"Let her," Walter snapped, his face set in a hard line as he shot Oscar a withering look.Oscar bit back any further objections, getting the message loud and clear. "Alright, alright. I'll make sure the missus hears about tonight."Walter was at it again, trying to rile up Evangeline with Julia's presence. Could that really work? Somehow, he doubted it.…The clock struck seven-thirty, and the Foster family's charity auction kicked off right on schedule in Capital City. The venue was the famed Victoria Garden House, a place that once echoed with the laughter of the elite as they enjoyed their music and theater. Then, it was Avalon City's most opulent playground for the rich and famous.The gala was already buzzing with the elegance of classical performances, the air filled with the harmonious melodies of flutes and zithers. The crowd was a parade of the elite, each person a vision of beauty and stature, adhering to a strict height requirement. Clad in traditional gray-blue garb, t
The evening's esteemed hosts, the Fosters, had made their entrance.Evangeline, stunning in a black gown that made her porcelain skin glow, walked hand-in-hand with James. She was a vision, her figure and poise conjuring images of an enchantress from a fairy tale. The necklace she wore, with its massive blue gemstone flanked by diamonds, was a showstopper, leaving women in awe.James, her companion, was the epitome of sophistication in his wine-red designer suit and gold-rimmed glasses, his handsome features rivaling the heartthrobs of Hollywood.Together, they were a breathtaking pair, stealing the show effortlessly.Julia's aura paled in comparison, and her envy boiled over. Why did Evangeline always have to outshine her?"Walt, look, isn't that Evangeline? What's she doing with the Fosters?" taunted Julia, noticing Walter's displeasure.A chilling dread settled over Walter.So James was a Foster after all. That explained his confidence and audacity to challenge Walter head-on
"Sixty million dollars."The room hushed in an instant. Walter was the one who bid, casting a challenging look at James and Evangeline, a smirk playing on his lips, his eyes set on the Foster Group's treasured heirloom.James caught Walter's challenging gaze, as sharp as a thorn, and then shared a knowing look with Evangeline. With her silent nod, he countered, "Sixty-seven million five hundred thousand dollars.""Seventy-five million dollars," Walter shot back, lifting his paddle once more.The auction had turned into a private war between the Gordon family and Foster Group. The rest of the crowd, recognizing the futility of competing, bowed out gracefully.The sapphire necklace, rare as it was, should not fetch more than 30 million at its peak. The current bid was astronomical, way beyond the necklace's worth. No one else was willing to play the fool and foot that bill.Encouraged by a subtle cue from Evangeline, the two headstrong men kept upping the ante until the price hit a
"Oh, Mr. Walter Gordon, do you have some secrets that can't stand the light of day?" Evangeline's voice dripped with scorn.Walter's expression turned stormy, a dark cloud over his features.Before the stunned crowd, he pulled Evangeline away without so much as a second thought, leaving a ripple of shock in their wake.Their marriage was a well-kept secret, known only to a select few. Walter whisking her away like that had set tongues wagging.It was not until they reached the seclusion of the stairwell that Evangeline wrenched herself free, inwardly cursing him as a 'damn guy', Her wrist was red where he had gripped it."Are you out of your mind, Walter?" she exclaimed. "Leaving your sweetheart behind like that, aren't you worried about the rumors?""You're the one who's lost it! Have you forgotten who you are, Mrs. Walter Gordon? Flaunting yourself for another man, do you think that's fitting?" Walter shot back, matching her sarcasm with his own.Evangeline's black coat flutte
Julia's mind raced. If Walter just whisked Evangeline away like that, it would be a slap in her face.That night was her chance to show everyone who was in charge. She could not let Evangeline, that homewrecker, outshine her."Go ahead, hail a cab on your own." Walter did not even glance back, leaving Julia seething with envy and rage as she watched them from behind.Evangeline stormed home alongside Walter, her anger simmering.To her surprise, the moment they arrived, Walter flung a fancy jewelry box at her as if it were nothing more than garbage.She instantly recognized it as the case for the sapphire necklace."Here, take it. Not everyone's keen on second-hand stuff, so let's call it charity," said Walter indifferently.Yet, despite his biting words and the fact that 135 million dollars was a drop in the bucket for him, Evangeline felt a pang. That necklace was not just any trinket. It was the Foster family's treasured heirloom, a wedding gift from her grandfather, laden wi
As if that was not enough, Evangeline let out a couple of low, suggestive moans.A tidal wave of shock surged in Walter's eyes. He grabbed her hand with a stern look, his voice rough with barely contained frustration, "Evangeline, cut it out..."Then, Julia's voice shattered the tense air."What the heck are you two doing?!" she shrieked, "Walt..."On the other end of the line, Julia was a mess, her words tangled in sobs. Her mother, Lydia, took the phone from her, her voice thick with tears as she explained the night's horrors.After the charity dinner, Julia had been forced into a car by strangers. If not for a random traffic police checkpoint, she might have been assaulted by the men inside.Julia, naive and unprepared for such horror, was frozen with fear.Back home, overwhelmed by shame and anger, she had tried to take her own life, but Lydia found her just in time. They then rushed to the hospital, Julia still in the throes of panic."Walter, you've got to help our Julia.
