Chapter 86 Proving Her Place
A few low chuckles spread through the room, immediately that comment was made.
Evelyn’s smile did not waver.
She walked in calmly, her back straight, her steps steady.
Her eyes lifted toward the head of the table, and for a split second, she paused.
The resemblance was striking. Almost identical to Roman.
‘He must be Marcus.’
The realization settled quickly, but she did not let it show for more than a heartbeat.
She continued forward, looking for a seat.
But each time she reached one, someone subtly blocked it.
She moved to another. A folder appeared on it.
Another. A hand rested casually.
The message was clear.
She was not welcome.
Her smile tightened just slightly.
When she reached another chair, a man had his leg stretched across it.
This time, Evelyn did not hesitate.
She stepped forward and kicked his leg off the chair, pulling it back in one smooth motion before sitting down.
The room stirred.
“What insolence—!” the man snapped, shooting to his feet.
“David, you placed your leg there on purpose,” another executive cut in sharply. “Even if the CEO isn't here, have some respect for his lady!”
David huffed. "Harrison, don't get me started. Roman is on sabbatical. Why is his wife here?"
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room.
David scoffed but sat back down.
Evelyn ignored them all.
She settled comfortably into her seat as if nothing had happened.
At the head of the table, Marcus watched her, a faint smile playing on his lips, but his eyes were anything but warm.
“Sister-in-law,” he said slowly. “I hope you understand the position you’re stepping into.”
Evelyn turned to him calmly.
“I believe it would be more appropriate to address me formally in a professional setting,” she replied calmly. “After all this is a company, not a family gathering.”
The smile on Marcus’s face faded slightly.
Then his gaze sharpened.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on maternity leave?” he asked suddenly.
Evelyn froze.
Cold sweat prickled at her back.
Marcus continued lightly. "Although I wasn't around... I heard Roman announced you were pregnant at my father's birthday gathering. Quite dramatically."
The murmurs started.
"Yes! I remember that!"
"He did say she was pregnant!"
"Isn't that why he married his nephew's wife?"
"Don't be ridiculous. She was never married to anyone. Roman didn't marry anyone's wife.”
Evelyn felt her heartbeat spike at the conversation. But she did not move.
She simply looked around.
Most of these people must have been at the birthday banquet that day. But Marcus wasn't there.
Why is he using it against her?
Marcus leaned forward slightly.
“Or,” he continued, his voice dangerously low, “was that just a convenient lie to the chairman, to cover your illicit affair together?”
A heavy silence settled over the room after Marcus’s words.
For a moment, the weight of their stares in the room, pressed in on her.
But she did not let it reach her face.
Instead, she let out a slow, controlled breath. Then she looked up.
“If I understand correctly,” she began, her voice steady and clear, “we are currently in an executive board meeting.”
Evelyn’s gaze moved across the table, meeting each pair of eyes without hesitation.
“And yet,” she continued, “the discussion seems to have shifted to my personal life.”
A few of the executives shifted slightly in their seats.
Evelyn turned her attention back to Marcus.
“As for the matter you raised,” she added, “whether I am pregnant or not has no bearing on my ability to perform my duties.”
She paused slightly.
“Nor is it information I am obligated to disclose in this setting.”
The murmurs that followed were different this time. All looking at her in a different light.
Evelyn let the silence settle again before she continued.
“I was appointed as Special Strategic Advisor to the Chairman,” she said, her gaze steady. “That decision was made by the CEO himself.”
Her fingers rested lightly on the table.
“Yes, he may be on sabbatical, but he has not relinquished his position as CEO. Any directives issued under his authority remain valid unless overturned by the Chairman.”
She let that sink in.
Marcus’ gaze narrowed. His jaw clenched slightly.
This time, the shift in the room was undeniable.
Several of the older executives exchanged glances.
One of them nodded unconsciously.
Evelyn leaned back composedly.
“If there are concerns regarding my qualifications,” she said, “I am open to addressing them.”
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
“But if the concern is based on speculation or personal assumptions…”
She let the words hang for a brief moment.
