Marcus arrived at the Meridian Plaza and went straight to the top floor, where the presidential suites were located. He found Room B-11 and rang the doorbell.
After a few moments, the door opened.
Marcus froze. His mouth fell slightly open as he stared at the woman standing before him.
"You?"
Of all people, he had never expected to see Evelyn.
He blinked several times, wondering if he had somehow come to the wrong room. He glanced at the room number again.
B-11.
It was the right room.
"I mean... Miss Evelyn?" he asked, still struggling to process what he was seeing.
Evelyn smiled calmly, swirling the wine in her glass.
"Why are you so surprised, Marcus? Come in."
She turned and walked farther into the room, limping slightly. She settled into the recliner beside the floor-to-ceiling window, the city lights shimmering behind her.
Marcus stepped inside, his heart pounding. Despite the cool air-conditioning, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
"Sit." Evelyn gestured toward the sofa opposite her.
Marcus sat down, keeping his eyes fixed on her.
"Want some wine?" Evelyn nodded toward the bottle and glass resting on the coffee table. "Serve yourself."
Marcus shook his head awkwardly. "I’m good."
"Alright." Evelyn shrugged and took another slow sip.
Marcus’s gaze dropped to her ankle. A thick bandage was wrapped around it.
"You are injured. What happened?"
Evelyn glanced down at her ankle and smirked. "It’s because of my little adventure."
Her thoughts immediately returned to what had happened a few nights earlier.
She had been following Vivian.
She had already suspected that Vivian was planning something against Elena. So when she learned that Vivian had returned to the office late that night, Evelyn had followed her, determined to catch her in the act.
Flashback...
By the time Evelyn reached the company, the building was almost completely deserted. Only the security guard remained at the entrance.
"Shit," she muttered under her breath. "With that guard there, I can’t get inside. But how did Vivian manage to enter?"
She glanced at the man sitting beside her.
"She entered when the guard went out for dinner," he explained. "But he has already returned."
"We need to get inside," Evelyn said impatiently. "That woman is definitely up to something."
The man thought for a moment. "I have an idea. I’ll distract him. You go inside."
Evelyn nodded.
The man slipped out of the car and pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head before approaching the guard.
"Sir, do you have a match?" he asked, taking out a cigarette.
The guard looked at him but didn’t seem suspicious. He pulled a lighter from his pocket and handed it over.
"Thanks, man." He lit his cigarette and took a long drag. Then he held out another cigarette toward the guard.
The guard shook his head. "No. I’m fine."
"Come on. Take one." The man grinned. "One cigarette won’t stop you from doing your job. I know how difficult it is to stay awake all night standing outside in this cold."
The guard hesitated before finally accepting the cigarette.
From inside the car, Evelyn watched as the man continued talking to the guard. A moment later, he produced a can of beer and offered it to him.
The guard’s face immediately brightened.
"This guy..." Evelyn murmured with an amused smile. "He really knows how to do his job."
Within minutes, the man had completely distracted the guard, chatting casually with him while encouraging him to drink.
Evelyn saw her opportunity. She quietly stepped out of the car and slipped into the building while the guard was distracted.
Once inside, she immediately headed toward the top floor. She was certain Vivian had gone there.
Her first thought was that Vivian might have entered Elias’s office. But when Evelyn reached the office, she found it dark.
There was no sign of Vivian.
"Where is she?"
She looked around. Then she noticed light spilling from the office across the corridor. Her expression changed.
"She is in Elena’s office." Her suspicion deepened. "What is she doing there?"
She hurried toward the room and noticed that the door was slightly ajar.
Evelyn stopped and glanced down the corridor.
Empty.
The building was eerily silent.
She slowly approached the door and peered inside. Her eyes widened.
Vivian was sitting behind Elena’s desk, working on the computer.
"That bitch... She is stealing something." Evelyn immediately pulled out her phone and started recording.
Through the gap in the door, she watched Vivian print several documents.
Evelyn kept recording every movement. She finally had proof.
Footsteps echoed from the corridor.
Evelyn’s heart jumped.
’Shit. Someone is coming.’
She quickly turned to leave. But the moment she moved, her ankle twisted beneath her. She staggered. Her phone slipped from her hand and crashed onto the floor.
Crack
The screen shattered.
Inside the office, the lights suddenly went out. A chair scraped loudly against the floor.
Evelyn froze.
Vivian was coming out. And the approaching footsteps were getting closer.
Her ankle throbbed violently, making it difficult to stand.
’I need to get out of here.’
She quickly picked up her phone and forced herself to move.
Ignoring the searing pain in her ankle, she limped toward the large potted fiddle-leaf fig beside Elias’s office. She slipped behind it and crouched down.
Holding her breath, she raised her cracked phone and resumed recording.
A few seconds later, Vivian stepped out of Elena’s office.
Evelyn’s heart pounded as Vivian walked directly past her hiding place. Fortunately, she didn’t notice her.
At that moment, the security guard appeared at the other end of the corridor, humming drunkenly. He was holding a beer can in his hand, his steps slightly unsteady.
He looked around lazily, checking the empty corridor. He didn’t notice Evelyn either.
Once he disappeared around the corner, Evelyn slipped out from behind the plant and hurried toward the exit.
She had captured everything.
’I have enough evidence against Vivian. But I need to get out before anyone catches me.’
She limped through the building and finally made it outside. But the moment she reached the gate, the pain became unbearable. Her injured ankle gave way.
"Ah..." She collapsed onto the ground.
"Miss!" The man rushed toward her. "Are you hurt?"
"My ankle..." Evelyn winced, gripping it. "I can’t walk."
She looked toward him urgently. "Help me. We need to leave. Now."
The man immediately helped her to her feet. He supported her as they hurried toward the car.
Once Evelyn was safely inside the back seat, he climbed behind the wheel. He glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
Her face was pale, and she was still wincing from the pain.
"I think the injury is serious," he said. "I’ll take you to the hospital first."
Evelyn nodded. "Fine. Just drive."