Heh. 

No signature. No letter of authorization. 

For all anyone knows, a stray dog could claim they developed this technology. 

There’s simply no proof. 

That’s what Theo was thinking, though he kept it to himself. 

Just as he’d realized earlier: Glenn couldn’t prove that Evangeline was the one who developed the technology, but Theo equally had no evidence to prove she hadn’t. 

Glenn was determined to defend Evangeline, but arguing the point any further was 

useless. 

“Fine,” Theo said, “let’s say she did develop it. But she’s been out of the industry for five years. Technology never stops moving forward, and in that time, it’s gone through several upgrades. Now she’s back–how can she possibly keep up?” 

He didn’t wait for Glenn to answer before continuing, “But whatever, that’s a problem for later. For now, UME has already lost its investment stream. Because of her, you turned down funding from Fawkes Enterprises.” 

“Mr. Carlisle, how am I supposed to believe you won’t let your feelings cloud your judgment and make even more reckless decisions?” 

Theo went on, relentless. 

There was one thing he didn’t say aloud. 

He suspected Glenn’s sudden decision to return home had everything to do with Evangeline. 

But again, he had no proof. 

And when he’d asked Glenn’s assistant about it, the answer was that Glenn simply wanted to use technology to give back to his hometown–just as he’d always said UME would return someday. 

That was hard to argue with. 

Glenn quietly waited for Theo to finish. He was just about to respond when Evangeline spoke up first. “I was the one who told Mr. Carlisle to turn down the investment. I’ll secure new funding myself.” 

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11:32 

Gnapter 75 

“And about the technical concerns you brought up–I can promise you, I’ll deliver a major breakthrough within a month.” 

Her tone was steady, absolutely certain. 

The conviction in her voice caught Theo off guard. 

But then he scoffed, “Big words. And what if you can’t deliver?” 

Evangeline replied, “If I fail at even a single thing I promised, I’ll leave on my own accord.” 

Theo gave a short, derisive laugh. 

He wanted to retort, but when he met Evangeline’s unwavering gaze, somehow the sarcastic words died in his throat. 

“It’s a deal, then,” Theo sneered. “Just don’t try to weasel out of it–and don’t come crying when you fail.” 

Evangeline smiled slightly and glanced around. “Don’t worry, everyone here can be our witness.” 

The others nodded in agreement. 

Seeing this, Theo had nothing more to say. He tossed out, “Whoever backs out is a 

coward,” then let out a cold huff and turned to leave. 

The rest of the group quickly dispersed as well. 

Soon only Evangeline and Glenn remained. 

Evangeline caught the trace of resignation in Glenn’s eyes and smiled. “Are you thinking I was too impulsive?” 

Glenn shook his head. “You wouldn’t have made that bet with Theo if you weren’t certain you could win.” 

His unwavering trust made her inexplicably breathe easier. 

The early stages of UME’s research would demand enormous funding–Glenn knew this, yet he’d still rejected Fawkes Enterprises‘ investment for her sake. 

Whether for business or personal reasons, she couldn’t let that go unanswered. 

She’d already discovered that the Lockridge family was hosting a charity gala the following evening–a perfect opportunity to attract new investors. 

After the drama, Evangeline smoothly completed her onboarding at UME. 

2/3 

11:32

Still, because of what happened that morning, most people kept their distance. 

She didn’t mind. 

After her mother passed away, Evangeline had fought her battles alone for years. Later, after marrying into the Fawkes family, Soren was rarely home; some days she could go twenty–four hours without exchanging a single word with anyone. 

She’d grown used to making solitude her ally. 

That’s not to say marrying into the Fawkes family hadn’t brought advantages. 

At the very least, being Mrs. Fawkes made certain things much more convenient. 

For example, that very evening after work, Evangeline received a formal invitation to the Lockridges‘ charity gala. 

A