“Then I don’t believe this is the appropriate forum for it.”
Evelyn lowered her gaze briefly to the documents in front of her before looking up again.
“Shall we proceed with the meeting?” she asked calmly. Her hand trembling under the table violently, from anxiety.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then, a senior executive cleared his throat.
“Yes… we should.”
Another nodded.
“I agree.”
The atmosphere had changed.
Marcus watched her carefully, his expression no longer amused.
—
The meeting started.
On the surface, everything returned to normal.
Reports were presented, numbers were discussed, and projections were debated.
Evelyn sat quietly, her attention on the documents in front of her, listening as each department head gave their updates. Her expression remained composed.
But she could feel the occasional glance cast on her. And the way some of them now chose their words carefully.
Marcus had also said nothing further about her. He simply observed the whole scenario.
It was not until halfway through the meeting that he finally moved.
“Let’s move on,” Marcus said, his tone calm, almost indifferent. “The North District redevelopment project.”
A screen lit up at the far end of the room.
Slides appeared. Projecting financial charts, site images, and development timelines.
Evelyn’s gaze lifted slightly.
She didn’t recognize the project in detail, but she understood enough from the presentation to follow.
One of the executives stood and began explaining.
“—as you can see, we are currently in phase two of the acquisition process. However, negotiations with the remaining stakeholders have stalled—”
“Stalled?” Marcus cut in smoothly.
The man hesitated. “There have been… complications.”
Marcus leaned back slightly in his chair.
“What kind of complications?”
“The landowners are refusing the revised terms,” the executive admitted. “They believe the valuation—”
“So in other words,” Marcus interrupted again, his voice still calm, “you’re telling me we’ve invested this much capital into a project you cannot secure.”
The room quieted. The man’s face tightened.
“We are working on—”
Marcus raised a hand, stopping him.
Then, slowly, his gaze shifted to Evelyn.
“And you?” he said.
The shift was so sudden, it took the room a second to follow.
“You’ve been very composed so far, Mrs. Sinclair,” Marcus continued, his tone unreadable. “Since you are here as a strategic advisor…”
A faint pause.
“Why don’t you tell us how you would handle it?”
Silence fell instantly.
Every head turned toward her again.
Evelyn felt the shift in pressure.
This was different. It wasn’t a personal attack. But a deliberate test.
She didn’t rush.
Instead, she glanced at the screen, then at the documents in front of her, quickly scanning the key figures.
Purchase percentage.
Stakeholder resistance.
Projected profit margins.
Her mind moved fast, connecting pieces.
Then she looked up calmly.
“If negotiations have stalled at phase two,” she began, her voice steady, “then the issue is not just valuation.”
A few brows furrowed.
She continued.
“It’s leverage.”
The room grew quieter.
“The remaining stakeholders know the project cannot proceed without them,” she said. “Which means they are no longer negotiating for fair value. They are negotiating for control.”
The executive who had been presenting looked slightly startled.
Marcus said nothing.
Evelyn went on.
“Raising the offer may close the deal,” she added, “but it will also set a precedent. It tells every future stakeholder that delaying negotiations increases their payout.”
She watched their expression.
“That’s not a position you want to put the company in.”
A few of the older executives exchanged glances.
She leaned back slightly, her tone still calm.
“If I were handling it, I wouldn’t push forward immediately.”
That caught attention.
“I would suspend negotiations temporarily.”
The presenter blinked. “Suspend…?”
“Yes,” Evelyn said. “Long enough to create uncertainty.”
She gestured lightly toward the screen, explaining more about the situation and the possible solution.
Most of them nodded in agreement.
The earlier executive looked both relieved and impressed.
Marcus remained still. Watching her.
Then, slowly, a faint smile returned to his lips.
“Interesting,” he said.
The discussion around the redevelopment project gradually settled.
Most of the executives now see Evelyn differently from before.
Marcus flipped through the document in front of him, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning, he closed the file.
“There’s another matter we need to address,” he said calmly.
The shift in tone made several executives straighten in their seats.
Marcus lifted his gaze.
“The Hayes Corporation.”