Vivian’s face paled. For a moment, she couldn’t find a response. Then she forced a smile.
"I-I wasn’t feeling well. So I left."
"What?" Evelyn widened her eyes in feigned surprise. "You were uncomfortable last night too?"
She leaned slightly closer. "Tell me what happened."
Vivian swallowed. This was exactly what she wanted to know.
What had happened to Evelyn last night? Had she gone to the family doctor and gotten an antidote? Or had she lost control after drinking the drugged wine and ended up sleeping with someone?
But instead of answering, Evelyn was asking her questions.
Vivian quickly looked away. "It’s nothing. I was tired and wanted to rest, so I left."
"Oh." Evelyn nodded slowly.
"I thought something had happened to you as well."
Vivian’s eyes immediately returned to her. "What do you mean?"
Evelyn hesitated deliberately. "I felt strange after drinking the wine you gave me."
"I didn’t give you the wine." The words burst out of Vivian’s mouth.
She immediately realized her mistake. "You snatched it from me," she added hurriedly, trying to cover herself.
Evelyn nodded. "Yes. Yes, I remember. I was the one who snatched the glass from you."
Then she moved closer and lowered her voice. "But there was something wrong with that wine."
Vivian’s body stiffened.
"That’s why I asked if something happened to you that night." Evelyn’s gaze remained fixed on her. "After all, it was your drink."
Vivian opened her mouth. No words came out. For several seconds, she could only stare at Evelyn. Finally, she forced herself to speak.
"I don’t know what you are talking about. I didn’t drink it. You took it before I could."
Her expression suddenly became serious. "What is it, Eve? You are acting strange. What was wrong with the wine?"
Evelyn studied her face carefully.
Anyone else might have believed Vivian was worried. But Evelyn knew her too well.
The restless movement of her eyes, the constant fluttering of her eyelashes, and the way her fingers tightened against the fabric of her dress—they were all signs of nervousness.
’She won’t confess.’
Evelyn sneered inwardly. The last trace of doubt disappeared.
She now knew for certain that Vivian had been involved in the drugging. And judging from Vivian’s reaction, whatever she had put into that drink had been intended to destroy Elena’s reputation.
’Since you won’t tell me the truth, I’ll play along.’
Evelyn shrugged. "I don’t know either. I just felt terrible after drinking it."
Vivian’s eyes widened. "Then what happened?" Her curiosity suddenly overcame her fear. "What happened after that?"
The anxiety that had gripped her moments earlier began to disappear. Now she genuinely wanted to know what happened to Evelyn after that.
Who had been with her? How had she survived?
Evelyn noticed every flicker of curiosity in her eyes. But she had no intention of satisfying it.
"What would happen to me?" she asked casually. "I went to the hospital."
"Oh..." Vivian’s excitement visibly faded.
The scandalous answer she had been hoping for had disappeared.
"You went to the hospital?"
"Yes." Evelyn nodded. "Do you know what the doctor said?" Her voice dropped into a murmur. "There was an aphrodisiac in my system."
Vivian’s expression changed.
Evelyn continued, "And the test results showed traces of the same drug in the glass I took from you."
She deliberately added the last sentence. She wanted to see Vivian’s reaction. And she got exactly what she expected.
Vivian’s face turned ashen. The curiosity vanished from her eyes, replaced by fear.
"What are you talking about?" Her voice trembled. "Traces of a drug... in my glass?"
"Yes." Evelyn nodded calmly. "Someone tried to drug you."
Vivian blinked. For a moment, she looked genuinely puzzled. Then relief slowly washed over her.
’She doesn’t suspect me.’ A faint sense of triumph rose inside her. ’Evelyn is so foolish. She thinks someone tried to drug me.’
She almost laughed, but she continued pretending to be shocked.
"Who could have done that? We were all friends. At least, that’s what I thought. Who could go to such lengths to harm me?"
Then, after a deliberate pause, she whispered, "Could it have been Elena?"
Evelyn’s brows drew together.
Vivian continued quickly, "She seemed upset when she saw me. She hates me."
Evelyn’s disgust deepened. ’She doesn’t waste a single opportunity to throw dirt on Elena.’
Even now, she was lying without hesitation.
