Chapter 102

Evangeline didn’t take his words to heart.

She kept her head down as she stamped the contract, made sure both copies were in order, and finally stood up to hand one across the desk to him. “Pleasure doing business with you p>

Finn reached out his hand.

Assuming he wanted the contract, Evangeline leaned in and offered the document more directly.

To her surprise, Finn took her hand instead.

His large palm closed gently around her fingers, the coolness of his touch tracing a shiver up her arm.

Evangeline froze for a moment, instinctively pulling her hand away.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Finn said, taking the contract from her grasp as he flashed a polite smile. “And about my earlier proposal, Miss Whitmore–I was serious. You might want to consider it p>

“Goodbye p>

With that, Finn offered a courteous farewell, turned on his heel, and strode out with

his usual elegance.

As he left, he paused to thank the receptionist, his tone as graceful and polite as

ever.

It left Evangeline momentarily stunned. If not for the lingering sensation at her fingertips, she might have thought she’d imagined the whole thing.

She’d considered whether Finn had some ulterior motive in seeking her out.

But no matter how she turned it over in her mind, she couldn’t fathom what on earth she could possibly have that was worth such a substantial investment from him.

Herself?

Evangeline let out a bitter laugh.

Someone like her, a laughingstock in her own industry, hardly seemed worth approaching–let alone investing in.

Unable to make sense of it and unwilling to dwell on the mystery, she steadied

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12.09

Chapter 102

herself after Finn’s departure and took the signed contract to find Glenn.

When Glenn saw the contract, his brow furrowed in confusion. “The Lockridge investment? How on earth did you get backing from the Lockridges? I mean-

He stopped himself mid–sentence.

It wasn’t that he doubted Evangeline’s abilities, or that the Lockridges would invest in the project.

He just couldn’t understand it.

After all, when Evangeline had helped his sister Theresa escape her arranged marriage, Victor Lockridge had been furious–he’d done everything he could to force Evangeline to reveal Theresa’s whereabouts.

Victor had enormous clout in the Lockridge family, and they’d groomed him as the next to take the reins.

With all his hatred for Evangeline, if he knew she was facing investment trouble at UME, he’d have sooner watched the company burn than lift a finger to help.

So why the sudden generosity?

Evangeline caught his confusion and explained, “The one who agreed to invest is another of the Lockridge sons–the favored younger one p>

“Finn,” Glenn echoed, glancing at the name on the document, trying to recall if he’d heard it before.

He wasn’t familiar with the name.

But the Lockridges had built their power in Serenity City by being ruthless. Their inner workings were a tangled mess of rival factions and bitter family feuds, with the main and branch families constantly at each other’s throats.

To outsiders, it was impossible to keep track of who was who.

Glenn didn’t dwell on it.

After all, UME had hit a wall with funding; ever since Serenity City’s investment network had collapsed, he’d tried reaching out to overseas investors. But with UME’s headquarters still in Serenity City, those backers remained wary, and the capital they’d managed to raise so far would only keep them afloat for a few more days.

Now, with the Lockridge family’s investment, it was a lifeline.

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Glenn was about to say something when he noticed Evangeline seemed distracted.

“Why’s your face so red?” Glenn asked, puzzled.

Evangeline blinked, then quickly composed herself. “It’s nothing p>

But Glenn had his suspicions. After she left, he headed downstairs to the Tech Division’s floor.

As soon as he walked in, he spotted the receptionist fussing over a lavish bouquet of roses, admiring them from every angle.

Glenn asked casually, “Boyfriend send those p>

The receptionist shook her head mysteriously, her tone teasing. “No, not for me. They’re from Director Whitmore’s boyfriend p>

She had no clue about Evangeline’s actual relationship status, but judging from the way Finn had looked at Evangeline–like he couldn’t stand to be apart from her–and the way they’d talked, she’d wasted no time slotting Finn into the “boyfriend” category.

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