Had he just personally handed her over to another man?


    Soren let out a bitterugh.


    A few minutester, however, he calmed down, his gaze falling on the signed agreement in his hand, the one in which she relinquished her im to the inheritance. She had signed it. He had truly andpletely severed all ties with Evangeline.


    As the thought settled, aplex 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 particrly interested in her physically. During their five-year marriage, especially after their rtionship 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 minutester, a notification popped up on her phone: a deposit had been made to her bank ount for the exact amount stipted 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 ount and made several calls, setting the factory construction ns in motion. She had nned to tell Theo Shaw and Glenn the news tomorrow, but Theo, having somehow heard about therge deposit from the finance department, called her first.


    "Evangeline, where did you get that kind of money?" Theo''s voice wasced with shock.


    Evangeline gave him a simplified version of the inheritance story, omitting any mention of Soren and attributing it to a distant rtive.


    "You..." Theo''s feelings were a mix of awe and apprehension. "You just poured it all into thepany? Aren''t you afraid that if this fails, you''ll be left with nothing?"


    "I''m terrified," Evangeline admitted. "But it feels like this is all I can do."


    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 thepany 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 againter tonight."


    Theo sounded surprised. "Didn''t he tell you? His business trip was extended. He won''t be back until next month."


    "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.


    ***