The thought that Evangeline would soon have no place at UME made Lily relax a little, indulging in a moment of idleness. 

Meanwhile, Giselle was scheming about meeting Glenn again. 

Ever since she’d arrived at UME, Glenn had acted as if she didn’t exist. He barely acknowledged her, and whenever she reached out–bringing him coffee or trying to strike up conversation–he always turned her down, keeping her at arm’s length. 

She’d read up on dating advice online, and one guide said that while it’s easier for women to pursue men, you can’t just chase relentlessly. After a period of being warm and attentive, you need to pull back and give him space; that way, he’ll start to miss you and value you more. 

So, she’d spent the last week doing her best to leave Glenn alone. 

But now, by her count, it had been nearly seven days. 

After thinking it over, Giselle decided to hold back for another two days. Once Evangeline slipped up in front of Glenn, she’d have her father step in and offer Glenn a much–needed lifeline. Then, she was sure, Glenn would be so grateful he’d fall in love with her. 

Just imagining it made Giselle give herself a big mental thumbs–up for her brilliance. 

She could already picture Glenn asking her out, proposing to her, walking her down the aisle. Glenn might not have Soren’s family background, but marrying him would never be as humiliating as Evangeline’s situation. 

*** 

In the lab, Evangeline was knee–deep in code when she suddenly sneezed. 

Theo glanced at the sky outside; darkness had long since fallen. “Let’s call it a night. We can pick up the rest tomorrow.” 

Only then did Evangeline realize it was nearly eleven. She didn’t try to push back. 

Working while sick was just punishing her body. No matter how much she wanted to power through and do a perfect job, her body would rebel first–her efficiel. would crash, and she’d end up accomplishing nothing. 

Unless it was absolutely necessary, she wasn’t the type to waste effort for little 

return. 

Chapter 

She finished tidying up and headed for the door. 

Theo watched her unsteady steps, feeling a pang of concern he hadn’t expected 

Evangeline at work was a different person. On the surface, she seemed insecure and aside from her good looks, there wasn’t much that stood out. But when she was focused on a task, she was like a finely tuned machine. After nearly fifteen hours without a break, he was ready to collapse, having made two mistakes himself–but she’d barely slipped up at all. 

If he’d pointed out a problem once, she never repeated it. In a way, she reminded him of Glenn. 

No wonder Glenn liked her. 

Lost in thought, Theo didn’t say a word. Evangeline packed up, gave him a polite goodbye, and left. 

*** 

On her way home, Evangeline glanced at her phone and saw several notifications. 

Ever since Fawkes Enterprises had broken into the robotics field, UME was feeling the heat. The company’s official site was flooded with comments. 

Lady Jenny: “Fawkes Enterprises just launched their robotics division and already released a product like this? UME has been at this for years–they’d better not let down their old fans!” 

Cilantro Hater: “Fawkes Enterprises and UME started their robotics projects around the same time, so why is UME’s product coming out two days later?” 

Wallflower: “So what if it’s two days late? Is that the end of the world?” 

Cilantro Hater: “Why are you so aggressive? UME’s supposed to be the industry leader, but they can’t even keep up with a newcomer like Fawkes? I don’t know if I’ll survive, but at this rate, UME might not.” 

Wallflower: “Stop talking nonsense. How much did Fawkes pay you to come here and trash UME?” 

Bolt King: “Enough arguing, you amateurs. Building robots isn’t like baking cupcakes–it takes time, Both Fawkes and UME are ahead of the industry righ+ now. Other companies, take at least a year or two to roll out a new model, anu most of them are unimpressive. Honestly, Fawkes’s latest product is pretty impressive. I’m just waiting to see if UME can match their quality.”