Sandra sat at her desk, fingers flying across her keyboard as she worked through thetest project reports. The office was quiet, save for the tap-tap sound of her keyboard. It was the kind of afternoon when the minutes dragged, and yet she was too focused on her tasks to notice.


    With Evelyn working directly with her, she had to work extra hard now since she could tell Evelyn was looking for an excuse to use her of shirking her duties.


    Her phone buzzed on the desk, pulling her from her work. A sense of unease settled in her stomach when she nced at the screen and saw Michael''s name disyed there. Taking a deep breath, she received the call.


    "What''s up, babe?" Michael''s voice came through, calm and to the point. "Any luck getting rid of the video from Evelyn''s phone yet?"


    Sandra sighed, frustrated. She had tried, but Evelyn was too careful, always keeping the phone close. "No," she admitted, "I haven''t been able to get to it. She''s been more guarded than usual.


    If I didn''t know better, I''d think she knew what I was up to. Or maybe she knows. She acts like a know-it-all witch."


    Michael exhaled loudly, and she could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Forget it then," he said finally, "it''s been days already, and seeing as my aunt hasn''t done anything, it seems she listened to me and decided not to pursue the hotel incident. Let''s leave it alone for now. We will get it when she leases suspects."


    Relief washed over Sandra. That video had been a constant worry guing her mind. Michael''s next words made her heart skip.


    "Let''s meet after work tonight," he said. "Come over to my ce."


    Sandra''s eyes flicked around the quiet office, instinctively lowering her voice. "Won''t that be risky? You never can tell who is watching us."


    Michael chuckled dismissively. "At this point, I think my ce is safer for us. You can leave your car and take a cab. I''ll be waiting."


    Before Sandra could respond, her phone chimed with another iing call. She nced at the screen, and a smile lit her face when she saw that it was Derek''s mom.


    "Mike, I have to call you back," she said hurriedly. "Your aunt is on the other line."


    "Alright," Michael said. "Let me know what she says when you''re done."


    Sandra ended the call with Michael and immediately switched to Mrs. Stones. Forcing her voice into a bright, respectful tone, she greeted, "Hello, Reba. How are you doing today?"


    Although hearing Sandra address her so casually now grated on her nerves, she tried to keep her calm. "I''m fine, my dear. Are you busy? I''d like to go shopping, and I was hoping you could apany me," she said in her usual cheerful voice.


    Sandra''s heart leaped. An invitation to shop with Derek''s mother was another opportunity to secure her ce in the Stone family, and it was not one she could pass up. "No, I''m not busy at all," she lied smoothly. "Where would you like me to meet you?"


    "I will text you the details now. See you soon""" she said before hanging up.


    As soon as the call ended, Sandra''s lips curved into a smile of triumph. She quickly gathered her things, eager to make a good impression.


    On her way out of the office, she noticed Evelyn''s desk was empty.


    Sandra paused, her brows knitting together. Where had Evelyn gone?


    She was tempted to investigate but decided against it. Whatever Evelyn was up to, it didn''t matter right now. Mrs. Stone was waiting, and this was far more important.


    As Sandra drove to the upscale mall not too far away, she called Michael to let him know she was meeting up with his aunt. Thest thing she wanted was for Michael to get in her way now. She could always get rid of him after achieving her goal.


    By the time Sandra arrived at the restaurant within the mall, Mrs. Stone was already seated, sipping a ss of wine, and looking poised and elegant as usual.


    She greeted Sandra with a sweet smile. "Thank you foring on such short notice, darling."


    "It''s my pleasure. I''m happy to help with whatever you need" Sandra said with a bright smile, eager to please her.


    They soon headed to the boutique nearby, and as they walked through the rows of high-end clothing and essories, Mrs. Stone began picking out items.


    She handed them to Sandra, who dutifully carried everything withoutint. Sandra''s arms ached, but she didn''t let it show.


    She wanted Mrs. Stone to see her as reliable, as someone who could handle anything.


    Although Mrs Stone knew that the load was too much for Sandra, she heaped on more and more items that she didn''t need. This was her own petty way of making Sandra suffer for making a fool of her. This was the best she could do for the time being until everything was revealed and she received proper punishment.


    After several hours of shopping, they sat down to catch their breath and ordered two sses of iced coffee. Mrs. Stone eyed Sandra over the rim of her ss before speaking. "My 60th birthday ising up soon."


    Sandra''s eyes widened with excitement. "That''s wonderful! You must be so excited. Do you have ns for the celebration?"


    Mrs. Stone nodded, her gaze steady on Sandra. "Yes, and I''d like you to help me n it."


    Sandra''s heart soared. This was huge. Helping Mrs. Stone with her birthday party would not only solidify her ce in the family but might also bring her closer to Derek. "Of course! I''d be honored to help. What kind of event are you thinking of?"N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Mrs. Stone took a slow sip of her coffee. "Something intimate.


    Just the families- my family and yours."


    "


    Sandra blinked, surprised. "My family? Does that mean my parents are invited too?"


    Mrs. Stone nodded. "Yes. Your parents will be there. It''s going to be a significant night."


    Sandra''s cheeks flushed, her mind racing. Was Mrs. Stone hinting that Derek might propose to her at the party? She could hardly contain her excitement. "I''ll make sure it''s a perfect evening," she promised. "You won''t have to worry about a thing."


    Mrs. Stone leaned back in her chair, her expression unreadable. "I don''t want anything extravagant, just something that brings the families together," she said since the party Sandra was nning wasn''t going to be the main event.


    Sandra nodded eagerly, already imagining the grand event she could pull together. "Leave it to me," she said confidently. "I''ll take care of everything."


    There was a pause, and then Sandra hesitated before adding,


    "Would it be alright if I invited Evelyn? I know you''re not very fond of her, but she''s still family, and it would be nice for her to be there, even if she is... you know, the ck sheep of our family."


    Mrs. Stone''s lips thinned into a slight smile. "As long as you can guarantee that she won''t cause any trouble, I suppose she cane."


    Sandra smirked inwardly, already picturing Evelyn''s shock when she saw her standing beside Derek, wearing an engagement ring. "She won''t cause any trouble," Sandra promised, her voice sweet.


    "I''ll handle her."


    As they finished their coffee and prepared to leave, Sandra''s mind buzzed with ns. The party was going to be her moment. Evelyn would be humiliated, and she would finally secure her ce by Derek''s side.


    She just had to y her cards right.