Night fell like a weight on Evelyn’s chest.

The rain hadn’t stopped since afternoon. The sound of water tapping against the apartment window only deepened her thoughts. In her hand, she still held her phone—with a photo of William and a woman, the foundation’s lawyer, now circulating on gossip media.

She didn’t want to believe any of it.

But William’s silence… hurt far more than any slander.

Evelyn exhaled deeply, then wiped her face. Finally, she grabbed her jacket, took her car keys, and stepped outside.

She had waited too long to have the conversation that should’ve happened from the beginning.

---

At Wilhart Group Headquarters

William sat alone in...