CHAPTER 602: CHAPTER 602: I CAN’T ACCEPT IT

"I’ll sign this contract after I’ve talked it over with Shane later."

Evelyn Clayton smiled, casually placing the document aside, "Let’s eat first."

Pauline Warren saw this and wanted to say something, but was stopped by Silas Sinclair, who pressed her hand. She swallowed her words hesitantly.

Shane Sinclair glanced at Evelyn Clayton but didn’t say anything, simply resumed eating.

The meal was reasonably harmonious, but underlying the harmony was a subtle sense of unease.

In the evening, they dispersed to go to sleep, and Evelyn naturally called Shane for a conversation.

She asked Yara Reagan to go to sleep first, while she and Shane went to the backyard garden.

The weather was very cold, but the Sinclair Family’s backyard had hot springs, and the yellow plum blossoms, which originally did not thrive in Aethelburg’s northern terrain, were blooming beautifully, filling the yard with fragrance.

Evelyn and Shane sat at the stone table.

"Say what you want to say directly." Shane posed in a gentlemanly manner.

Evelyn sighed lightly, pushing the folder she had been holding back to Shane.

"I’m sorry," Evelyn pursed her lips slightly, "I’ve thought it over, and although these things are really tempting, so tempting I can’t refuse them, I still can’t accept them."

Shane furrowed his brow slightly, "I thought we’d already agreed on the terms."

"Yes," Evelyn’s expression was calm, "I will still do what I promised, but these things are too much for me; I can’t afford to accept them."

This development was something Shane hadn’t anticipated at all.

He looked at Evelyn in a bit of a daze, "What do you mean?"

"I initially thought that your Sinclair Family doesn’t lack these things, so it wouldn’t matter if I took them, and it would make things easier for me. But I thought, if money suddenly appears in one’s pocket that doesn’t originally belong there, it’s likely to cause trouble."

Evelyn smiled gently, "Surely you must already know. I count as half a businesswoman myself... Though I’ve been short of money at times in the past, now I don’t lack it, so there’s no need for me to embellish further."

Shane watched Evelyn quietly, his eyes revealing genuine confusion after a long while: "I don’t understand. I thought no one could refuse these things."

"Yes, indeed," Evelyn nodded, "but there’s a saying: When one’s virtue does not match one’s position, calamities are bound to occur. Although you are offering for me to become a foster daughter of the Sinclair Family, which for me is indeed a difficult task, it’s not to the extent of taking away so many things."

Shane explained, "To the Sinclair Family, this is a mere drop in the ocean."

"I know, but to me, this reward is excessive," Evelyn remained calm and composed, "I’ll propose a reward condition within my capacity, rather than taking what you’ve drafted with ease."

Shane showed an understanding expression, "Alright. If there’s anything else you want, feel free to mention it. As long as it’s within my capability, I’ll do my best to fulfill it."

With Shane’s assurance, Evelyn felt no need to say more, thanked him, and left.

The next morning, Evelyn sent the conditions she drafted herself in electronic form to Shane’s inbox.

Shane arrived at his company early, opened his email, and saw the file sent by Evelyn. His eyebrows raised slightly.

He opened it to browse, and momentarily his expression grew progressively strange.

This Evelyn... truly, she surprises him every time.

After an unknown amount of time passed, Shane finally closed the file and sat quietly in contemplation.

After a while, Shane called his assistant in.

"Prepare the car, I need to make a trip to the old residence."