It was the midnight showing, so the restroom was practically a ghost town. Roslyn checked stall after stall—nothing but echoes.What Roslyn did not know was that Evangeline was trapped, just one stall over, her heart pounding in her chest. She had heard Roslyn's calls but before she could yell back. Walter's hand was clamped over her mouth, silencing her desperate cries.Evangeline fought like a wildcat, but Walter's grip was unbreakable, his hands like iron against her lips.The stall was too big and Walter had her pinned down, leaving her with only one leg free, desperately trying to kick the door to make some noise, to signal Roslyn. It was not enough, however.She was about to lose hope when Roslyn's voice grew nearer. 'Please, just a few more steps,' Evangeline prayed silently, 'you're so close to finding me..."Then, Walter's chilling whisper slithered into her ear, a dark promise that sent shivers down her spine. "Do you really think Roslyn showing up is going to save you?
The bodyguards stationed outside caught every word of Roslyn's outburst.Suddenly, a group of muscular men stormed into the restroom, pulling Roslyn to the side. The head bodyguard stepped forward with a stern reminder."Mr. Walter Gordon, we're here to ensure the lady's safety. You're putting us in a tough spot. Let her go now, or I'll have to step in!"Walter could not shake the image of Evangeline's face, the memory of her snide comments about him needing a urologist boiling his blood. He was so ticked off that he could not bear to look at her one more second.He had not even waited for the bodyguards to kick the door open; he did it himself. As he was about to step through, however, he spotted a guy with dreadlocks and punk-rock vibes standing among the bodyguards. The guy had looked all kinds of worried, his face scrunched up in anxiety.Walter's eyes narrowed to slits, his gaze cutting like a laser.If his memory served him right, this had been the dude who had hit it off w
Walter's mood soured as the head bodyguard brushed past him. The guy was a thorn in his side, and Walter vowed to make him vanish from Avalon City for good.The drama in the restroom wrapped up, and the bodyguard, Matthew, and the rest of the men knew it was time to clear out.Evangeline, totally spent from the ordeal, slumped against the cubicle wall, panting hard. "Walter is the worst!" she fumed.She felt like she could explode with frustration because of him.Meanwhile, Roslyn, who had just snapped out of her daze, blurted out without thinking, "Evie, about the movie...""Forget it, Roslyn, I'm heading home."The last thing she wanted was to sit through a movie.Evangeline figured it just was not her day. She had not checked the horoscope before leaving home, which must have been why she kept bumping into Walter, the walking disaster."Okay, I'll walk you home." Roslyn understood where Evangeline was coming from. She had suggested the movie just to keep Evangeline out a bit
Evangeline's eyes narrowed as she read the title.[Male Genitourinary Examination Report. Patient: Walter.]Evangeline's coffee went airborne in a surprise spit-take, narrowly missing the stack of papers on her desk. Seriously, Walter truly went to the urologist?She only booked that appointment to rib him a little, never thinking he would actually go through with it. Hey, since he did, she might as well sneak a peek at the results.She had barely cracked open the report when she caught Wade trying to snoop. "Ahem! I'm good here, Wade. Why don't you grab some lunch?" she said, shooing him out the door.With Wade gone, she flipped through the report, her cheeks turning 50 shades of red with each page. By the time she slammed her fist down on the last page, her face was a full-blown tomato. She had just wanted to check if Walter was healthy, not get the lowdown on his, well, everything—size, performance, even his swimmers' stats!Evangeline did not hesitate, dialing Walter's number
"Come on, spill the beans about the latest office drama. It's no fun when you leave me out of the loop."David's voice had been persuasive, yet there was an odd, almost naughty command to it.The man's face went white for a moment. Then, as if struck by a thought, he grinned bashfully.Seeing David's growing impatience, he leaned in and whispered as if he were sharing state secrets,"This is sort of embarrassing, so I'm not going to just blurt it out. David, head over to the chill zone, second magazine rack on the left, and grab today's morning paper. Check out the entertainment section's front-page story, and you'll be all caught up."He finished with a flourish, "Trust me, you won't regret it!"David scowled. "Sounds like a hassle. What if I do regret it?"The guy made a dramatic slicing motion across his neck, then tousled his hair, as if he were about to deliver some earth-shattering news.David was not into pointless tasks; the guy's air of mystery and confidence was too i
