Who is he?
Evelyn inhaled sharply, her gaze locking onto the familiar figure before her. "Mr. Julian?" she asked, her voice tinged with incredulity.Julian's lips curled into a measured smile, clearly pleased she recognized him. "Ms. Evelyn, there’s no need to waste your energy on someone like him. Just head home," he advised, his tone composed yet unwavering.Despite her exasperation with Andre, a pang of culpability gnawed at Evelyn. She had, after all, been the catalyst for this confrontation. Her accidental collision with his car had triggered the entire ordeal."I did hit his car first," she admitted, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "He mistook me for someone he knew, and when I denied it, he got upset. So, in a way, this started because of me."Julian inclined his head in acknowledgment but had no intention of allowing the situation to escalate. His orders were clear. Casting a glance at Andre, who remained sprawled on the pavement, he reached into his pocket and produced a
Evelyn adjusted the rearview mirror, her gaze softening as she glanced at her two children in the backseat. "So, how was your first day of school?" she asked, her voice warm with curiosity.Liam, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly brightened. "It was great, Mommy!" he exclaimed, reaching over to squeeze Lily’s hand. "Right, Lily?"Unlike her brother’s enthusiasm, Lily’s smile was forced. "Y-yeah," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.Evelyn’s brows knitted together as she caught the hesitation. "Oh? Really? What did you two do today?" she probed gently, sensing there was more to the story.Liam launched into an animated retelling of his day—dancing, singing songs, learning new words, and making friends. He described how their classroom was decorated with bright posters, how the teacher had read them a story, and how he had played soccer during recess with some of the other boys. Evelyn listened patie
Evelyn took a deep breath, then explained her run-ins with Adam. She told Anita how he stared at her suspiciously, commented on her familiar scent, and even questioned if they’d met before.Anita listened closely, her chin resting on her hand as she took it all in. "Are you going to ask him for anything?" she asked gently when Evelyn finished."Ask Adam Dean for what? Compensation?" Evelyn scoffed, flopping back against the couch. "He’d think I was just another woman trying to milk him for cash," she replied with a sigh, recalling Rena’s earlier stories about Adam. "He’s a regular Casanova; he’s used to women chasing after him.""Then, are you still planning to work there?" Anita asked, guilt tinging her voice. She had encouraged Evelyn to return to New Santerra in the first place. "I could help you find something else.""No need," Evelyn replied firmly. Getting into Eden Entertainment was a big step, and the job benefits wer
The next morning, Evelyn arrived at the office, her long legs accentuated by tailored black pants paired with a deep navy blouse. Her straight hair was half-tied, framing her sharp, elegant features. As she walked through the office, she remained oblivious to the admiring glances of several male employees.Reaching the office door Rena had pointed out the other day, she knocked lightly before stepping inside. “Excuse me,” she said, her voice soft yet clear.Inside, two desks faced each other. One was occupied by a woman in her thirties with impeccably styled wavy hair. She wore a white blouse with a plunging neckline and a fitted pencil skirt, her attire emphasizing her curvaceous figure.At the sound of Evelyn’s voice, the woman turned sharply, her eyes narrowing as if irritated by the interruption. She gave Evelyn a slow, deliberate once-over, her gaze dripping with judgment.“You must be Evelyn Sinclair,” she said in a cli
“What did you just say?!” Evelyn’s sharp voice rang through her office. Her face turned pale as she hastily gathered her things, keeping her phone pressed against her ear. “How could you not notice the kids were gone?!” she snapped, revealing a fiercer side of herself.Dealing with Linda’s impossible demands had been bad enough, but now the nanny she trusted to care for Liam and Lily had failed to notice them disappearing. How could this happen?Struggling to stay calm, Evelyn ordered the panicked nanny on the other end of the line, “Report it to building management immediately. Ask them to check the security cameras. I’m coming ho—”“Mommy!”The loud cry from the doorway stopped Evelyn mid-sentence. Two little figures came sprinting toward her, throwing their tiny arms around her waist. Evelyn’s eyes widened in shock as she dropped to her knees instinctively.“Liam
Lily’s innocent question left Evelyn gaping, while Julian struggled to suppress a laugh. Adam, however, remained silent, seemingly weighing the best response to give the little girl.Not wanting the situation to escalate further, Evelyn quickly stepped forward. “L-let me take Lily, sir. Sorry for the trouble,” she said, reaching out her arms.Seeing Evelyn’s hands outstretched, Adam handed Lily back to her. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he hesitated. A part of him felt reluctant to let go of the cheerful little girl, as if he was already fond of her—a strange and unfamiliar feeling, especially for someone like Adam Dean, who had never particularly liked children.As he passed Lily over, Adam’s hand accidentally brushed against Evelyn’s. The brief contact sent a jolt through both of them, their gazes locking for a fleeting moment. The room seemed to still, thick with an unspoken tension neither could quite explain.
