Giselle never took Evangeline seriously.
To her, Evangeline was someone who'd already been out of school for years and married just as long. She probably spent her days thinking about grocery lists and household chores—either that or scheming how to catch Soren's attention. There was no way Evangeline had any real skills.
Giselle was convinced Evangeline had only landed this job because of her connections to Glenn.
She'd heard about the bet between Evangeline and Theo, but she was even more familiar with Glenn's reputation. The way Giselle saw it, any new product that came out of this project was probably Glenn's handiwork, all so he could save Evangeline's skin.
Either way, it had nothing to do with Evangeline's abilities.
With that thought, Giselle squared her shoulders, her confidence returning.
Evangeline had noticed the disdain in Giselle's eyes but didn't bother to explain herself. Instead, she looked up and asked, "Where did you just go upstairs? That's Mr. Carlisle's office, you know. Everything in there is highly confidential."
Giselle's composure slipped in an instant. "I didn't steal anything!" she blurted. "I was just bringing him breakfast."
"How can you prove that?" Evangeline pressed.
"I— I don't have anything on me, you saw that! Besides, I—"
Evangeline's accusation had clearly rattled her, and the rapid-fire questions left Giselle scrambling for a response.
It wasn't until that moment she remembered to put up a front. Straightening, she scoffed, "Why should I have to explain myself to you?"
She'd brought breakfast and other things to the office before. Glenn and Theo had never questioned her, never even looked at her twice.
Why did Evangeline get to play judge and jury?
The idea made something click inside her—a bold, reckless thought. She sneered, "Evangeline, I know you're interested in Glenn too, but don't forget, you're a married woman. Maybe pick a lane, instead of having your cake and eating it too."
With that, she swept past Evangeline, chin high, and made her way downstairs.
Evangeline treated her exactly like any other employee.
After organizing the materials for the new product launch, Evangeline handed them to Giselle. "Coordinate with the Public Relations manager on this."
Giselle took the folder, scowling. "Why are you giving this to me? Why not someone else?"
"Everyone else already has projects they haven't finished," Evangeline replied evenly.
"So do I," Giselle shot back. "And mine is important."
Only an hour ago, she'd bribed Glenn's assistant with a limited-edition piece of jewelry so she could take her place at tonight's dinner with Glenn. She still needed to fix her makeup before heading out—she'd already spent a month's allowance on this plan, and the thought of it stung.
Still, it was the fastest way to get closer to Glenn.
She figured Evangeline, after running into a wall, would just hand the task off to someone else. But Evangeline saw right through her and pressed, "What project do you have, exactly? I don't recall assigning you anything."

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