The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 503

Evelyn reached out and gently patted her hand. "Just stay here and keep learning for now. I'll be returning to San Francisco soon anyway. We can head back together, and you can re-acclimate to your firm to see if what you've learned here is useful. If you still want to come back after that, we'll figure something out."

Madeline looked up, wiping her eyes. "You're heading back to the States?"

Evelyn nodded. "Soon. Once everything here is tied up, I'll be leaving."

Madeline fell silent for a long moment. Finally, she took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes dry. "Okay. I'll listen to you."

She stood up, forcing a brave smile onto her face. "I'm going to see what Felton cooked up for us today." She turned and headed for the door, pausing after a few steps without looking back. "Evelyn, thank you."

"You're welcome," Evelyn replied softly.

Madeline opened the door and stepped out, the heavy wood clicking shut gently behind her.

The study fell completely silent. Sebastian, who had been sitting quietly the entire time, looked at Evelyn. The expression on her face had shifted entirely. The patient, gentle demeanor she had just shown Madeline receded like the tide, revealing the sharp, unyielding rocks hidden beneath the surface.

"She walked into your study without knocking," Sebastian pointed out, his voice low.

Evelyn didn't respond.

"And another thing," Sebastian continued. "I heard she's been trying to force her way into internal corporate meetings. Not the junior associate meetings—Philippe's core executive discussions."

Evelyn's fingers stopped tapping the desk. She turned her head and met his gaze. "How did you know that?"

"My firm collaborates with The Charles Group," Sebastian replied dryly. "Lance was at your headquarters a couple of days ago and overheard your staff talking about it. Madeline was politely escorted out twice. The third time, Philippe personally told her she needed to focus on mastering the basics first."

Evelyn remained silent for a few seconds. "She didn't tell me."

"She wouldn't," Sebastian stated matter-of-factly.

Evelyn looked at him, holding his gaze for a long moment. Then, she looked away, leaning back against her chair and resting her hands on her stomach. The sunlight caught her face, her expression perfectly serene. Yet, deep within her eyes, there was a knowing darkness—an undeniable awareness that she had expected this all along. A faint curve touched her lips; it wasn't quite a smile, but a profound, almost cynical acknowledgment.

"It's fine," she said softly, her voice like a breeze skimming over a still lake. "No one stays exactly the same forever. People change. It's just a matter of time."