Chapter 91
Zachary Blackwood believed he had treated Evelyn Sinclair exceptionally well—except for the fact that he never loved her.
During her time at Blackwood Manor, she had enjoyed every luxury money could provide. The staff had catered to her every need, and no one had dared to cause her trouble.
Hell, he had even given her a supplementary credit card. Zachary was never one to be stingy, after all.
Yet, in the three years of their marriage, Evelyn had never once used that card. Still, her life as the young mistress of the Blackwood family had been far better than her previous existence as a medical aide in a nursing home.
How dare she twist the truth in public, making it seem like she had suffered endlessly under his roof?
The more Zachary dwelled on it, the hotter his anger burned. His jaw clenched, veins standing out on his temples as his eyes darkened with fury.
“Tch. Still as stubborn as ever, aren’t you?” Cassandra Blackwood sneered, flipping her perfectly styled curls over her shoulder. “Since you’re the manager of this hotel, I’ll make it simple. You have two choices.”
She lifted her chin imperiously. “Either compensate me with a necklace identical to the one that went missing—it’s not that expensive, just over two hundred thousand dollars—or have the police arrest this thief. And as the manager, you’ll have to issue a public apology to me.”
Cassandra smirked, her eyes glinting with malice. “Money isn’t the issue. The problem is, I don’t forgive easily.”
She would never admit in front of all these people that Evelyn had once been her sister-in-law. That would be humiliating.
Besides, this was the perfect opportunity to put that country bumpkin in her place. Evelyn had dared to show off at the charity auction not long ago, flaunting her newfound status as Nathan Whitmore’s lover. Without that connection, she was nothing. And Cassandra intended to crush her while she still could.
“Mr. Blackwood, Cassandra is bullying Madam Evelyn!” Maxwell Reeves whispered urgently, his fists clenched. He had never liked Cassandra, and seeing her target Evelyn made his blood boil.
“Patience,” Zachary murmured, his gaze fixed on Evelyn.
He was intrigued.
In all their years of marriage, he had only ever known her as a quiet, submissive housewife. But now, she stood before him as the composed, authoritative manager of a luxury hotel.
The hospitality industry was ruthless—everyone knew that. Yet here she was, handling the situation with a confidence he had never seen before.
“Ms. Blackwood,” Evelyn said smoothly, her voice calm but firm, “if your missing necklace is truly worth over two hundred thousand dollars, I suggest you file a police report immediately. The sooner we involve them, the higher the chances of recovering it.”
She tilted her head slightly. “Once they arrive, every employee in this hotel will cooperate fully—including myself. We’ll provide surveillance footage and even allow searches of personal belongings, provided they have a warrant.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“She’s right! If that necklace is really missing, why hasn’t she called the police already?”
“Maybe she just misplaced it and is making a scene for nothing.”
Cassandra’s face flushed crimson with rage. “What good will searching the hotel do? That thief probably hid it somewhere else!”
“I didn’t steal anything!” The accused housekeeper trembled, her eyes red with unshed tears.
Evelyn remained unshaken. “Our hotel is equipped with high-definition surveillance cameras covering every corner. Additionally, I’ve already instructed all housekeeping staff to remain on-site since receiving the news. If the necklace was stolen, it would still be here—the culprit wouldn’t have had time to remove it.”
She pulled out her phone, glancing at the screen. “Oh, and I took the liberty of calling the police on my way here. They should arrive in about ten minutes.”
A faint, icy smile touched her lips. “Once they conclude their investigation, I’ll be happy to issue that public apology—if my employee is found guilty.”
Her words were flawless, her composure unbreakable.
Maxwell nearly cheered. “Madam Evelyn is incredible! She handled this perfectly!”
Zachary shot him a warning glare, but his attention remained fixed on Evelyn.
He couldn’t deny it—she was impressive.
Calm. Sharp. Commanding.
A far cry from the meek woman he remembered.
“Fine,” Cassandra spat. “But you’d better keep your word.”
“Of course.” Evelyn’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “As the manager, I take full responsibility for my guests—if my staff is at fault.”
Just then, Tristan Gallagher and the head of housekeeping rushed into the lobby.
Tristan carried a small velvet bag with utmost care, as though it held something priceless.
