The entire office was in a state of shock.

The name signed at the bottom of the apology letter sent waves of disbelief through everyone.

No one had anticipated that Evelyn's situation would draw the personal attention of the reclusive founder of Aethelgard Industries.

"Is this for real? Did someone at Aethelgard mess up? The founder actually intervened personally?"

"How serious is Evelyn's problem, really?"

"You must be new here. Evelyn first gained public recognition as the designer behind actress Cassandra Sterling's iconic gown. Just as her career was taking off, a senior designer named Julian Thorne accused her of plagiarism. She was silenced, unable to defend herself, and endured weeks of brutal online attacks. When she finally gathered evidence to clear her name, it was revealed that Cassandra and several Aethelgard employees had orchestrated the entire scheme."

"At the very least, Aethelgard owes Evelyn significant compensation for this mess."

"It seems the founder is just trying to protect the company's reputation."

"But the founder of Aethelgard has always avoided the public eye. No matter the scandal, they've never stepped in personally before. Now, they're issuing a personal apology to a newly hired designer?"

"None of this adds up."

Evelyn herself was utterly stunned.

The online commenters had a point—she was just a designer. Why would the founder go to such lengths to apologize to her personally?

She voiced her confusion to Alexander.

Alexander, ever her steadfast supporter, dismissed her concerns. "So what? My wife is the most remarkable woman in the world. It's high time Aethelgard acknowledged their error and apologized."

His words made Evelyn laugh softly. "You're exaggerating. I'm not all that special."

But Alexander's expression remained intensely serious. "No, I mean it. You deserve nothing less than the utmost respect."

His gaze was tender, yet a flicker of regret passed through his eyes.

If he had known the full extent of the troubles Evelyn faced, he would have intervened much sooner.

He was also filled with gratitude—grateful that she had chosen to join his company. He vowed to himself that from now on, he would use all his power to shield her from harm.

Once the commotion died down, Evelyn finally returned to her workplace.

Entering the office, she ran into Nathanial Reed.

He was carrying a box filled with his personal items, his face a mask of dejection. He was clearly leaving the company.

The moment he saw Evelyn, his expression darkened.

He mistakenly assumed she had come to revel in his misfortune.

As this thought took hold, his anger flared. He shot her a bitter, mocking sneer. "Evelyn, you really had us all fooled. First, you cozy up to Beatrice Sterling, and now it turns out you've had a direct line to the founder all along. I was completely kept in the dark. Well, I concede. I suppose I was just unlucky to have crossed paths with you."

Nathanial had once believed he could use Evelyn—who seemed to lack powerful connections—as a stepping stone for his own career advancement.

He had gravely miscalculated.

Now, no amount of regret could change the consequences of his actions.

Nathanial's warped sense of victimhood left Evelyn completely speechless.