CHAPTER 4

Evelyn climbed the stairs to her apartment, feeling completely drained. Another rejection - her fifth one this week. They'd barely glanced at her resume before showing her the door. Each day left her feeling like she was running out of options.

While digging for her keys, her apartment door suddenly opened. She looked up to find Mia Chen standing there, her long black hair falling over her shoulders. Even though Mia was the daughter of Vitalis Pharmaceutical's CEO, she never acted like it mattered.

She loved Evelyn like a sister and couldn't care less about their different backgrounds.

"Oh honey," Mia sighed, seeing her friend's sad face. She pulled her into a hug. "No luck today either?"

Evelyn hugged her best friend back tightly. They'd been friends for seven years, ever since college. They were an unlikely pair - the struggling orphan and the rich heiress. But their friendship was stronger than any of that.

"They took one look at my resume and pretty much pushed me out," Evelyn mumbled into Mia's shoulder, breathing in her friend's expensive perfume.

Mia led her to the couch and disappeared into the kitchen, coming back with a half-empty wine bottle she'd brought from her place. She'd had a feeling Evelyn might need it today.

"Their loss. You're the best bartender in the city. They're idiots for not seeing that."

Evelyn kicked off her shoes and dropped her bag with a sigh. "Try telling that to my empty bank account and Jake's medical bills."

As Mia poured the wine, something fell from Evelyn's bag. She picked up what looked like a business card. "Wait a minute. What's this?"

Evelyn's eyes went wide. It was the same bag from that night with Ethan - she'd forgotten his card was still in there. She hadn't even realized she'd grabbed the same bag for her interview.

She reached for the card but Mia moved away, reading it with wide eyes. "Ethan Maverick? The Ethan Maverick? How did you get this?"

Evelyn groaned and finally snatched the card back. "Some rude guy who acts like the world revolves around him." She noticed Mia's shocked face. "Wait, you know who he is?"

"Know him?" Mia couldn't believe her friend had no idea. "Evie, he's only one of the richest and most powerful people in the city! How did you meet him?"

They sat down with their wine. Evelyn took a big sip before answering. "Remember that night at the Rusty Nail? The one that got me fired?"

Mia nodded, already worried about what she might hear. She knew how her friend could get when she was angry.

"Well, Mr. Important was my last customer. He was being a total jerk, so I... kind of dumped some wine on him."

"You did what?" Mia almost choked on her drink.

Evelyn just shrugged. "He had it coming. Then I ran into him again last night. Literally. He almost hit me with his car."

"And he gave you his card?" Mia leaned forward, knowing there had to be more to this story. She knew enough about Ethan Maverick to know he didn't just hand out his card for no reason.

"Yeah, something about a 'mutually beneficial arrangement.' Whatever that means." Evelyn rolled her eyes and finished her wine.

Mia grabbed Evelyn's shoulders and shook her gently. "Evie, this could be your chance!" Her eyes were wide as she stared at her friend. "A guy like that could solve all your problems with a snap of his fingers."

Evelyn shrugged her hands off and stood up. She couldn't believe what she was hearing from her own best friend. "Or create a whole bunch of new ones. I don't need his charity." She was tired of everyone trying to fix her life.

"I'm going to take a bath. Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and this whole nightmare will be over." She walked away, leaving Mia alone in the living room.

As soon as the bathroom door shut, Mia's eyes went to the business card on the coffee table. She stared at it for a long moment, her fingers hovering over it while she thought hard. She couldn't just sit here and watch her friend suffer, could she? Jake needed help, and Evelyn was too stubborn to take it.

She snatched up the card and grabbed Evelyn's phone. Her hands were shaking as she opened the message app and typed: "Mr. Maverick, this is Evelyn. I've reconsidered your offer. When can we meet?"

She hit send before she could chicken out, then sat there drumming her fingers nervously on her leg. The reply came so fast it made her jump:

"La Bella Rosa, tomorrow at 1 PM. Don't be late."

Mia quickly deleted the messages and threw the phone back onto the couch just as the bathroom door opened. Evelyn came out wrapped in a towel, her hair dripping wet and stuck to her neck.

Mia tried to act normal. "Feel better?"

Evelyn nodded and ran a hand through her wet hair. "A little. What's got you looking so... shifty?"

Mia's eyes got big for a second before she caught herself. She had to think fast. "Oh! I just remembered something. There's another place you could try for a job. My brother's restaurant is hiring."

Evelyn's face lit up. "Wow, and you're just telling me about this now?"

"It slipped my mind earlier." Mia tried to ignore the guilt in her stomach. "You know how scatterbrained I can be sometimes. Anyway, they're looking for experienced bartenders. The pay is great, and the tips are even better."

"That sounds perfect!" Evelyn smiled for the first time that day. "When can I go in for an interview?"

Mia bit her lip and crossed her fingers behind her back. "Actually, they have an opening tomorrow at 1 PM. I can give you the address. It's this fancy place called La Bella Rosa."

