The Queen Returns—And She's Unforgiving novel Chapter 53

It was clear now—Lucas had come here for New Year's countdown with Jason and the others.

Evelyn finally understood why Lucas had turned down Maria's invitation to celebrate together. He had already made plans with Tiffany. She had always known that in Lucas' world, Tiffany came before everything. No one understood that better than Evelyn.

Sebastian, on the other hand, instantly caught onto Sophia's passive-aggressive tone. He didn't bother addressing her directly. Instead, he looked at Lucas.

"What a coincidence, Mr. Grant. We're here for a company trip, and you all happen to be here too."

It was a simple, matter-of-fact statement—just enough to make it clear that Evelyn hadn't followed them.

What were the odds that she'd be accused of stalking just for showing up at a public resort?

Lucas lifted his gaze. "We made a last-minute decision to come. I guess it really is a coincidence."

"Who knows? Maybe Evelyn dragged her whole team here just as an excuse," Sophia muttered under her breath.

Mason chuckled. "Damn, Sophia. You're really not holding back tonight."

It was obvious he didn't believe Sebastian's explanation either.

Tiffany, however, remained composed. She gave Sebastian a polite nod and greeted him, "Mr. Hill. Fancy running into you again."

She completely ignored Evelyn as usual. Even with that calm, elegant smile on her face, there was an unmistakable air of superiority in her eyes.

Sebastian had been in the business world long enough to know better than to openly call someone out, but his smirk wasn't exactly friendly. "Ms. Moore, with the people backing you, I'm sure we'll be crossing paths plenty in the future."

Tiffany paused for half a second. She knew exactly what he was implying. But she didn't bother correcting him. Her success would speak for itself.

Jason, who had been quietly observing the whole exchange, glanced at Evelyn. He didn't know why, but the way she stayed detached—like she couldn't care less about any of this—made him frown. Then, without a word, he got up and walked toward the tents.

Evelyn didn't spare him a second glance. She also didn't bother addressing Sophia's snide remark. Instead, she turned to Sebastian.

"Did we book our own camp spot?"

For a moment, she hesitated. But in the end, she didn't overthink it and sat down. Sebastian, never one to miss an opportunity, immediately took the seat next to her.

The rest of the Flying Seal Group crew grabbed a separate table, sensing this wasn't exactly their battle to fight.

Lucas and his group didn't say anything about Fiona's invitation. They had already agreed to let her bring friends, so it would've been petty to protest now. Still, none of them had expected her friends to include Evelyn. Not that they particularly cared how she ended up here.

As far as they were concerned, Evelyn had spent years trying to cozy up to Lucas' circle of friends. If one strategy didn't work, it wasn't surprising that she'd try another. She had probably latched onto Fiona the same way she had once tried to get close to them.

Evelyn, however, wasn't concerned about what they thought.

She figured sitting across from Lucas at such a small table would be uncomfortable—that at some point, they'd inevitably make eye contact. But from the moment she sat down, Lucas never once looked her way. Whether intentional or not, his gaze never lifted in her direction.

Even when he reached for something on the table, he timed it perfectly, avoiding any accidental touch or interaction. He didn't leave a single opening.

The rest of the time, he kept his head turned and engaged in quiet conversation with Tiffany like Evelyn wasn't even there.