She Took a Night Shift to Pay Her Tuition — Then the City’s Most Powerful Heir Walked Into Her Bar
Chapter 2
The next morning, Evelyn sat in a coffee shop with Lucas.
Her younger brother looked exhausted.
“You look terrible,” he said.
“You should see yourself.”
“I slept.”
“I know. You snore.”
He grinned.
Then his smile faded.
“The tuition payment is due Friday.”
Evelyn stopped stirring her coffee.
“I’ll handle it.”
“You always say that.”
“And I always do.”
Before Lucas could answer, her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Ms. Carter?”
“Yes?”
“This is Daniel Price. I’m calling on behalf of Hartwell Development.”
Evelyn immediately became suspicious.
“Why?”
“Mr. Hartwell would like to offer you temporary employment.”
She almost laughed.
“Tell Mr. Hartwell I’m not interested.”
Daniel paused.
“The position pays twenty-five hundred dollars per week.”
Silence.
Lucas looked at her.
Evelyn sighed.
“What kind of work?”
“Academic coordination for a foundation project.”
“Why me?”
“You impressed him.”
She almost hung up.
Then Lucas glanced at the overdue tuition notice.
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“Send me the contract.”
That afternoon, Adrian reviewed her file.
Top academic marks.
Multiple jobs.
No criminal record.
No financial ties to the men he suspected.
Still, one detail bothered him.
Her father.
Thomas Carter.
Former senior employee at Hartwell Development.
Deceased eleven years earlier.
Adrian stared at the name.
He remembered it.
His mother had once mentioned Thomas in a conversation she never wanted repeated.
He closed the file.
“Find out everything.”
Daniel nodded.
“About Evelyn?”
“About her father.”