A sharp scoff escaped Adam’s lips. “If you were truly capable, your children wouldn’t have almost gone missing,” he said bluntly.Julian, who had been silently observing with amusement, blinked in surprise at his boss’s words.In an instant, the atmosphere shifted. What had been a mildly tense exchange between Adam and Evelyn now felt charged, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.‘Why does it feel like they’re fighting?’ Julian wondered, puzzled.Adam wasn’t the type to involve himself in matters that didn’t directly impact him. So, what was this?Even the twins, Liam and Lily, began sensing the shift in the air.Without hesitation, Liam stepped forward, planting himself protectively in front of Evelyn.“Mommy is amazing! Mommy is responsible! Mean Uncle isn’t allowed to scold Mommy!” Liam declared boldly, puffing up his chest like a miniature knigh
“I’m so sorry, ma’am,” Helena, the nanny, said, bowing deeply in front of Evelyn. Her reddened eyes made it clear she had been crying. “I’ve been so careless,” she admitted, taking full responsibility for what had happened earlier that day.Evelyn sighed softly, seated across from Helena in the living room. “I hope this doesn’t happen again, Helena,” she said firmly, though her tone remained calm. “I hired you to take care of my children, and I need you to be more cautious moving forward.”Helena’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise. “You’re not firing me?” she asked, stunned by Evelyn’s words. She had fully expected her employer to let her go after her mistake.Evelyn’s lips curved into a faint smile. “As long as you promise not to repeat this mistake, I’ll give you another chance,” she said.Helena’s face brightened instantly, a broad smile spreading across her lips. “Yes, ma’am! I promise!” she exclaimed, her voice brimming with relief.Evelyn knew her children better tha
[KerRea10: Oh, so this is why Linda, Mr. Ryan’s assistant, got fired? She’s pretty, so people are defending her?][Gulali29: Nah, Linda was the problem. She kept dumping work on others, so she got what she deserved.][Renata123: @KerRea10 Linda was just bad at her job. She got fired, and that’s fair. Why blame someone just because they’re pretty? Sounds jealous.][Gulali29: @Renata123 Maybe jealous because Mr. Julian already has someone in mind! I’m jealous too, but at least I know I’m not on the same level as the new secretary.][Renata123: @Tria22 Hahaha, let’s hope they’re really a perfect match!]Julian’s eyes widened as he scrolled through the Instagram comments. "What the hell?!" His grip on his phone tightened, his jaw clenching. Of course, this gossip page—one notorious for spilling insider drama from Eden Entertainment—was now dragging him into the mess. "I need to find out
“No need, ma’am. The man on that day left without causing any trouble, and he returned my card,” Julian replied casually.Hearing that, Evelyn sighed in relief. At least Andre hadn’t complicated things further, sparing her the ordeal of paying him off. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said with a soft smile.Though she owed Julian nothing, Evelyn felt grateful for how he had helped her handle Andre Sterling’s unwelcome intrusion.An idea crossed her mind—perhaps she could give him a small gift in return.“What’s your favorite food, Mr. Julian?” Evelyn asked suddenly, catching both Julian and Rena off guard.‘Whoa, go for it, Ms. Evelyn! I support this!’ Rena cheered internally, her mind running wild with possibilities. She assumed Evelyn was trying to flirt with Julian.Though Julian wasn’t in the same league as Adam in terms of status, his tall fr
Evelyn? Ms. Evelyn!”The sound of her name, accompanied by a hand waving in front of her face, snapped Evelyn out of her daze. “R-Rena?” she stammered, blinking as she registered the presence of her younger colleague. “Oh, hi,” she added hesitantly, still disoriented.Rena smiled sympathetically, used to Evelyn’s occasional moments of absentmindedness. Standing in line behind Evelyn at the office cafeteria, she asked, “So, how was your first day yesterday?”Evelyn forced a smile as she pointed to one of the dishes for the server. “It was … fine, I think?” she said uncertainly. Memories of her encounter with Linda flashed in her mind. “Although, as you said, Ms. Linda is … difficult.”Rena grabbed her food and followed Evelyn to a table, waving off a coworker to indicate she’d be sitting with the new secretary. “Everyone’s already heard about what happened yesterday,” Rena said casually as they sat across from each other.Evelyn froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. “What do you mean?”
