Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 84

Evelyn slowly walked over, a gentle smile plastered on her face. The warmth in her eyes was incredibly forced, but no one else seemed to notice. That was exactly what made Evelyn so dangerous—she had a knack for making everyone believe she was innocent and that others were always to blame.

Stopping right next to Hazel, Evelyn tilted her head slightly, her voice as soft and patronizing as if she were speaking to a toddler.

"Hazel, what invitations are they talking about? Do you know anything about it?"

Hazel didn't even bother looking up. Her eyes remained locked on the data scrolling across her screen. As she methodically organized the lines of code, she replied flatly, "If you want to know, go ask Mr. Thornton yourself."

Evelyn didn't seem to mind the cold brush-off; in fact, her smile only widened.

She casually reached up to adjust her hair, deliberately tugging her collar down just a fraction more. The dark red mark was now unmistakably visible, trailing from behind her ear down to her collarbone. Against her pale skin, it was glaringly obvious.

With a careless smirk and a tone laced with faux sincerity, she said, "Oh, well, if Mr. Thornton chose you, it must be because you have some... exceptional talents. I'm sure you're more than capable of handling it."

It was a flawless performance. On the surface, she was complimenting Hazel, but in reality, every word was designed to twist the knife in Audrey's chest. Hazel didn't need to look up to know exactly how furious Audrey looked.

The lab fell dead silent. Audrey's face was flushed a deep, angry red. Her lips were pressed into a tight, trembling line, and the glare she directed at Hazel was absolutely venomous.

Without a word, Audrey spun around and stormed out. Her rapid footsteps betrayed her boiling rage. She would have loved nothing more than to kick Hazel out of the Institute entirely, but she didn't have the authority.

The lackeys exchanged nervous glances before hesitatingly trailing after her.

The blunt question knocked the wind out of her. Her lips trembled. Her hands balled into tight fists, and her voice pitched higher as she found a sudden, reckless surge of courage to talk back to him. "Well, Hazel has only been here for a few days! She hasn't proven herself either, but you still gave the invitation to her!"

Marcus actually let out a quiet chuckle at that. It was a soft, low sound, but it sent a chilling shiver straight down Audrey's spine.

He spoke with agonizing slowness. "And who do you think I should have given it to?"

Audrey thought for a second. Right now, aside from herself, the only other person in the Institute who had the qualifications was Evelyn.

Evelyn was the one who had secured the funding from Apex Holdings in the first place. That was the only reason Mr. Thornton had invested in the Institute. She was vastly superior to Hazel, and far more deserving.