Chapter 131

The murmurs in the room were barely concealed. "Who would've thought Evelyn Hartley would become so close to the Caldwell family? Marcus and Olivia practically treat her like their own daughter now," one guest remarked, swirling his wine glass.

"Times have changed. No one dares cross Evelyn anymore," another added with a knowing smirk.

"Exactly. Those who've offended her didn’t walk away unscathed."

A woman leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Did you hear about her sister, Lila? She was out with friends who started badmouthing Evelyn in the restroom. Turns out, Evelyn was there too—heard every word. It was a disaster. She made those women slap themselves until she deemed it enough. When they finally left, they were all wearing masks, probably hiding swollen faces."

Nathan Black's expression darkened imperceptibly.

He knew Evelyn better than most—there had to be more to the story.

"Isn't that just abuse of power? Just because she's Ethan Caldwell's goddaughter doesn’t give her the right to act like that!" someone scoffed, clearly irritated.

"Absolutely! She’s gone too far this time."

Alexander Prescott opened his mouth to defend Evelyn, certain there was more to it, when Nathan’s icy voice cut through the chatter. "Reserve judgment until you know the full story."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Eyes darted between guests, disbelief evident. Nathan Black—defending Evelyn Hartley?

In the past, no matter how viciously they’d mocked her, he’d never so much as blinked. But now…

Serena Cole’s fingers tightened around her glass, her chest tightening with unease.

Nathan’s attitude toward Evelyn had shifted. He was protecting her.

The realization sent a sharp pang through Serena’s heart.

One of the men who’d been badmouthing Evelyn earlier cleared his throat nervously. "Y-Yes, of course, Mr. Black. My apologies. I shouldn’t have spoken out of turn."

Nathan dismissed him with a cold glance before taking a slow sip of his whiskey.

The tension in the room thickened.

Then, just as the silence became unbearable, another voice broke through.

"Speaking of Evelyn… I heard something interesting recently," a man said, his tone laced with intrigue. "Didn’t she join the Cardiac Surgery Department at Grandview General? Rumor has it she got in through her connection with the deputy director. Normally, everyone has to pass rigorous exams, but Evelyn? She waltzed right in—no tests, no interviews. Just a permanent position handed to her."

Dylan Reeves smirked, swirling his drink. "My uncle-in-law works there. He mentioned Lila—Evelyn’s sister—is still just an intern because she failed the entrance exam. Meanwhile, Evelyn had the deputy director’s assistant personally escort her on her first day."

The whispers grew louder.

Nathan’s jaw tightened.

He knew exactly what this was—another attempt to tarnish Evelyn’s reputation.

And he wasn’t about to let it slide.