If it were not for Walter's high status, and considering how he had treated Evangeline, Roslyn would not even waste a second glance at him.Yet there she was, in the cutthroat world of entertainment, where crossing Walter could spell disaster for her career. Thus, for the sake of her paycheck, she played along."Sorry for taking up your time."Walter was not the type to apologize. With his high-flying status, people usually tripped over themselves to please him. Why would anyone be annoyed with him?He understood why Roslyn might be ticked off with him, though. Since he needed her help, he would have to suck it up, no matter how much it stung."Evangeline's been missing for days. You got any clue where she might be?"Roslyn blinked, caught off guard, before it clicked."Mr. Walter Gordon, did I hear you right? You're asking about Evie?"Walter gave a firm nod.Roslyn leaned her head on her hand. "Unless I'm mistaken, you two aren't divorced yet, right?"That question hit Walt
Walter had just put the final flourish on a contract when he grabbed the list of new names and flipped to the end to sign off. As his pen danced across the page, he shot a question over his shoulder."So, how many fresh faces are joining us as interns? Got any standouts?" Walter asked.David, who had been Walter's right-hand man for years, knew what he meant. He had the information ready, just waiting for the cue. "We've got five new interns this year. One is a real jack-of-all-trades and shines bright in the bunch. You know we've got that gap in the secretarial pool? HR is buzzing about grooming this star. If they catch your eye, boss, they're in."The HR chief was one of Trey's crew, an unbiased man who acted lawfully and abidingly. That was why, when Walter was removing Trey's people from the group, he kept this gem on board.Walter's eyebrow raised. "Impressing that old coot is no walk in the park. Who's the kid?"He fanned out the employee files he had, looking for a clue, bu
In Eastgate District, the lush and luxurious Emerald of the Highlands villa area, Evangeline lounged on a beanbag chair, soaking up the sun's rays with carefree ease.She had been living extravagantly in the villa her uncle had gifted her for several days, reveling in the kind of laid-back lifestyle she adored.These days had taught her why so many people were into the whole 'lie back and let the world spin' vibe, keen on clocking out of the rat race early.Right then, her phone buzzed. It was a call from her best friend, Roslyn. The thought of how long it had been since they last hung out brought a smile to Evangeline's face."Hey, it's been ages! What's been keeping you busy?"She secretly wished Roslyn could join her for some chill time during her self-declared vacation.Of course, being solo had its perks—peaceful yet a tad dull. However, that twinge of loneliness would sneak up on her sometimes.Roslyn was not calling to swap life updates, though, despite her hectic schedul
"No, not at all." Evangeline laughed it off, but it was clear she was faking it.How could she admit the humiliating thing Walter had done to her?"Just pretend I'm really tired lately and need a serious break." Evangeline grabbed a throw pillow and, pretending to play with it, used it to hide her face.Roslyn saw right through this act of evasion and felt her anger melt away, leaving only a deep concern for Evangeline. "You can rest any way you want, but you have to talk about what's going on so we can back you up, okay?""I... don't want to fight back anymore." Evangeline's gaze fell, filled with sadness.She just wanted to cut Walter out of her life for good. Alas, she knew that was a pipe dream.She had promised Cole she would make it work with Walter and have a child. How could she let him down?Hiding away was just... a temporary escape."That's not going to work."Roslyn's fists tightened with fury. Her best friend Evangeline was being tormented by a lowlife. Was she su
Roslyn's hand landed firmly on Evangeline's shoulder, her eyes blazing with resolve."Maybe we shouldn't." When push came to shove, Evangeline felt the urge to back down.Walter had made it crystal clear that she was not to step out on him while they were still married. Roslyn's advice felt like a bold challenge to that warning.It was not that she was scared of ticking Walter off; it just seemed all kinds of wrong after giving it some thought."Roslyn, I'm barely out of the wreckage of my marriage. Can't I just catch my breath for a second?"It was the raw truth. Walter had drained all her enthusiasm for anything to do with guys.Roslyn pouted. "Ever heard the one about not getting anything new until you let go of the old? Trust me, the next guy will be a total sweetheart. I'm not pushing you to leap into another marriage. But having someone new might just be the ticket to help you heal faster."She was sure Evangeline got the idea of distraction as a coping mechanism."Walter
Truth be told, the whole prayer thing was just an excuse to get out and clear their heads from all this drama."Deal! If I can score a better match, I'll ditch this crush. It's not like there's a guy shortage, right? Why should I, Roslyn, get stuck on just one dude?"The girls were on the same page in a heartbeat. They just needed to find the right time.Roslyn's phone buzzed, and with a single glance, her bubbly expression tanked."Evie, my agent's dumped more work on me, that absolute nightmare. I'm on set every day, barely sleeping four or five hours. Isn't that tough enough? I've had it; I'm going to ask the company for a new agent!"Just talking about her agent got Roslyn irritated.Evangeline was no stranger to the drama. Whenever Roslyn got mad, she would threaten to fire her agent, but she never actually went through with it. They would have their little spats, but before it was realized, they were back to being the dynamic duo at work. That was why Evangeline did not bot
Alas, work was work, and Evangeline was like family to her. Roslyn could not just focus on work and leave her friend when she needed help, right?"Time? I've got loads," blurted Evangeline without a second thought. "I've wrapped up all the company stuff, and I'm officially on vacation."In a private matter, if Roslyn had not come to her with this, Evangeline would have been climbing the walls out of sheer boredom. Seriously, if she had to spend one more day stuck in this villa, she would go stir-crazy.Writing songs needed her to be totally peaceful inside, and what better way to forget about the drama with Walter than to dive into a new project?"That's just awesome!" Roslyn was over the moon, buzzing with excitement as she hashed out the plans for her upcoming album with her manager.Dropping a new album was a huge deal for any singer, and that night, Roslyn was scooped up by her manager to get the ball rolling.After a heartfelt farewell to Roslyn, who was clearly bummed to le
The sound of someone clapping broke the silence once the song ended, making Evangeline's heart skip a beat.She turned and was startled to see who it was."Uncle Yale? What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.Yale stopped clapping and walked into her room with a smile. "I'm here to check on you."Evangeline's face had gotten so thin over the past few days that it was like all her health had just vanished. It was all Walter's fault, that jerk!Yale was seething inside, but he cared too much about Evangeline to let his anger show."Uncle Yale, have a seat." Evangeline gestured for her uncle to sit on the living room couch, then she tucked her violin away."How's everything been? Holding up okay?" Yale asked.Just a few days before, Evangeline had shown up out of the blue at the old Foster family place, looking for some alone time. She told Yale in secret that she needed a break. Yes, the company had Hank, the ever-reliable CEO, but sometimes, it still nee