The Queen Returns—And She's Unforgiving

Lucas was standing nearby, wearing a slightly loose black shirt, his figure half- hidden in the shadows. A cigarette rested between his long fingers, as if he were undecided about lighting it.

They weren't standing close to each other, so Evelyn couldn't clearly make out his expression.

However, the atmosphere had undeniably grown more tense.

Even so, Evelyn remained relatively composed. She didn't think she had said anything wrong, aside from that one ill-timed word-"husband".

Tiffany saw Lucas there and instinctively furrowed her brows. Finally, she turned to Millie, mentioning, "Mom, let's go into the private room first."

Although she did think Evelyn was unreasonable, she had no intention of stooping to a war of words with her. That would only diminish her own elegance. Only those who lacked confidence needed to defend their pride with sharp words.

When Millie saw Lucas, her expression changed a little. Then, she smiled, mentioning, "Do come over in a short while, then, Lucas."

She didn't want Lucas to have too much contact with his ex-wife and hoped Evelyn had enough self-awareness to step back. After all, Tiffany was the one meant to be with Lucas.

Lucas nodded.

Before leaving, Tiffany shot Evelyn a scornful glance. She let out a cold laugh before following Millie into the private room.

Justine didn't move as she watched this. She eyed Lucas warily as he approached, afraid he might say or do something to Evelyn.

Evelyn looked at Lucas coolly. "Mr. Grant, what do you wish to say?"

He had already put the cigarette back into its case. His gaze dropped to her, and whether it was because of surprise or something else, there was no trace of anger.

"When did you become so sharp-tongued?"

Evelyn hadn't expected that to be the first thing out of his mouth. She thought he'd be upset about her for "humiliating" Tiffany.noveldrama

"You've changed," Lucas added as he studied her.

His eyes were deep-set, his tone mild.

"You've learned how to get angry and express your stance."

She had drawn clear boundaries and stood by her principles.

Evelyn stared at him in the silence. Only then did he smile and continue, "There's

no one else around right now, so it doesn't matter. However, if others were present, that comment of yours would have violated our agreement."

Though it sounded like a casual "reminder", he didn't sound angry and instead was surprisingly calm. There was a sense of indifference that made him seem fearless, even if she exposed everything to the public.

Evelyn thought of the agreement, which stated that if violated, any reasonable compensation he proposed must be met. Was this a warning?

She slowly exhaled and explained, "You're overthinking it, Mr. Grant."

She had no interest in continuing to argue over this, so she stated, "Us attending Mr. Miller Senior's banquet together would be inappropriate. I hope you'll handle it properly."

Glancing at Evelyn, Lucas replied, "I'm afraid that won't work. Grandma won't be able to attend because of her health, and she feels very guilty. For the sake of formality, she requested us to attend as husband and wife to show our sincerity." His tone was unhurried and irrefutable.

Evelyn's expression was slightly cold, her displeasure almost evident.

This time, Lucas lowered his eyes and looked straight at her. It was obvious to him that she was losing her temper. After a pause, he clarified, "You only need to show up. As long as you're there, it'll be enough to satisfy Grandma."

Evelyn knew full well he was subtly invoking the agreement she had signed. She gave no reply, turned around, and walked off.

Justine snapped out of it and quickly followed after Evelyn.

Lucas remained where he stood, his gaze calm and steady as he watched her retreating figure.

After a moment, he looked down and smiled indecipherably.