Chapter 304
Had he just personally handed her over to another man?
Soren let out a bitter laugh.
A few minutes later, however, he calmed down, his gaze falling on the signed agreement in his hand, the one in which she relinquished her claim to the inheritance. She had signed it. He had truly and completely severed all ties with Evangeline.
As the thought settled, a complex emotion flickered in his dark eyes.
After leaving the hospital, Evangeline got back in her car and let out a long, deep breath.
She’d suspected Soren’s demand was just a tactic to humiliate her. He had never been particularly interested in her physically. During their five-year marriage, especially after their relationship soured, their intimacy had been infrequent and almost always initiated by her. He’d never seemed to enjoy it.
Still, his recent uncharacteristic behavior had made her genuinely afraid he might actually go through with it. Though they’d been together countless times, the thought of being with him after he’d been with Poppy made her feel repulsed.
Thankfully, the old Soren was still in there somewhere.
Less than ten minutes later, a notification popped up on her phone: a deposit had been made to her bank account for the exact amount stipulated in the agreement.
Evangeline breathed another sigh of relief. When it came to his word, Soren was reliable.
She immediately transferred the funds to UME’s corporate account and made several calls, setting the factory construction plans in motion. She had planned to tell Theo Shaw and Glenn the news tomorrow, but Theo, having somehow heard about the large deposit from the finance department, called her first.
“Evangeline, where did you get that kind of money?” Theo’s voice was laced with shock.
Evangeline gave him a simplified version of the inheritance story, omitting any mention of Soren and attributing it to a distant relative.
“You Theo’s feelings were a mix of awe and apprehension. “You just poured it all into the company? Aren’t you afraid that if this fails, you’ll be left with nothing p>
“I’m terrified,” Evangeline admitted. “But it feels like this is all I can do p>
She had wasted five years and had few resources to her name. There was very little she could contribute to Glenn and UME. To make the company grow, taking risks was necessary, and someone had to foot the bill Glen had trusted her without question, willing to risk so much to back her. She couldn’t be a coward.
Her words left Theo feeling even more conflicted. He had always thought of her as someone who acted recklessly, protected by Glenn’s influence. He’d even wondered if she would abandon
vel
UME at the first sign of real trouble.
Now, he realized how unfairly he had judged her.
“Have you told Glenn?” Theo asked, his emotions settling. He figured Glenn would
be thrilled to hear it; at the very least, it proved how much Evangeline cared about
him.
“Not yet,” Evangeline said.
Oddly enough, when she’d called Glenn earlier, the call hadn’t gone through. She’d even tried contacting the bodyguard Glenn had assigned to her but he couldn’t reach him. either.
Remembering Glenn was due back tomorrow, she added casually, “He’s probably on the flight back. I’ll try him again later tonight p>
Theo sounded surprised. “Didn’t he tell you? His business trip was extended. He won’t be back until next month p>
“That long?” Evangeline was taken aback, though she didn’t think much of it at first.
But after hanging up, just as she was about to start the car, she recalled the strange tone in Glenn’s voice a few days ago. A sense of unease finally washed over her.