'Oh Evangeline, what's become of you? You are the Foster family's darling girl! How did you end up in such a mess?'Tears traced paths down her cheeks, dripping off her chin and soaking her thighs. Evangeline could not keep up with them, eventually stopping trying and letting the tears fall freely.A phrase she had once scrolled past online flashed through her mind."If being with someone doesn't make you happy, then maybe that relationship was never meant to be."Evangeline knew deep down, even if she could not face it: Marrying Walter, against her grandfather and uncles' advice, was a colossal mistake.Out of nowhere, the click of a key in the lock snapped her back to reality.The door swung open, and there was Walter, slipping a tube of white cream into his pocket as he walked in.She could not stand the sight of him, the guy who had brought her nothing but grief. She turned away, staring out the window instead.Walter, cool as ever, just moved to stand in front of the windo
Evangeline could never have imagined that after all the pain Walter had caused her, he still had the audacity to want more from her.The strength between a man and a woman was too uneven, however. Even though Evangeline's shove took him by surprise, Walter quickly steadied himself and began to peel off the pants she had just managed to put on.Evangeline's skin prickled with the anticipation of the agony that was to come."You've hurt me twice already! My legs are throbbing with pain..."She fought desperately against Walter's iron grip.Then, with a sudden squeeze of his strong arms that almost sounded like a plea, Walter urged, "Don't move! Let me check."His voice had been gentle, and his commanding touch had been careful not to hurt her, yet Evangeline's trust had long been gone."The best thing you can do for me is to keep your distance!"To Evangeline, keeping away from someone who seemed ready to pounce at any moment had been the only safe option.The more she squirmed,
Walter's tone took a sharp turn, a sly grin spreading across his face. "And as for you..." His eyes roamed over her with a look that made her skin crawl. "Given how much I'm enjoying your company these days, being stuck in bed would be getting off easy."Evangeline's mouth twisted in disgust. Stuck in bed was getting off easy? Was he implying she might end up dead? The thought sent shivers down her spine. She had heard of guys overdoing it and kicking the bucket, but was that a thing for women too?"Oh, and drop the birth control," he continued, oblivious to her discomfort. "You've been dying to have my baby, right? Well, wish granted. No more acting. If you get pregnant quickly, it'll put your grandpa's mind at rest. Who knows, without those pills, you might just get lucky this time."The mention of her sick grandfather squeezed her heart with guilt. His dearest wish was to see his great-grandchild. Evangeline was too used to clashing with Walter, and she could not help but hit bac
Walter's insistence had almost been comical to Evangeline.Really? Did she have to drink the chicken soup just because Aria had gone to all that effort?Once more, she raised her hand and pushed the bowl away, her strength catching Walter off guard."I said no, and I meant it. Besides, we're in the middle of a divorce. In the eyes of the law, Mdm. Gordon and I are nothing more than strangers."Evangeline knew Walter was smart enough to understand this, so she spared herself the harsh words.Just then, Wade burst through the door, led by the Gordon family's servant. He spotted Evangeline, pale and disheveled on the couch."Miss, what's wrong?" He was at her side in a heartbeat, understanding the situation without needing a word.Walter found himself staring into eyes brimming with animosity."Mr. Walter Gordon, you're the one responsible for my lady's condition, aren't you? Deliberate injury is a crime, and the Fosters won’t just stand by… But this isn't just about the Fosters!"
Back in her room, on the big, familiar bed, Evangeline—fresh from a bath and feeling utterly drained—dragged her damp hair and flopped down onto the sofa.The sting from earlier had lessened after cleaning up, yet it still throbbed a little.None of that seemed to matter at this moment, however.The most crucial item on her list was… The birth control pills.Evangeline rummaged through her bag with a jolt of urgency.The last time she visited the clinic, worried that a single pack of pills might not cut it, she got two.Looking back, she patted herself on the back for that smart move. Otherwise, she would be scrambling to the store for it.As she pulled out the pillbox, her eyes caught sight of a familiar tube.She perked up, her brow knitting in puzzlement.Was this not the cream Walter had given her, meant for her hurt sensitive spots?Twisting off the cap, she realized it was still sealed.She had no interest in owing Walter any favors, not even the smallest one. Nonethel
Sunnyville Cinemas was buzzing with activity, yet Evangeline stood out like a sore thumb. Clad in a simple gray dress, her face free of makeup, she waited impatiently at the entrance for her bestie, Roslyn.She kept checking her watch, and with each passing minute, her irritation grew. They were supposed to meet at 10 p.m., yet there was no sign of Roslyn even almost 30 minutes later.Without hesitation, Evangeline whipped out her phone and called Roslyn."Forget 'fashionably late,' you're just late! I've been standing out here forever freezing my butt off," she complained. "I could've watched paint dry by now!"The crowd ebbed and flowed inside the cinema, and there she was, feeling like a total dork, her face hidden behind a mask and a cap, bracing against the chilly breeze."Aw, Evie, don't be mad!" came Roslyn's sweet, apologetic voice over the phone. "I got caught up with my makeup... Oops, my bad! But look, I'm literally seconds away!"Something in Roslyn's tone did not sit
