The Queen Returns—And She's Unforgiving

Though Tiffany didn't like the way Lucas had addressed Evelyn as "Evie", she

reassured herself that his tone had been devoid of warmth. It was cold, detached, and strictly professional.

It was probably just a slip of the tongue or old habits.

Things had changed. She only hoped Evelyn wouldn't misinterpret it or get any foolish ideas.

As for the contract terms, she had strong suspicions that it was Evelyn who had influenced Sebastian to draft it this way as payback. Mixing personal grudges into a high-level military project? How petty. No wonder she couldn't go far.

But with Lucas showing no objection, she knew one thing clearly. If she pulled out now, it would all be for nothing.

Not only would they have been used by Flying Seal Group, but Arrowpoint Solutions wouldn't even have the consolation of being listed as a partner.

After weighing the options, Tiffany finally swallowed her anger and signed the contract, barely containing her frustration.

From that moment on, Flying Seal Group and Arrowpoint Solutions wouldn't be on friendly terms.

With an icy expression, Tiffany stood up and walked out first.

Lucas followed leisurely. As he got up, he said without emotion, "See you around."

Evelyn didn't look up or answer him.

Sebastian, still in good spirits, chimed in cheerfully, "Sure thing, Mr. Grant. Take care."

Lucas gave Evelyn one last glance before turning and leaving with Tiffany.

Once they were gone, Sebastian finally chuckled aloud. "Still dreaming about equal tech rights? That's rich. They're a brand-new company, and their team hasn't even stabilized. So what if they've got Lucas and the best hardware? We're already being generous by letting them get a taste of things."

He shook his head.

Truthfully, it had been Evelyn's foresight that made the difference. She had never intended to let Arrowpoint Solutions gain any real leverage.

Arrowpoint Solutions had desperately needed this breakthrough, which meant they would inevitably accept Flying Seal Group's terms. Tiffany just hadn't realized that "terms" really meant "table scraps".

Evelyn, though, remained thoughtful.

"The detailed draft we sent Arrowpoint Solutions... I'm sure Lucas personally reviewed it. Based on what I know of him, he probably figured out what we were doing from the start. But he never came back to renegotiate."

Seeing how calm and unsurprised he had been earlier only confirmed her suspicion.

"You think he knew all along?" Sebastian raised a brow. "And he still signed off on it? What's his angle?"

It made no sense. Lucas had knowingly walked into a trap. Why?

Evelyn frowned slightly.

But since Flying Seal Group had full control now and the project had been secured, she didn't care to overanalyze Lucas' motives.noveldrama

Flying Seal Group had taken the lead and landed the military contract, and it stirred quite a buzz throughout the industry.

In just two days, they had already received numerous calls from companies offering collaboration opportunities for future phases of the project.

Sebastian had been working non-stop.

Evelyn, however, wasn't affected. While drawing up the project implementation roadmap, she was also diving into research on her new energy initiative.

Meanwhile, the joint project with TechNova Group had officially launched its product. With that, another major phase had been completed, and both companies were set to host a formal celebration.

The location of the celebration was held at a high-end resort estate with full entertainment amenities.

...

On Friday night, Evelyn quickly realized she had been to this resort before after arriving. It belonged to Holt Corporation.

After picking up her room key, she returned to the suite to put her things.

Not long after, there was a knock on the door.

Evelyn paused, a little puzzled. She set down the clothes in her hands and walked over to open the door.