Sorry Too Late (by J.J. Twelve) novel Chapter 36

“How can you say that, Mr. Norwood?” Ivana said firmly. “You saved my life. Saving a life outweighs any favor, so please don’t turn me down.”

As she said it, she grabbed Evan’s arm.

“L..” Evan frowned. It was clear she had no intention of letting him leave. With no other choice, he gave a small nod. “All right.”

Ivana’s people arrived quickly, but they weren’t from the Cortex Team. The unit was stir in Imperia and needed time to mobilize.

“What?”

As the car drove farther and farther from downtown, Evan couldn’t help asking, “Ms. Stanton, where exactly are we going?”

Ivana flashed an enigmatic smile and answered with two simple words. “My home. ”

Evan was momentarily stunned, as if lightning had struck him head–on

“The Queen of Finance is taking me to her place? Didn’t she say she wanted to thank me? What… Could she… But she’s Sylvie’s aunt, for fuck’s sake!‘

“There’s something you want to talk to me about, Ms. Stanton?” Evan asked gravely.

Ivana paused, then her eyes lit with interest. “You’re sharp, kiddo.”

And just like that, her address shifted from Mr. Norwood to kiddo.

“Evan, you saved my life. Stop calling me Ms. Stanton–call me Ivana.” She offered a warm, apologetic smile. “Don’t take it the wrong way. I genuinely wanted to thank you. But it’s also true that there’s something I need your help with. It’s troubled me for years, and I never found a solution until I met you. That was the first time I felt hope.”

Her words were gentle, sincere, perfectly calibrated—placing Evan on a pedestal without sounding deliberate.

But that only made his scalp prickle. His instincts told him this wasn’t going to be some simple errand.

Before long, they arrived at Ivana’s residence-

-a private villa backed by mountains, with running water nearby.

As the Queen of Finance, Ivana’s investments spanned the nation. Naturally, she maintained a residence in Silverton. And after today’s attack, the hotel was no longer safe.

“Come in.” Ivana beckoned him, seeing Evan still standing outside.

The interior was immaculate, but there was a faint chill of emptiness, the kind that came from a place rafely lived in.

“Sit, Evan.” Ivana came downstairs after changing, carrying a glass of water for him

“Thank-“Evan reached out to take it, but the moment he looked up and saw her, his hand froze, and he nearly dropped the

glass.

She had changed into a sheer nightgown, delicate fabric clinging lightly–her figure faintly visible beneath, every curve outlined with unsettling elegance.

“What’s wrong, Evan?” Ivana looked at him curiously.

“N–Nothing…” Evan coughed and yanked the conversation back on track. “Ahem… Ivana, I assume what you want to talk about is today’s attack?”

Her expression immediately turned serious, and she nodded. “Yes. This kind of thing has happened before.”

A flicker of lingering fear surfaced in her eyes. “I’ve had countless strange brushes with death – unexplained close calls. I managed to avoid them every time, but this can’t go on. Some people say I just have bad luck, but I’ve wont repeatedly in finance

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