"Evie, you're acting super weird today. Are you keeping secrets from me?" Roslyn's gaze sharpened, silently waiting for Evangeline to tell the truth."Since when have I ever kept anything from you? And with the bond we share, why would I start now?" Evangeline, clueless about what was really going on, remained defiant.Roslyn was not in a rush to call her out, though. She casually flicked the movie tickets in her hand, deftly switching topics. "The movie starts in ten minutes. Let's get to the ticket check!"At that, Evangeline let out a huge sigh of relief.As long as Roslyn was not grilling her with that intense stare, she was content!While getting their tickets checked, Evangeline could not help but notice Roslyn's outfit was extra flashy today, and her makeup was on point, like she was ready for her close-up.If they were just here for a midnight flick to ogle some eye candy, Roslyn would not need to get all dolled up…"Roslyn, is there something special about this screenin
The thought jolted Evangeline, and she shook her head as if to clear it from a shock.She must have been losing it, seeing Walter's face in every crowd.Roslyn had already caught the troubled look on Evangeline's face, however.With the movie's soundtrack humming in the background, Roslyn playfully scolded, "Spill it, who did you dash off with at the Whiskey Barrel Pub that night? Leaving me by myself in the club, you almost killed me with worry!"Evangeline felt her irritation flare up at the memory. "What about you? I left, and you did not even bother to look for me?"If Roslyn had just looked for her that night, Evangeline was sure she could have avoided Walter's clutches and the injuries that followed."I..." Roslyn's lips turned down in a pout, a hint of hurt in her voice, "I had too much to drink that night. When the lights went out, I just crashed. My agent had to drag me out! I called you the moment I woke up, and your assistant told me you were together, so I stopped wor
Aria was stunned for a moment but quickly regained her composure. "Is it a special day or something? Not only is Evie home, but Walter is here, too. Now we're all here together! What a lively family reunion."Walter slowly walked into the room.Since Evangeline was sitting, he had to stand by the side.Trey felt more giddy when he saw Walter entering.Walter immediately understood Trey and quickly said, "Everything at home is fine, Grandpa. You don't need to worry. Just focus on getting better here."Trey nodded, mumbling, "The company…""The company is fine, too. Don't you trust that Alex will take care of the company? And I wasn't just loitering around after I left the company. I've been doing things I like, living quite freely!" Walter spoke lightly, his smile so bright that it was almost blinding.If Evangeline had not seen the news that had caused such a huge stir, she might have believed what Walter said.When did Walter become such a good actor?Evangeline was inwardly
Evangeline quickly walked over and helped Aria to her feet, concerned as she asked, "Mrs. Gordon, what's wrong? Is it... Is it about Grandpa Trey?"Aria looked at the young face in front of her, and only then did she realize that it was Evangeline."I'm not seeing things, am I? Evie, is it really you?" Aria wiped her eyes in disbelief, her voice tinged with surprise.Before Evangeline could respond, Aria grabbed her hand. "You're here to see Grandpa Trey, right? He's inside, still sleeping. He hasn't been feeling well lately and just keeps sleeping. I'll wake him for you!"Aria stepped toward the door, but Evangeline, upon hearing that Trey was sleeping, quickly stopped her. "Let's not wake him now. I just came to visit."Evangeline handed the gift in her hand to Aria."How can that be?"Aria took the gift and quickly replied, "You don't know this, but he lies in bed every day just hoping someone will talk to him. Walter and the others are too busy to visit. Now that you're here
Evangeline stiffened, wiping away the tears in her eyes and pushing away Roslyn's embrace."Gordon Group is under Alex's control. Why should I be worried about Walter?"Although Roslyn knew Evangeline was just being stubborn, she did not want to argue with her."Okay, okay, you're not worried about him. But what about Trey? He's in the hospital now, and we don't even know his condition. Why not visit him?"Evangeline's gaze froze.Ever since Trey fell seriously ill, she had only seen him once and had not visited since. The old man was getting on in years; every visit might be one less time she could see him. She might have severed ties with Walter, but Trey was like her own grandfather. How could she bear not to check on him since he was in such a state?Even so…"What if I run into…"Trey was Walter's grandfather. What if she showed up and found Walter there, caring for him? Would that not be awkward?Roslyn patted the back of her hand, urging her to relax. "If I hadn't see
