Chapter 88 The Wrong Impression
There was a small card inside the box.
She paused, then picked it up carefully.
Her fingers traced the edge for a moment before she opened it.
Roman’s handwriting greeted her.
\---
How is my little wife doing on her first day?
I made your favorites, so be good and eat properly. Don’t listen to those old hags and their nonsense.
Come home early.
I miss you.
I want you in my arms tonight.
— Your husband
\---
Evelyn’s eyes widened.
Then, she squealed.
Clutching the card tightly to her chest, she bounced slightly in her chair, unable to contain the sudden rush of happiness bubbling inside her.
“He really treats me like a child,” she murmured, but her smile gave her away completely.
Without wasting another second, she picked up her fork and started eating.
Even as she did, her eyes kept drifting back to the card, rereading it over and over again.
—-
By the time work hours ended, Evelyn was already packing up.
The moment the clock struck closing time, she stood up immediately.
Her only thought was getting home, and telling Roman about her day.
She stepped out of her office, almost bumping into Leo in the hallway.
He was chatting casually with another employee, but the moment he saw her, he straightened instantly.
“Boss lady!”
He quickly took the lunch box from her hands.
“How was your first day?” he asked as they walked.
Evelyn smiled.
"Tiring," she admitted. "But good. I think?”
Leo laughed.
“You’ll get used to it.”
He leaned closer slightly.
“I wasn’t in the meeting, but I heard you handled it well. You even dealt with those old hags.”
Evelyn laughed softly.
“You weren’t even there. How did you hear all that?”
Leo shrugged.
“News travels fast.”
She shook her head, amused.
“And what is it with you and Roman calling them ‘old hags’?”
Leo blinked, confused.
“Huh?”
Evelyn just smiled and waved it off.
“Never mind.”
They continued walking until they reached the parking garage.
Evelyn slowed down. Then stopped.
Her expression changed instantly.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as her gaze fixed ahead.
Leo noticed.
He followed her line of sight, and froze.
Amelia stood in front of Evelyn’s car. Waiting.
She straightened the moment she spotted them.
“Oh, Mrs. Sinclair.” Her voice was light, and pleasant. “I was hoping to catch you before you left.”
Evelyn walked toward her, Leo following just behind.
“Is there a problem?” Evelyn asked calmly.
Amelia let out a soft laugh. “Oh, nothing serious. I just…” Her gaze drifted toward the car behind Evelyn, lingering a second too long.
Evelyn followed her line of sight. “Is there something wrong with my car?”
“Oh no, not at all,” Amelia said quickly, though the faint curve of her lips said otherwise. “I just didn’t expect… this.”
Her eyes flicked back to Evelyn.
“It’s a little outdated, don’t you think?”
Evelyn scoffed under her breath.
Beside her, Leo rolled his eyes.
Amelia continued smoothly, as if she hadn’t noticed. “I mean, considering the Sinclair family’s status, I assumed Roman wouldn’t let you drive something like this. Especially if he cares about you.”
Evelyn’s expression hardened.
“Are you here to discuss my car,” she said sharply, “or do you actually have a reason for stopping me?”
The shift in her tone made Leo stiffen slightly.
“And I’ve told you before,” Evelyn added, her voice rising just a little, “he is your boss. You should address him properly.”
Amelia’s smile thinned.
Under her breath, she muttered, “Who are you to dictate how I address him? I’ve known him far longer than you have.”
Evelyn’s eyes flashed.
“What did you just say?”
Leo immediately stepped forward, sensing the tension spike.
“Miss Amelia,” he said carefully, “it’s really not appropriate to address the boss so casually, especially in front of Madam. It can easily be misunderstood.”
Amelia looked at him, disbelief flashing across her face.
Leo continued, more firmly this time, “And Madam chose to keep a low profile today. She has access to all of the boss’s assets if she wants to use them.”
Evelyn didn’t add to it. Instead, she simply pressed the unlock button on her car.
“If you don’t have anything meaningful to say,” she said coolly, “excuse me.”
Amelia stepped aside, but just as Evelyn reached for the door, she spoke again.
“Oh—right. I almost forgot why I came.”
Evelyn paused, turning back with clear impatience.
Amelia reached into her bag, pulling out a sleek black box with a subtle designer label.
She held it out with a bright smile.
“I haven’t seen Rom—Mr. Sinclair in a while,” she said lightly, deliberately correcting herself mid-sentence under Evelyn’s stare. “Although we still keep in touch. He once mentioned this coffee, so I had it imported from Europe about a month ago.”
She tilted her head slightly.
“It’s quite expensive.”
Evelyn stared at the box for a moment before taking it, her expression unreadable.
“And Evelyn,” Amelia added sweetly, just as she was about to get into the car.
Evelyn paused.
“Mr. Sinclair prefers his coffee with just the right amount of milk—A2 whole milk, if you can get it—and very little sugar. The water should be around ninety-two degrees. That’s the perfect balance for the flavor.”
Her smile widened.
“Just in case you didn’t know.”
Evelyn let out a soft, disbelieving scoff before getting into the car and slamming the door shut.
Leo shut his eyes briefly in frustration.
Then he turned to Amelia, his expression no longer polite.
“You’re doing too much,” he said flatly. “That’s our boss’s wife. And trust me, the boss doesn’t joke about her.”
Amelia’s lips curved slowly.
“Is that so?” she said lightly. “Because from where I’m standing… it doesn’t look like it.”
Leo clenched his jaw.
“Whatever you’re thinking,” he said coldly, “you should drop it.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked toward his own car.
\-—
Evelyn drove home in silence, her grip tight on the steering wheel.
“My car isn’t even bad!” She muttered under her breath. “What a—”
She cut herself off, exhaling sharply.
By the time she pulled into the driveway, her irritation had only grown.
She stepped out of the car and headed straight inside.
“Boss lady—wait—” Leo called from behind, but she didn’t slow down.
The door opened.
Inside, Roman was lounging on the couch, flipping through a magazine.
The moment he saw her, his face lit up.
“You’re back,” he said, standing up immediately and walking toward her. “How was your—”
Evelyn dodged him.
She shoved the box into his hands.
“Here,” she said flatly. “From your little Barbie doll at work.”
Roman blinked, caught off guard.
“What?”
“Why don’t you ask Amelia that?” Evelyn shot back, already heading toward the stairs.
A second later, the bedroom door slammed upstairs.
Roman stood frozen, the box still in his hands, his brows furrowed in confusion.
A moment later, Leo walked in extremely flustered.
“Boss…”
Roman slowly turned to him.
“…Who’s Amelia?”