Evelyn ran forward and hugged her tight. "You're a lifesaver, Mia! I don't know what I'd do without you."

Mia hugged her back, feeling worse by the second. "What are friends for?" she mumbled, praying that Evelyn wouldn't hate her forever after this.

************

The next morning, they were in Mia's bedroom surrounded by clothes everywhere. Mia walked around Evelyn, fixing the black dress she was wearing. Evelyn kept pulling at it, clearly not comfortable with how tight it was. "This is the fifth dress, Mia. It's just a job interview, not a red carpet event."

She stared at herself in the mirror. The dress showed off her figure perfectly, making her look elegant. Mia had picked out silver heels and a small fancy clutch to go with it.

"This feels like overkill for a restaurant job."

Mia kept messing with the dress even though it looked fine. "La Bella Rosa is one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city. You can't just go in there looking like you're applying at a fast-food joint. Trust me, this is perfect."

Evelyn sighed. "If you say so. I just hope I don't trip and fall flat on my face."

"Of course not," Mia said, grabbing her car keys. "I'll drive you. We can't risk you getting all wrinkled on public transport."

They got in the car and drove to the restaurant. When they pulled up, Evelyn's mouth fell open. The building was super modern, all shiny glass and steel. "Wow, your brother owns this place? How did I not know about this?"

Mia's hands got tighter on the wheel. How was she going to explain this? As they got closer to the door, she suddenly stopped walking. "Evelyn, I'm so sorry. I had to do something. You were running out of options and-"

Evelyn turned to look at her, totally confused. "Sorry? What are you talking about?"

Then she looked through the windows and got her answer. There was Ethan Maverick, sitting at a table looking all important in his expensive suit. His grey eyes found hers, and that annoying smirk spread across his face.

Everything clicked in Evelyn's head at once. She spun around to face Mia, absolutely furious. "You set me up?"

Mia stepped back, looking scared even though she knew this was coming. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to help. I have to go." Then she turned and ran, leaving Evelyn standing there alone.

"This wasn't my idea," she hissed as she approached Ethan's table, painfully aware of how out of place she felt in Mia's borrowed dress. "As you can clearly see, I've been manipulated into this little meeting. So if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking my leave now."

She turned to leave but his voice stopped her cold.

"I wonder how many more job rejections you can handle."

Evelyn froze on her tracks and turned slowly already dreading what was coming next. "What are you talking about?"

Ethan leaned back in his chair. "Those bars, those restaurants – all those perfectly reasonable excuses? My doing." He took a casual sip of water and watched her reaction through the glass. "Amazing how quickly doors close when the right person makes a phone call."

The pieces clicked together in her mind. All those interviews where they barely glanced at her resume. The way they couldn't get her out fast enough. Her spotless work history meant nothing because this man had already decided her fate.

"You bastard," she snarled, marching back to the table. Several other customers turned to stare, but she was past caring. "What the hell do you want from me?"

He gestured to the empty chair across from him. "Take a seat, unless you fancy permanent unemployment. My influence runs deep, Evelyn."

She wanted to throw his water in his face – maybe make it a habit – but she had no choice. With a growl of frustration, she dropped into the chair. "Five minutes. Then I'm out of here."

Without a word, Ethan pulled out his phone and slid it across the table. A news article glowed on the screen, its headline making her eyes widen: "Ethan Maverick's Secret Life: Is the Maverick Heir Gay?"

"Quite the predicament I find myself in," he said.

"What does this..." She pushed the phone back towards him. "How is this my problem?"

His grey eyes locked onto hers. "It's about to become your problem, Evelyn. I need a wife. A contract marriage, to be precise. And you're the perfect candidate to help salvage my image."

"What?" She choked on the word, nearly spitting out the water she'd just sipped. "You've lost your mind. Why on earth would I agree to that insanity?"

Ethan's smile grew wider which reminded her of a predator who knew its prey was cornered. "Desperation makes for an excellent motivator. How does five million dollars sound? For one year of marriage?"

The number hit her hard. Five million? That was more money than she'd make in five lifetimes of tending bar. But before she could process it, he spoke again.

"Ten million," he said it as casually as someone offering spare change.

Evelyn pushed her chair back and stood up. "You're delusional. I won't be bought like some commodity."

She headed for the exit, her legs shaking below her. But his next words froze her in place.

"And what about Jake? Surely his life is worth more than your pride? Think carefully, Evelyn."

Her brother's face flashed in her mind – pale and tired in that hospital bed, getting worse by the day. She squeezed her eyes shut, and walked out of the restaurant without looking back. She'd barely made it ten steps when her phone chimed. Unknown number. With trembling fingers, she opened the message:

"Final offer: Twenty million and full control over Jake's medical care. You have 72 hours to decide. Tick tock, Evelyn. Jake's time is running out."