At the Foster Group's headquarters, Walter stormed in, his hand thudding down on the reception desk as he had demanded, "Where's Evangeline? I need to see her, now!"Their past relationship was common knowledge among the Foster Group staff.The receptionist, recognizing Walter instantly, hesitantly pointed him in the right direction, bending the rules. "Sixteenth floor, conference room. Just head straight down the hall and turn left for the private elevator."In the conference room, Evangeline was busy directing Wade to hand out documents to the executives. She was just about to introduce a promising new talent she had worked hard to recruit when a loud bang echoed from the door.Evangeline did not budge from her seat, only glancing up toward the commotion.Walter, clad in a sleek black trench coat, was making a beeline for the room."Mr. Walter Gordon, you can't go in there..." The young assistant, spotting Evangeline, looked like she was on the verge of tears.With a dismissiv
He could not let this opportunity to assert himself pass by, could he?Walter had totally misjudged the situation.He planned to use the handshake to show his strength, but as soon as he applied pressure, Hank's force came back at him. Seconds later, Walter was clenching his teeth, trying to hold on, while Hank was all smiles and composure.Then, Hank eased his grip, their hands parting.Walter fought the urge to massage his sore hand and sneered at Evangeline, "Never would have guessed, Evangeline. Since when did you have an old sweetheart?""What are you blabbering about?" Evangeline's face flushed with fury.Evangeline and Hank had been inseparable since their childhood days in the South, having shared a life side by side for over five years. Their bond was unbreakable.Upon catching wind that Evangeline was facing tough times, Hank did not think twice. He rushed to her side, his loyalty touching her heart deeply.Walter, the lowlife, had always been quick to put others down
Walter was floored. The Evangeline he remembered, always so eager to please, bending over backward to charm him, desperate to start a family with him, was an authoritative CEO.A newspaper smacked down on the desk with a thud.Walter demanded, his voice loaded with challenge. "What's the deal here? Out with it. Evangeline, you know I could sue you for trash-talking me like this in front of everyone, right? It's called defamation." His warning came with a legal edge to his voice.Evangeline just smirked, unimpressed, "Oh, so you can't handle a little criticism?"His incompetence?Walter's temper was ignited like a match. "You think you don't know what I'm capable of?" He was practically snarling the words, but then his anger took a sharp turn into a sly grin. "If you're questioning my skills, I'd be happy to give you a little demonstration right here, right now!"Walter looked like he was gearing up for a showdown, making a move to grab Evangeline. She sidestepped him with ease, h
As she sipped her coffee, Evangeline was deep in thought. She tried to figure out a topic that could naturally steer the conversation toward what she truly cared about.Walter, on the other hand, felt ignored.The stark contrast left him uncomfortable, but since he was the one who had invited Evangeline, he could not exactly complain.The silence as they each focused on their coffee grew increasingly awkward. Summoning his courage, Walter attempted to break it."How have you been, Evangeline?"The last time he had seen her was when he rescued her from Alex's clutches.Evangeline had been forced to take an unknown drug, leaving her feverish and burning up. However, because something urgent had happened at Gordon Group, Walter was forced to leave the Foster family's residence and deal with the crisis.Thinking back to how much Evangeline had suffered without him by her side filled Walter with guilt."I've been fine," replied Evangeline without a second thought.When Alex had dru
The work at the company had been exhausting. After the final meeting and deployment were arranged, Walter was dog-tired.Nonetheless, as he once again determined the company's fate, he felt compelled to come to the hospital. He knew he should not burden a bedridden elderly man with this kind of pressure. Thus, he simply wanted to come and check on Trey, to show concern for his condition.Walter had not expected to run into Evangeline in the hospital room.Amid the surprise, it was happiness that triumphed over all thoughts. He forgot the exhaustion from working nonstop for hours. All he could think of was spending more time with Evangeline, just a little longer.Evangeline pointed to the parking lot in the distance, politely rejecting him."I drove here. My ride is over there."Anyone who could drive knew how convenient it was to be alone in a car. Smart as Walter was, how could he not understand Evangeline's refusal?Even so, his desires got the better of him, and he did not wan
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