The Queen Returns—And She's Unforgiving novel Chapter 281

Graham looked up and waved Evelyn over. "There you are. This is Caleb Carter. You've probably heard of him."

Of course, Evelyn knew the man in front of her.

He was a regular figure in political briefings, international summits, and coverage of military and diplomatic matters. He was one of the highest-ranking defense officials in the country.

No matter how composed or rational she was, standing face-to-face with someone of that caliber was enough to catch her off guard.

She quickly stepped forward, polite and composed. "Hello, I'm Evelyn Reed."

Caleb shook her hand. He was warm and approachable, without a trace of his usual commanding presence. "I've heard plenty about you. Graham talks about you all the time. I finally get to meet you in person."

Evelyn glanced at Graham. He kept his usual stern expression and gave a dismissive grunt. "I barely mention her. This lady's a handful. She's too stubborn for her own good."

Evelyn smiled helplessly. "Right."

Clearly, Caleb and Graham had a solid relationship, though both were too busy to meet often. Today was one of those rare moments when they could actually sit down and catch up.

"Take a seat, Evelyn. Make yourself comfortable," Caleb said, his tone friendly and easy-going.

He continued, "I have to say, your work on the UN2 combat drone made a huge impact on our defense capabilities. I've been wanting to meet the genius behind it. I didn't expect someone this young. You really are the face of national innovation."

Graham took a sip of wine and interjected, "Don't let that go to her head."

Evelyn smiled politely.

Caleb ignored the quip and added with conviction, "I've read the two papers you published in the SCI Aerospace Journal, Tier 1. Those are definitely top-tier material."

Publishing two first-area papers in the Tier 1 Journal was no small feat. Within the field, that kind of output alone put her at a remarkably high academic standing.

That was something Caleb genuinely respected.

"We need more minds like yours in this country," he said. "But I'm curious—why did you stop pursuing academic research?"

Evelyn gave a soft, almost self-deprecating smile. "I got married. So… that happened."

Caleb raised his brows in mild surprise.

Graham cut in before anyone could say more, "She's in the middle of a divorce."

Evelyn hadn't told Graham she had already filed the papers. As far as he knew, the process was still ongoing. Since the focus today wasn't on her personal life, she let it pass without explanation.

Caleb didn't seem to think much of it either. Relationships were complicated, and even the most talented people couldn't guarantee a smooth marriage. He nodded and smoothly changed the subject.

"Anyway, that's not why we invited you today," he said. "With your skill set, we'd really like to see you contribute to our national security sector. There's an upcoming bid for a military-backed civilian defense and disaster response tech project. Any interest?"

These were high-stakes contracts—extremely selective and requiring advanced, proven technologies.

Evelyn was slightly surprised but quickly replied, "If there's an opportunity, I'd definitely be interested."

Even though it was a civilian branch project, the backing was still the military. It was a major opportunity and intensely competitive. The bidding would involve companies from all across the country.

As they were chatting, Evelyn received a call from Flying Seal Group about an urgent tech support issue with one of their partners.

He had always known the UN2 combat drone developer to be young, but to be this young and this beautiful was something he had never expected.

"You know her?" Caleb asked, genuinely curious.

Bill nodded. "We've met once. Graham, you're shady. I told you I wanted to introduce my son to her, and you didn't say a word. Did you even mention my son to her?"

Graham just sighed and muttered under his breath, clearly unamused. "You're clever enough to figure it out, but that lady's married."

He corrected instantly, "Divorcing."

Bill only raised an eyebrow at that. "Married, divorced… It doesn't matter. Who's her husband?"

Graham frowned but knew he was among trusted people. No one in this room would gossip. So, he exhaled and said coolly, "Lucas Grant from Grant Group."

Everyone knew Grant Group as they were one of the country's top-tier conglomerates.

Hearing that made Bill's face drop instantly.

Lucas? Didn't he have a girlfriend?

He had met Tiffany twice. Everyone called her his official girlfriend. And that night at the Miller family's banquet, Lucas, Tiffany, and Evelyn were all present.

His expression darkened. The tangled mess was suddenly very clear.