The Evaluation
The private dining room at Laurentian House overlooked the frozen edge of Lake Ontario.
Floor to ceiling glass. White linen. Crystal stemware. Low golden lighting designed to make powerful men look softer than they were.
Evelyn stepped inside with Alexander's hand resting lightly at her lower back.
Not possessive.
Not romantic.
Strategic.
Seven members of the Reed Dynamics board sat around the long oval table.
Older. Wealthy. Controlled.
Predators in tailored suits.
Conversations dipped slightly when they entered.
Eyes assessed her immediately.
Alexander didn't hesitate. "Good evening."
Polite nods.
Daniel Cross stood first.
Of course he did.
Tall. Silver at the temples. A politician's smile.
"Alexander," he said warmly, extending his hand. "And this must be Evelyn."
His eyes settled on her.
Not dismissive.
Curious.
Measuring.
"Yes," Alexander replied evenly. "Evelyn, this is Daniel Cross. Senior board member."
The name sat heavy in her chest.
Daniel Cross.
She forced her smile to remain smooth.
"Mr. Cross."
"Please," he said gently, "Daniel."
His handshake was firm.
Slightly too firm.
A dominance test.
She matched pressure.
Didn't blink.
Interesting flicker in his eyes.
They sat.
Alexander at the head of the table.
Evelyn at his right.
A signal.
Intentional positioning.
Dinner began with polite conversation. Market updates. Federal murmurs. Stock stability.
Then the shift came.
Subtle.
Calculated.
"So, Evelyn," one board member said casually, swirling his wine. "Finance background, I hear?"
"Yes."
"Private sector?"
"Yes."
"And how did you and Alexander meet?"
There it was.
The real agenda.
She didn't glance at Alexander.
Didn't need to.
"At a sustainability conference in Vancouver last year," she said smoothly. "We disagreed during a panel discussion."
A faint chuckle around the table.
"Oh?" Daniel leaned back slightly. "About what?"
"Data privacy ethics."
Alexander's jaw moved slightly — the smallest sign of recognition.
"And you won?" Daniel asked.
"No," she said calmly. "We continued the conversation privately."
A few approving murmurs.
Strong.
Intelligent.
Not decorative.
Good.
"And this engagement," another board member said, "moved rather quickly."
Alexander spoke this time. "When something is certain, delay is unnecessary."
Silence followed that.
Authority asserted.
Daniel's gaze shifted between them.
"Certainty is rare in business," he said lightly. "Even rarer in marriage."
Evelyn lifted her glass slowly.
"Then we're fortunate," she replied.
A pause.
Then Daniel smiled.
"Well played."
Dinner progressed.
But the interrogation wasn't finished.
Midway through the main course, Daniel set his fork down.
"Evelyn, forgive my directness. But Reed Dynamics has been under… pressure recently. Investigations. Scrutiny. You're stepping into a complicated situation."
"I'm aware."
"And that doesn't concern you?"
She folded her hands neatly.
"No."
"Why not?"
Because your corruption destroyed my father.
Because I'm here to dismantle you.
Because I'm not afraid of powerful men anymore.
Instead, she said:
"Because I believe in informed decisions. I don't commit blindly."
A faint tension entered the air.
Daniel watched her more closely now.
"You've researched us thoroughly, then?"
"Yes."
"And did you find anything concerning?"
Alexander's gaze shifted to her.
Sharp.
Quiet warning.
Careful.
She smiled politely.
"Every corporation has risk variables. What matters is leadership."
Daniel's eyes flickered.
"Ah. So you trust Alexander."
She met his gaze directly.
"Yes."
The word landed deliberately.
Alexander didn't react outwardly.
But she felt his attention intensify.
Daniel leaned back.
Satisfied?
Not quite.
Just recalibrating.
Dessert arrived.
Wine refilled.
Then came the final strike.
"So tell me," Daniel said softly, almost conversationally, "do you plan to involve yourself in company matters?"
There it was.
The real fear.
Access.
Influence.
She placed her fork down gently.
"I plan to support my husband."
Not answer.
Deflect.
Daniel tilted his head.
"And what does support mean to you?"
Before she could respond, Alexander spoke.
"It means exactly what she chooses it to mean."
The table went still.
That wasn't defensive.
That was protective.
Daniel's smile didn't fade.
But something cooled behind his eyes.
"Of course," he said smoothly. "I simply want to ensure no… conflicts of interest arise."
Evelyn held his gaze.
"Conflicts are created by hidden agendas," she said quietly.
A subtle blade.
Daniel's eyes narrowed just slightly.
Then he laughed.
"Well. Alexander," he said, raising his glass, "you certainly chose someone formidable."
Alexander lifted his own glass.
"Yes."
Their glasses clinked.
But the tension didn't dissolve.
It thickened.
Outside, snow fell heavier as they exited the restaurant.
No reporters this time.
Private exit.
Silent car ride.
The moment the door closed, Alexander exhaled.
"You handled that."
It wasn't a question.
"You expected otherwise?"
"No."
Silence.
The city lights reflected across his face.
"Daniel was probing," he said.
"I noticed."
"He suspects something."
"So do I."
His eyes shifted to her.
"What do you suspect?"
She looked out the window.
"That powerful men don't like variables they can't control."
A faint pause.
"You're becoming one."
Her heart gave a slow, deliberate beat.
"That worries you?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Then:
"It complicates things."
Complicates.
Not endangers.
Not threatens.
Complicates.
Interesting.
She turned to him.
"Are you afraid of complications, Alexander?"
His gaze locked onto hers in the dim car lighting.
"No," he said quietly.
"I'm afraid of betrayal."
The word settled between them.
Heavy.
Loaded.
Her pulse tightened.
If he knew the truth
She held his stare.
"You won't be betrayed," she said softly.
Not entirely a lie.
The car pulled into the penthouse garage.
The driver exited.
They were alone.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Alexander reached for her hand.
Not for cameras.
Not for optics.
Just instinct.
His thumb brushed lightly across her knuckles.
"You were impressive tonight," he said quietly.
"And you were protective."
Something flickered in his eyes.
"Don't confuse strategy with protection."
She didn't pull her hand away.
"Sometimes they're the same thing."
Silence.
Charged.
Unsteady.
Then his phone buzzed.
He glanced down.
His expression hardened instantly.
"What is it?" she asked.
He showed her the screen.
An anonymous email.
Subject line:
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE ENGAGEMENT. I WONDER IF SHE KNOWS THE TRUTH.
Attached file.
Financial transfers.
Old ones.
Dated four years ago.
Her breath went cold.
Because she recognized the company name on the transfer record.
Her father's firm.
Alexander looked at her slowly.
"You said you researched us," he said quietly.
Her pulse roared in her ears.
"Yes."
He studied her face carefully.
"Then tell me," he said.
"Why does this name look familiar?"
The world tilted slightly.
The board dinner had been an evaluation.
But this
This was exposure.
And for the first time since stepping into Reed Dynamics
Evelyn wasn't in control.