The Queen Returns—And She's Unforgiving

At that moment, Lucas lightly tapped the door knob of the door next to Evelyn. He turned his head and gave her a casual yet measured look. "You did well with your presentation today. Impressive."

Evelyn was caught off guard and turned to face him with a frown. However, Lucas had no intention of lingering for a chat. Right after saying that, he stepped inside his room.

Evelyn didn't get it. Still, she had no interest in wasting brainpower on him.

She entered her room. After setting the flowers down, she took a shower and methodically took her daily medication. But afterward, her sleepiness faded. She opened her laptop and started organizing rough ideas and directions for the military project.

Before she knew it, it was past 11:00 pm. Evelyn rubbed her neck and was finally ready to sleep. However, as she sat on the bed, a dull pain stirred in her abdomen. That familiar sensation came surging back.

She curled up and hugged her knees to ease the pain. Her drowsiness was gone entirely as sweat beaded on her forehead. After a while, she lay down and closed her eyes, but sleep wouldn't come to her. Her discomfort kept her tossing and turning, so she eventually gave up and got out of bed.

She rummaged for the swimsuit she had brought. Since she couldn't sleep and her body felt heavy, she figured a dip in the herbal hot springs might soothe her unease. It was past 11:30 pm now. The resort was vast, and some people were still partying elsewhere.

The hot spring area was quiet and deserted at this hour.

The swimsuit Evelyn had wasn't a conservative one-piece but a bikini. The blue hue of the swimsuit made her fair skin glow.

Her marriage with Lucas had never been warm, and Justine had once given her advice about "allure". Justine said even if Lucas felt nothing for her, he was still a man. Following that trail of thought, she bought Evelyn all sorts of swimsuits, lingerie, and intimate sleepwear to spice things up.

Evelyn had mustered the courage to try once. She had put on a nightgown that felt risque for her. She was so nervous back then that her skin went red. However, Lucas had only looked at her with a blank stare. He had shown no real interest in her.

He had said in a flat tone, "If it makes you uncomfortable, there's no need to try." After that, he didn't stay the night. He took an overseas call, brushed past her, and left without a second glance. She never knew where he went.

Later, through Mason's timeline of when Lucas met Tiffany during a Pearlia study trip, she realized he had likely gone abroad to see her that night.

After that nightgown incident when Lucas "rejected" her, all the pretty swimsuits and sleepwear Justine had picked out for her went straight to the bottom of her drawer. Content Belongs to

Now, she wasn't dressing up for anyone. She looked good just for herself.

Evelyn changed into the bikini and headed to the hot springs. But before she could step into the water, her eyes locked with a man already in the hot springs.

Lucas was lounging lazily, his long lashes glistening with mist. He looked up at Evelyn and immediately noticed the bikini, its color striking against her skin.

Evelyn was slim but not frail, and her hourglass figure made her

e. As she stepped past the

the

screen, the light shone on her skin, giving it a soft, luminous sheen. noveldrama

He paused, almost imperceptibly.