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
Evangeline struggled to keep her cool, trying her best to sound normal. She never thought waiting for an assistant to drop off some papers could feel like an eternity.Again, the office door clicked shut.After a heart-pounding and totally unique experience, Evangeline slumped into her chair, feeling the dampness that told its own story of her longing.Out of nowhere, she was yanked from her chair to the floor. Walter's heavy, muscular frame was on her in an instant, careful not to crush her, yet making her acutely aware of his presence."I can let the newspaper slander slide," he murmured, his breath warm against her ear, "but you're going to have to put out the fire you started… Meet you tonight, at my place."Evangeline shoved at his solid form. "In your dreams!"Walter, as if playing a game, pressed down a little more. "You'll be there."He stood up abruptly, not even fixing his clothes, and strode out of the office.All the way down the hall, under the watchful eyes of the
In the fancy restaurant, Evangeline and Hank set down their wine glasses, laughing and sharing stories from when they were kids.The candlelight flickered across Evangeline's face, highlighting her flawless makeup. She was breathtaking, and her dark red checkered dress only added to her sophisticated allure.Hank was a chatterbox, always knowing just what to say to get a big laugh out of Evangeline.Whenever he did, Evangeline felt a thrill she had not felt in ages.Everyone said a great marriage should make life even sweeter. If there was only pain, however, then it was clear as day—that marriage was a mistake.She was getting more caught up in the evening by the minute.Then, out of nowhere, her phone buzzed with a notification.It was Walter.[If you don't show up, I'll have no choice but to prove my point by releasing this video.]Beneath the message was a clip.The thumbnail showed her, cheeks rosy and looking utterly smitten.The background was unmistakable—it had been
The room was pitch dark except for the glow of Walter's cigarette. Evangeline stumbled to switch on the light, marched up to him, and demanded, "Walter, hand over that video now!"Walter let out a ring of smoke and laughed softly. "Why should I give it to you just because you say so?" He nodded toward the bathroom and ordered, "Go take a shower."He could not stand her smelling like another man."Why should I listen to you?" Evangeline snapped back, her anger boiling over with no outlet. "Fine, don't shower. I'll do it for you!" Before she knew it, Walter had scooped her up and tossed her into the bathtub, already filled with water.Walter's grip was like iron around Evangeline, pinning her in the bathtub with the water lapping at her chin. She tried to speak, but her words were drowned out by his relentless questioning."Going out to dinner dressed to kill, huh? What were you up to with that pretty boy?"His eyes, dark as a stormy night, squinted with a smile that was anything b
Walter did not wait for her to respond. He pulled Evangeline back to the bed and wrapped his arm around her, holding her close.Evangeline instinctively tried to wriggle free. "I'm really tired, I don't want—"Walter's head was filled with nonsense, and she was so over it!"What do you think? I've had a long day too. You think I'm not tired? Stay still, let's just sleep."Walter loosened his grip a bit, and Evangeline found a more comfortable spot to settle into. She only relaxed completely when she saw he really was not going to do anything else.Sleeping in Walter's arms was a brand-new feeling for her, and it was... incredibly special.Her heart raced, and she could not stop the tears that welled up in her eyes.She had expected to lie awake all night, but his arms were just too cozy, radiating the perfect warmth, and sleep came without asking.When Evangeline woke up, the morning was well underway.She bolted upright in bed to find the other side cold and empty. Walter mus
"What's up with my mouth?"Walter, caught in the middle of his culinary endeavors, stopped and glanced at her face. "I couldn't help myself."He said it with such nonchalance. It was as if he were commenting on the weather, not admitting to a stolen kiss.Then, without missing a beat, he went right back to his cooking.Evangeline just stood there, utterly flabbergasted.Walter's carefree attitude was really getting under her skin!"You're the worst. Look at what you've done to me! How am I supposed to show my face outside?"She stormed up to Walter, ready to give him a piece of her mind.She did not see it coming.As she stood there, Walter just leaned in, trapping her against the wall.Evangeline's eyes went wide. Was she... just pinned against the wall?"And let's not forget, you grabbed me out of nowhere last night, I almost had a major scandal on my hands!""That's a lie!"Evangeline tried to argue back, but Walter's hand was suddenly over her mouth.His voice was low
Six dishes and one soup, all made by Walter himself.Evangeline stared at the feast before her, utterly gobsmacked.Who would have guessed that the high-and-mighty young master of the Gordon family could whip up a storm in the kitchen?Walter noticed Evangeline spacing out again, her food untouched, and he reached over to load up her plate. "You've got to eat up if you're thinking about kids. You can't make a baby if you're malnourished."Evangeline stared at the braised vegetables in her bowl.Seriously? Was Walter on a mission to fatten her up for baby-making?Then, she heard him add, "We should swing by the hospital later for a full check-up. If all's well, we can start planning for a little one."Before Evangeline could even process this, her phone buzzed to life. It was Cole calling."Evie, Asher is on his way to Crystal Waters House to fetch you. You're due for a pre-baby doctor's visit," he said.With Trey and Walter watching, Evangeline's toes curled in embarrassment.
"What do you plan to do next?" Evangeline pressed, her mind spinning with ideas.Southern Crownlands would inevitably seek accountability; only then could the Gordon Group avoid the inevitable losses from the diamond case. Once the financial burden was lifted, the company would have the resources to deal with The Bennex Corporation.That was her assumption.Walter, however, never acted according to conventional wisdom, leaving her unsure of his next move."Nothing. I'll stay silent," he replied calmly.Gordon Group's reputation had already taken a hit. Any statement from him might not salvage the situation and could even be seen as a guilty conscience.He was not interested in pointless efforts that would only invite more criticism.Given the company's state, the only way to make a comeback was to let the negative news reach a tipping point before delivering a stunning reversal. Of course, one misstep could easily set the company's recovery back three to five years.As Walter p
"Heh..."Evangeline let out a cold laugh. Her mouth moved faster than her brain as she remarked, "Truly, we're a perfect pair. I sent my own father to prison, and you sent your own brother in as well..."Conflicted, Walter ran his fingers through his hair. "I had no choice. He's done far too much."If he had not taken action, not only would Evangeline's suffering have been for nothing, but Gordon Group would have been destroyed too.At that point, Walter would not have even had a place to stand, let alone care for the ailing Trey in bed.So many factors piled on top of one another. Even though he felt compassion, he had no choice but to harden his heart and hand Alex over.Evangeline had never seen Walter like this before. To her, he had always been proud, confident, and untouchable—someone who would never bow to anything or anyone.Watching him grip his hair in anguish, she could not help but feel moved."It's done. Since you've made your choice, don't regret it. There's no ro
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