What Katie said might not be true. Besides, she was Grace's best friend. Of course she would take Grace's side. That made her words less believable.
But Evie still couldn't stop thinking about it. Why would Katie say that? Wasn't Grace the one who broke up with Alexander? Why was Katie's story completely opposite to Alexander's?
According to Katie, Alexander was the heartbreaker. He was the one who abandoned his girlfriend. If that was true, it was unforgivable.
But Evie couldn't just believe an outsider. After all, Alexander was her husband. The man she would spend her whole life with. If she didn't trust his words but chose to believe rumors, that was absurd too. The Alexander she knew wasn't the person Katie described.
Besides, her family was going bankrupt back then. There was no way the Sterlings married her for money. After she married into the family, she got along well with her mother-in-law. She didn't think Eleanor was that kind of scheming person.
And looking at the Sterlings' power now, they didn't need marriage to help them. So Katie's words had no foundation.
But people were complicated like that. Logically, she knew it was impossible. Emotionally, she still felt uneasy.
Evie sighed. She paused her work and got up to go to the restroom. She couldn't bring her personal feelings into work. Later, she had to help Amy check a data error. If she messed up the finances, she would have to redo everything. That would cause trouble for others.
In the restroom, Evie splashed water on her face to wake up. When she came out, she ran into Alexander. He was just returning from a meeting.
Evie stopped and stared at him blankly. Alexander walked over and naturally touched her head. "Still not awake?" he asked.
"No, I've been working for a long time," she retorted. The next second, she realized something. She quickly looked around. Then she stepped back, keeping distance from him.
Alexander looked at her and shook his head. Evie looked at him pitifully. How could he be so close to her at the company? What if someone saw them?
Alexander didn't say anything more and walked toward his office. Evie lowered her head and followed him. Until Alexander asked, "Are you coming to my office with me?" She realized she had passed her own office. She quickly turned around and walked back.
Alexander watched her retreating figure and smiled. That little guy seemed distracted this afternoon.
When Evie returned to her office, she texted Alexander. "I'm having dinner with Charlotte and some classmates tonight. Don't wait for me to leave work together."
"Don't drink. I'll pick you up later," he replied.
"I know," she texted back. Then she put away her phone.
She decided to stop thinking about what Katie had said at noon. She had to trust her husband. The past was over. No matter what happened before, Alexander wasn't in her world back then. She didn't need to be upset about something that had nothing to do with her.
And no matter how deep their feelings were, Alexander and Grace had broken up. Now they were two people with no connection. So she shouldn't dwell on this past thing.
After thinking it through, Evie felt more relieved. She focused on her work and didn't let those messy thoughts interfere anymore.
Since she had plans with Charlotte, Evie told Amy she would leave on time. She went back to Sterling Manor, took a shower, and changed clothes. She grabbed her bag and told Lily she would be home late. She didn't need dinner prepared. Then she left.
The restaurant Charlotte chose was the Chinese restaurant on the second floor of the Zenith Grand Hotel. That was where she and Alexander had their wedding reception. The restaurant was famous for its specialty dishes. Last time, she was too busy to taste anything. Today, she could finally eat her fill.
The driver dropped her off at the hotel entrance. Evie got out of the car and walked into the lobby. She called Charlotte.
"Evie, are you off work?" Charlotte asked.
"I'm already downstairs. Which room are you in?" Evie replied.
"I'm in the room. I'll wait for you," Charlotte answered.
"Coming right now," Evie said. She hung up and put away her phone. She couldn't help laughing when she thought of the room name. They had been to a room called "Near Water Tower" before. The room names here were all poetic and artistic. But she still found it funny.
"Evie—"
Evie looked around and was about to walk toward the stairs when she heard someone call her name. She thought it was a classmate. She turned around and saw Grace in her uniform. Grace had her long hair curled up, looking elegant and beautiful. Her uniform fit perfectly, showing off her slender figure.
"Grace, you're on duty tonight," Evie said with a smile.
"Yes, I'm on the night shift. I saw your back just now and thought it was you. I didn't expect it was really you. Are you here for dinner?" Grace replied with a smile.
"Yes, a friend of mine just returned from abroad. A few classmates are throwing her a welcome party," Evie answered.
"I see. I thought you and Alexander were here for a candlelight dinner. The French restaurant on the second floor has a great candlelight dinner set. Many people have been booking it lately."
"I'll come try it another day," Evie nodded with a smile.
"Okay, I won't disturb your party. Contact me when you have time."
"Okay, bye."
"Bye."
Evie nodded and turned toward the stairs. Her mood was complicated. If it were before, she would have been surprised to run into Grace here. Honestly, she used to like Grace a lot. But ever since she found out Grace was Alexander's ex-girlfriend, everything had changed.
Evie didn't know how Grace could be so calm around her. Grace knew she was Mrs. Sterling. She knew Alexander and Grace had deep feelings for each other. No matter why they broke up, they had been together. But Grace always acted indifferent in front of her. She never mentioned the past between her and Alexander. It was as if they had never been together.
Evie felt she couldn't understand Grace. If she were Grace, she probably couldn't be so calm. She couldn't act like nothing had happened. The best way was to forget each other and never cross paths again.
Evie sighed. Maybe she was overthinking things. After all, so many years had passed. Maybe Grace had already moved on.