Jason stepped off the stage five minutes later. During those five minutes, he and Evelyn shared no interaction whatsoever, while she maintained a faint smile on her face. In her earpiece, Zack's stern voice urged her more than once to engage with Jason, but she let the comments wash over her like background noise.

Jason, in a bid to defend Cecilia, intentionally left her hanging on stage, allowing her to face the embarrassment alone—and she was just going to have to deal with it! As the minutes passed, it became increasingly clear to those in the audience that her cold treatment from Jason was a form of retaliation for crossing Cecilia.

The annual meeting lasted for five hours, with countless cash prizes and giveaways keeping everyone's spirits high. It didn’t draw to a close until around ten-thirty. What Evelyn didn’t know was that over five million viewers were watching the live broadcast online.

Afterward, Evelyn's legs felt heavy and numb, and she spent a solid ten minutes in the lounge rubbing them to regain feeling. One by one, her colleagues from the television station joined her, and Zack, known for his strictness, praised everyone’s performance, casting a brief glance at Evelyn. “Your hosting and control of the event were impeccable, but remember, you must always prioritize the bigger picture and not let personal emotions affect your work.”

Evelyn forced a smile and replied, “Got it.”

Cecilia soon arrived, distributing a few red envelopes with a cold expression, claiming they were a small gesture from the company. In the end, only two envelopes remained, one of which she handed to the male host, who politely thanked her. When she passed the envelope to Evelyn, Cecilia deliberately let it slip from her hand, causing it to fall to the ground with a loud “thud.”

Evelyn bent down to pick it up, slipping it into her handbag without so much as a word of thanks. After Cecilia left, everyone began to unwrap their envelopes. The lighting technician asked Evelyn if she had offended Cecilia.

“I barely know her; there’s no question of offense,” Evelyn replied softly. The complexities of her relationship with Cecilia couldn’t be boiled down to just a few words—it was more accurate to say they were strangers.

Everyone's red envelopes contained eight thousand eight hundred dollars, and Penny curiously asked the male host how much his envelope was.

He didn’t open it; instead, he just pinched it between his thumb and forefinger and smiled, “Twenty thousand.”

“The Stark Group really lives up to its reputation as Riverton's business giant, even their red envelopes are more generous than others,” Penny remarked with genuine admiration.

Indeed, it was true. Last year, Evelyn had only been assigned to manage the corporate annual meeting and had received envelopes worth two thousand and four thousand dollars. So far, the highest amount she had seen was six thousand six hundred dollars.

Most companies only prepared red envelopes for the hosts, neglecting the rest of the staff entirely. But the Stark Group was notably generous, considering everyone’s vanity and sense of pride.

Even without looking, Evelyn guessed her red envelope contained twenty thousand dollars as it was the same thickness as the male host’s. Everyone at the annual meeting was leaving with smiles, feeling satisfied with their haul.

As she took the elevator down to the parking lot, she suddenly realized her favorite eyeshadow palette was missing. Without a moment to waste, she turned back to the upper floors. It was already past eleven, and not wanting to encroach on her colleagues’ break time, she planned to take a taxi back to 9 Bliss Garden. However, she found the makeup room door locked. Feeling awkward about troubling anyone else, she reluctantly decided to give up on her precious palette.

While waiting for the elevator, the entire floor was deserted. On a whim, she pulled out her bulky red envelope and felt its contents, confirming her guess—it really was twenty thousand.

But when she opened it, her face fell instantly! Inside lay a neat stack of colorful "death money"—fake cash used for funerals!

At that moment, Evelyn felt like a swarm of bees had buzzed into her head, buzzing incessantly. A voice urged her to calm down, while another insisted that Cecilia was going too far. She stood frozen in place, her lips pressed tight, her body trembling uncontrollably.

When the elevator doors opened, she didn’t step inside. Unable to contain her anger any longer, she strode purposefully toward Cecilia’s office.

She had only been to the Stark Group building twice before—once for a special interview with Jason, and once to host an outdoor segment for a financial news show. Unsure if Cecilia was even still in her office, she knocked forcefully on the door.

Cecilia’s office was adjacent to Jason’s, and Evelyn noticed that Jason's door was slightly ajar. Moments later, Cecilia opened the door, her expression a mix of surprise and irritation. “Miss Joy, you’re still here?”

Evelyn’s gaze was fierce as she met Cecilia’s eyes. “I need to talk to you.”

“Go ahead, I’m listening.” Cecilia crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe, clearly not planning to let Evelyn inside.

Evelyn pulled out the envelope and threw it at Cecilia’s face! The vibrant, fake money rained down on Cecilia’s head, some of the bills sticking to her face and clothes.

“Cecilia, besides seducing married men and scheming in the shadows, what else are you capable of?” Evelyn’s voice dripped with an anger she had never shown before.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Miss Joy,” Cecilia replied, quickly adopting a stance of feigned innocence.

“I kindly opened the door for Mrs. Stark, and she immediately threw fake money in my face! I want to know what I did wrong to deserve that treatment.”

Evelyn wasn’t naïve; in less than thirty seconds, Cecilia had changed her tone and demeanor—clearly putting on a show for Jason’s benefit. He must have seen everything unfold from his office.

“Too cowardly to admit your actions, Cecilia? You’re even weaker than I imagined.” Evelyn shot back without holding back. “But it makes sense; you’re just a rat in the gutter, doing things that can't see the light of day.”

“What did I do wrong? Please, Mrs. Stark, tell me clearly!” Cecilia was escalating, her eyes reddening. “Every time we meet, Mrs. Stark insults me. I’ve been putting up with it for far too long.”

“Life isn’t easy, Cecilia. You don’t have to endure it; just quit!” Evelyn noticed Jason standing behind her, but the anger still surged within her, making it impossible to rein in her emotions.

“Mrs. Stark, please don’t be angry. I’ll submit my resignation to Jason tomorrow,” Cecilia said, lowering her gaze, putting on the guise of a submissive victim.

“Cecilia, you’re just a secretary. Who gave you the right to call Jason by his first name?” Evelyn’s pent-up grievances and anger spilled over, igniting an explosive confrontation.

Cecilia’s meaningful glance fell on Jason, standing behind Evelyn. Slowly, she turned to meet his gaze.

Jason frowned slightly, his lips curving into a disapproving smile. “You’ve gone too far, Evelyn.”

His expression clearly conveyed disdain for her perceived tantrum.

Despite her resolve not to be angry, Evelyn felt her throat tighten. “Jason, Cecilia owes me an explanation.”

“What explanation?” Jason pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his fingers, absentmindedly fiddling with his lighter. “Cecilia is my subordinate. If you want an explanation, come to me.”

Evelyn’s mind went blank, feeling as if her heart had been yanked out by invisible hands and smashed to pieces on the ground.

A wave of overwhelming grievance washed over her, suffocating every breath she took. She longed to break free but felt utterly powerless.

Mustering what little strength she had left, she glared at Jason with disdain. “Jason, ask your Miss Brooks why my red envelope was filled with fake money.”

Jason’s expression froze for a moment, but before he could respond, Cecilia jumped in to defend herself.

“Mrs. Stark, there must be a misunderstanding! I packed all the envelopes in front of VP Stark. Of course, it’s possible someone switched the cash for fake money because they dislike me—”