Chapter 7
Madam Eleanor retreated inside, the heavy doors closing behind her as she finished speaking her piece to Leo. She wasn’t a woman easily fooled. The timeline simply didn’t add up—for a man as guarded as Evan to meet someone, court them, and find the vulnerability to introduce them to the family was a process of months, if not years. To debut a mystery woman at a high-stakes formal gala on such short notice screamed of a calculated performance.
She knew exactly what was fueling his desperation. Her ultimatum had been clear: Evan would not see a dime of his inheritance, nor would he occupy the CEO’s chair upon her retirement, until he was a married man. It was a test of stability he was clearly trying to bypass.
The moment he had introduced Serenity that evening, Eleanor’s instin