“I’m so sorry, ma’am,” Helena, the nanny, said, bowing deeply in front of Evelyn. Her reddened eyes made it clear she had been crying. “I’ve been so careless,” she admitted, taking full responsibility for what had happened earlier that day.Evelyn sighed softly, seated across from Helena in the living room. “I hope this doesn’t happen again, Helena,” she said firmly, though her tone remained calm. “I hired you to take care of my children, and I need you to be more cautious moving forward.”Helena’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise. “You’re not firing me?” she asked, stunned by Evelyn’s words. She had fully expected her employer to let her go after her mistake.Evelyn’s lips curved into a faint smile. “As long as you promise not to repeat this mistake, I’ll give you another chance,” she said.Helena’s face brightened instantly, a broad smile spreading across her lips. “Yes, ma’am! I promise!” she exclaimed, her voice brimming with relief.Evelyn knew her children better tha
A sharp scoff escaped Adam’s lips. “If you were truly capable, your children wouldn’t have almost gone missing,” he said bluntly.Julian, who had been silently observing with amusement, blinked in surprise at his boss’s words.In an instant, the atmosphere shifted. What had been a mildly tense exchange between Adam and Evelyn now felt charged, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.‘Why does it feel like they’re fighting?’ Julian wondered, puzzled.Adam wasn’t the type to involve himself in matters that didn’t directly impact him. So, what was this?Even the twins, Liam and Lily, began sensing the shift in the air.Without hesitation, Liam stepped forward, planting himself protectively in front of Evelyn.“Mommy is amazing! Mommy is responsible! Mean Uncle isn’t allowed to scold Mommy!” Liam declared boldly, puffing up his chest like a miniature knigh
Lily’s innocent question left Evelyn gaping, while Julian struggled to suppress a laugh. Adam, however, remained silent, seemingly weighing the best response to give the little girl.Not wanting the situation to escalate further, Evelyn quickly stepped forward. “L-let me take Lily, sir. Sorry for the trouble,” she said, reaching out her arms.Seeing Evelyn’s hands outstretched, Adam handed Lily back to her. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he hesitated. A part of him felt reluctant to let go of the cheerful little girl, as if he was already fond of her—a strange and unfamiliar feeling, especially for someone like Adam Dean, who had never particularly liked children.As he passed Lily over, Adam’s hand accidentally brushed against Evelyn’s. The brief contact sent a jolt through both of them, their gazes locking for a fleeting moment. The room seemed to still, thick with an unspoken tension neither could quite explain.
“What did you just say?!” Evelyn’s sharp voice rang through her office. Her face turned pale as she hastily gathered her things, keeping her phone pressed against her ear. “How could you not notice the kids were gone?!” she snapped, revealing a fiercer side of herself.Dealing with Linda’s impossible demands had been bad enough, but now the nanny she trusted to care for Liam and Lily had failed to notice them disappearing. How could this happen?Struggling to stay calm, Evelyn ordered the panicked nanny on the other end of the line, “Report it to building management immediately. Ask them to check the security cameras. I’m coming ho—”“Mommy!”The loud cry from the doorway stopped Evelyn mid-sentence. Two little figures came sprinting toward her, throwing their tiny arms around her waist. Evelyn’s eyes widened in shock as she dropped to her knees instinctively.“Liam
The next morning, Evelyn arrived at the office, her long legs accentuated by tailored black pants paired with a deep navy blouse. Her straight hair was half-tied, framing her sharp, elegant features. As she walked through the office, she remained oblivious to the admiring glances of several male employees.Reaching the office door Rena had pointed out the other day, she knocked lightly before stepping inside. “Excuse me,” she said, her voice soft yet clear.Inside, two desks faced each other. One was occupied by a woman in her thirties with impeccably styled wavy hair. She wore a white blouse with a plunging neckline and a fitted pencil skirt, her attire emphasizing her curvaceous figure.At the sound of Evelyn’s voice, the woman turned sharply, her eyes narrowing as if irritated by the interruption. She gave Evelyn a slow, deliberate once-over, her gaze dripping with judgment.“You must be Evelyn Sinclair,” she said in a cli
Evelyn took a deep breath, then explained her run-ins with Adam. She told Anita how he stared at her suspiciously, commented on her familiar scent, and even questioned if they’d met before.Anita listened closely, her chin resting on her hand as she took it all in. "Are you going to ask him for anything?" she asked gently when Evelyn finished."Ask Adam Dean for what? Compensation?" Evelyn scoffed, flopping back against the couch. "He’d think I was just another woman trying to milk him for cash," she replied with a sigh, recalling Rena’s earlier stories about Adam. "He’s a regular Casanova; he’s used to women chasing after him.""Then, are you still planning to work there?" Anita asked, guilt tinging her voice. She had encouraged Evelyn to return to New Santerra in the first place. "I could help you find something else.""No need," Evelyn replied firmly. Getting into Eden Entertainment was a big step, and the job benefits wer