When Walter left the company, David resigned as well. With Walter back, the likelihood of David returning was high. At that time, where would Emma's position be?Walter immediately noticed Emma's worry. "Of course Mr. Zimmer will come back, but he is seriously injured right now and can't return for the time being. Once he recovers, he'll have his place. Just focus on your work."Emma nodded, understanding his words. "So what should we do next? The press conference by The Bennex Corporation is about to start."She glanced at the time; there was still an hour before the conference began."Should we just wait for them to make their move and not respond at all?"The issue The Bennex Corporation exposed at the press conference was a devastating blow to Gordon Group.Although the Gordon Group had a solution, the public did not know that, and it still impacted their reputation. A slight mistake could lead to irreversible damage!Walter stroked his chin. "No need for a response, but whe
"I will handle both matters properly and provide a clear explanation to all shareholders within a week."Walter's working style had always been swift and decisive. With just a few words, he managed to soothe the shareholders' concerns.As soon as he finished, the room erupted in thunderous applause. Praise followed closely behind, ringing out alongside the clapping.This was exactly the effect Walter had intended. With Alex gone and Walter regaining control of the company's management, the shareholders were fully convinced and showed no dissatisfaction.The meeting concluded.Walter was the first to return to his office.Unexpectedly, Emma followed him in without waiting for instructions.After entering the office, she stood across from his desk with her head lowered, looking hesitant as though struggling to find the words to speak.The sight annoyed Walter, and he decided to break the silence. "Ms. Carter, is there something you want to say?"Ever since discovering that Emma
Walter understood—Alex was handing the company over to him.Perhaps Alex finally regretted his decision to ally with a traitorous group.Emma, who had witnessed the entire upheaval, was still in shock. She stood frozen, staring blankly at the people around her, unsure of what to do.Noticing her dazed state, Walter did not seem upset. Instead, he chuckled lightly and reminded her, "Ms. Carter? The unwelcome guest has left. Why don't you close the door now? Our meeting is about to officially begin.""Of course," replied Emma softly with a lowered head. Nonetheless, her actions were swift as she moved to shut the meeting room door.Still, every step she took was unusually heavy, filled with trepidation and caution.For the first time, Walter saw a sense of complete submission in Emma's demeanor. Even so, he did not care about any of that.If it were not for David's severe injuries preventing him from attending the meeting, none of this would have fallen onto Emma's shoulders in th
"Go ahead, play it! Don't just grab some random video online and bring it here to slander me. I won't acknowledge it!"Walter found this response amusing."My dear brother, how can you be so certain that the video I have is just something I found online?"Alex's lips curved into a smirk. "There are no cameras in the CEO's office. Even if I did do something, it wouldn't have been recorded. Really, Walter, waving that USB drive like that—who are you trying to scare?"'Was Alex determined to deny everything until the bitter end?' thought Walter.Before he could respond, Emma stepped forward. "Exactly! I can understand your desire to return to the company, but you can't tarnish our CEO's name for your own selfish motives. Don't you agree?"Walter did not respond immediately.His sharp, dark eyes swept over both Emma and Alex before he calmly inserted the USB drive into the laptop he had prepared in advance.The video quickly appeared on the screen, but instead of projecting it onto
"Impossible! How could Mr. Alex Gordon possibly do such a thing?""Exactly! They're all part of the Gordon family. If Gordon Group collapses, how would that benefit him?""Well, you never know. Don't you remember what happened back then? Mr. Alex Gordon didn't leave Gordon Group voluntarily—he was forced out by Mr. Trey Gordon and Mr. Walter Gordon!"Everything was going smoothly, and then he was suddenly kicked out. Who wouldn't hold a grudge over that?"The crowd buzzed with speculation, including Emma, who had always been loyal to Alex.She looked at Alex in disbelief. "Mr. Gordon, what he said… it's not true, is it?"Her expression was complicated, tinged with visible disappointment.The reason she had helped Alex with those things was because she cared for him. She believed that he had returned to Gordon Group to achieve something great and that Trey and Walter were just thieves who had stolen the fruits of his labor.Walter's revelations seemed to suggest that Alex had be
Alex took a deep breath, his face darkening as he demanded, "Walter, you've been removed from the company. Grandfather personally stripped you of your authority in front of all the shareholders."You have no decision-making power in any company affairs. So, please leave my meeting room immediately. Thank you!"Contrary to expectations, Walter, despite being blatantly dismissed, remained unfazed. He sat firmly in his chair, unmoved."Yes, you and Grandfather forced me out of Gordon Group. But so what? Under your leadership, in these so-called traitor's hands, Gordon Group is on the brink of collapse."As a member of the Gordon family, am I supposed to just stand by and watch you drag Gordon Group into the abyss?"He leaned back slightly, his voice calm but sharp as a blade. "Or should I let these shareholders watch you use their hard-earned money to fill a bottomless pit—one that leads straight to an unmarked grave?"Alex's face paled at the accusation, and his hand trembled as he