on the steering wheel. "I'm going that way anyway."

As they spoke, a slender figure emerged from the shadows.

"Always so considerate, Julian." Melissa Lee approached in clicking heels, her gaze sweeping over Evelyn. "Long time no see, junior."

No.7

Evelyn gave a slight nod. "Senior Lee."

This childhood friend of Julian's had regarded her with hostility since freshman orientation.

Evelyn remembered sophomore year when Melissa cornered her outside the library.

"Orphaned, I hear?" Melissa had smiled sweetly, her words razor-sharp. "No wonder you're so good at clinging to powerful people."

Those venomous words had coiled around her heart, making her avoid Julian for a month.

"Lucky junior." Melissa's voice snapped her back to the present. "Julian helped with your thesis, and now he digs up dirt for your work—"

"Melissa!" Julian's expression darkened. "Evelyn completed her thesis independently. The Ryan Holt situation has nothing to do with me."

Melissa's smile froze.