Pauline asked, "What man?"

"Martin said he met a man at her apartment last time he was there. The man didn't seem easily intimidated, and he seemed to have a special connection with Gwenda. Mum, do you think that man is influencing her?"

Pauline pondered this, then said, "It's possible! Do you know who he is?"

"I don't think so. I've never met him. But I heard Martin say he suspects the man is the reason Gwenda's so ready to call off the engagement."

"Who on earth could it be?"

Pauline frowned, a feeling of dread washing over her.

"Should we investigate, Mum?"

"Absolutely!"

Pauline's eyes flashed with determination. "I must find out what's caused Gwenda's recent change, and I must know who this man is." She couldn't allow these changes to ruin her carefully laid plans. Gwenda Evans must remain under her control.

Gretchen remarked with satisfaction, hugging a cushion, "To be honest, I think Gwenda breaking up with Martin is a good thing. At least, I don't have to worry about sabotaging their engagement."

Pauline stared at her daughter, chastising her. "Don't be ridiculous! Don't you realize the engagement's sudden cancellation will have negative consequences for you?"

Gretchen shrugged. "Those rumors will blow over. Dad's already agreed, and the Morels don't object to what Martin's doing. The gossip will die down quickly."

"You still can't be complacent. Until we control the Evans family, we must remain vigilant. Besides, Gwenda said the feud between you isn't over."

Gretchen clenched her teeth. "Let her bring it on! I haven't avenged myself for the last time she humiliated me! I'll never lose to her!"

Pauline smiled approvingly. "Until we identify Gwenda's supporter, we do nothing. We'll resume our plans once we have the information."

"Okay," Gretchen nodded.

In the following days, Pauline dispatched numerous investigators to look into Gwenda. This soon came to Olivier's attention.

"Boss, several people have been investigating Miss Evans," Otto reported carefully to the man standing before the French windows, his back to him. They were in Olivier's office. Olivier turned, the sunlight from the windows lengthening his shadow. His brows furrowed slightly as he asked, his eyes sharpening, "Who?"

"We're still investigating. But I've blocked all information pertaining to Miss Evans; they won't find anything," Otto explained. He'd acted immediately upon noticing the investigation. He knew Gwenda's importance to Olivier.

"Good," Olivier nodded, pleased.

Seeing his boss's good mood, Otto's gossipy nature surfaced. "So, how's it going with Miss Evans, boss?"

Olivier raised an eyebrow. "Bored?"

Otto chuckled nervously. "No, it's just that Madam Melanie's been asking about you, and I didn't know what to say So"

"Grandma called you?"

"Yes," Otto confirmed. "Madam Melanie kept talking about Miss Evans, saying you've been trying to date her for two months with no progress. She said if things continue like this, she's going to intervene."

"She's going to intervene?"

The passage has been improved by:

• Correcting sentence structure: Many sentences were run-on or fragmented.
• Improving word choice: Replacing informal or repetitive words with stronger alternatives.
• Adding and removing punctuation: Correcting comma splices, adding necessary commas, and removing unnecessary ones for better flow and clarity.
• Consistent tense: Keeping the narrative in a consistent tense (mostly past tense).
• Paragraphing: Breaking the long passage into shorter, more manageable paragraphs for readability.

The final "" suggests the story continues.