Vivian let out a dramatic sigh. "I tried to talk to her. I even apologized to her because I wanted to make peace. But she was so cold toward me."
’It was you who wanted to harm her. You wanted to ruin her reputation, and now you’re twisting everything to make yourself the victim.’
Evelyn’s fingers tightened. But she remained silent.
Vivian continued, growing bolder. "Since we are going to work on the same project, I thought I could get along with her. But I never imagined she would do something like spike my drink. This is outrageous."
Evelyn almost exposed her right then. But she stopped herself. One detail had caught her attention.
’The same project? When did Vivian suddenly become interested in business?’
She frowned inwardly.
Vivian had never shown much interest in the company’s affairs before. And now she was going to work with Elena?
Something didn’t feel right.
’She is planning something.’
If Evelyn exposed Vivian now, she would lose the chance to discover what she was really plotting. She also wanted to see whether Vivian was actually capable of handling serious business.
’I won’t expose her yet. But I’ll keep a close eye on her.’
Vivian suddenly reached across the table and grabbed Evelyn’s hand.
"You should stand up for me, Eve. You are my best friend."
Evelyn stared at her hand for a moment.
Vivian tightened her grip. "I know Elena is your sister-in-law, but she shouldn’t bully me like this." Her eyes filled with feigned hurt. "You have to take my side."
Evelyn slowly withdrew her hand. "How are you so sure it was Elena?"
Vivian froze.
"You can’t simply accuse someone because you suspect them." Evelyn’s voice remained calm, but there was an unmistakable firmness in it. "Where is your evidence?"
Vivian’s lips parted.
"Don’t start accusing Elena without knowing the truth."
With that, Evelyn stood. She picked up her handbag and walked toward the door without wasting another moment.
Vivian remained standing in the living room, watching her leave. The moment the door closed behind Evelyn, her expression twisted. Her hands curled into tight fists.
"You are my friend, but you won’t even take my side." Her voice was filled with resentment. "You’d rather support that bitch."
She glared toward the door through which Evelyn had disappeared. A cold smile slowly returned to her face.
"Fine." Her eyes darkened. "Keep protecting her. I’ll make sure you regret it. I’ll make sure I throw her out of Elias’s life."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The afternoon sun was beginning to dip behind the glass towers of the city when Elena stepped out of Novacrest Global’s headquarters.
She had spent nearly four hours inside the building reviewing the preliminary framework for the new project. The meeting had gone well, but the sheer scale of the project had left her mentally exhausted.
She adjusted the strap of her handbag and headed toward the waiting car. Her shoulders were tense, and all she wanted was to return to the office and put the day’s work behind her.
"Elena."
Her footsteps stopped. The moment she recognized the voice, her expression cooled.
Noah stood a few feet away.
Dressed in a dark suit, he looked as polished as ever. But something about him was different today. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his eyes carried a seriousness that reminded her of the times when he had been genuinely anxious.
"What are you doing here?"
Noah walked toward her, his expression unusually grave. "I need to talk to you."
Elena immediately turned away. "I don’t have time."
She continued toward her car.
Noah quickly followed. "It’s important, Elena. I won’t take much of your time."
"No."
"Please."
The urgency in his voice made her pause.
Elena frowned and looked back at him. "We’ve already discussed this, Noah. There is nothing left between us to talk about."
"I know." His answer came without hesitation. "This isn’t about us."
She stared at him.
Noah glanced around cautiously before lowering his voice. "It’s about your safety. I’m worried about you."
Elena rolled her eyes, exasperated.
"Is this your new excuse to meet me? Noah, we’ve already been through this. No matter what tricks you pull, I’ll never go back to you."
Noah’s jaw tightened. He closed his eyes for a moment.
He knew Elena hated him, that she no longer trusted a word he said. But none of that mattered if she was in danger.
"Listen to me, Elena. I wouldn’t have come if this weren’t important. I’ve tried calling you several times, but you didn’t answer. It’s urgent."
Elena studied him carefully.
The arrogance she had once known was nowhere to be seen. He looked tense. Almost worried.
"What is it?"
Noah let out a quiet breath. "Let’s sit somewhere and talk."
Elena hesitated. But when she saw the seriousness in his eyes, she reluctantly agreed.
"Fine."