With no other choice, Roslyn laid it all out.It turned out that Roslyn had recently shifted her obsession from anime to the adrenaline-pumping world of real-life racing, fixating on a racer named Jordan, who was also rumored to be a college student. However, Jordan was a tough cookie, too proud to race unless the competition was fierce.However, Roslyn was not one to back down from a challenge. She knew her best friend Evangeline was a powerhouse behind the wheel. Thus, she spread the word that the enigmatic racing goddess would be gracing Sunlit Heights with her presence and even sent a cheeky challenge to Jordan's way.Evangeline was in high spirits, so she let herself be swept up to the racetrack."Seriously, Jordan's a total babe, like a heartthrob straight out of a magazine," gushed Roslyn, her eyes practically sparkling.Evangeline chuckled in response. "Okay, okay, keep it together—you're almost drooling. I'll join in. Might as well chill out a bit."Evangeline's love aff
[Walter: Where are you all at?][Caden: I'm tearing up the track at Sunlit Heights. Don't you dare come and ruin my fun. If she's not Mrs. Walter Gordon, I'm shooting my shot with both these ladies.][Walter: You're really going for it, huh?]Jordan, who was really Caden in disguise, could easily pass for some carefree youth. His family was high-profile, and they would flip if they knew he was risking his neck in races. They would rather see him confined to a wheelchair than reduced to ashes in an urn.Staring at the photo, Walter's gut told him it was Evangeline. That unmistakable, killer figure could only belong to her, and it clicked—he remembered her dramatic motorcycle exit the last time she stirred up trouble.A wild urge surged through him, powerful and unstoppable.Walter slipped into his racing gear and roared out of the garage on his long-neglected bike, gunning it towards Sunlit Heights.'If that is you out there, Evangeline, ready to throw down, count me in.' Walter'
Evangeline felt a stir in her heart as Alex's persuasive voice washed over her. She knew he was twisting the truth, but she could not quite pin down a comeback to shut him down.Hurting someone in the name of love could not possibly be true love, could it?She saw right through Alex's charming tricks—classic manipulator moves. If she let herself get sucked into his logic, she would be brainwashed in no time, turned into his personal puppet. 'Alex, you're seriously scary,' she thought to herself.If she fought back too hard, he would only come at her with worse, and she was not exactly in a position to fight back. She was about as intimidating as a kitten.No, she had to be clever about that."I believe you," she said, her voice light and airy as if she did not have a care in the world. Even tied up as she was, her smile and bright eyes made her look utterly adorable."You know, Alex, you're making a lot of sense. I mean, what have I gotten from chasing after Walter all this tim
Foster Group had revamped its game, and it was a whole new ballgame. However, just because they had ditched their old ways, did that mean nobody was left to pick up the slack?Alex was clued in on all of that, yet fear was not in his vocabulary."You really think I'm scared to mess with you because of that?" Alex's voice dripped with icy mockery. "Evangeline, the only reason I haven't pushed you is because I love you too much to make you do anything... intimate."However, if my caring turns into your scorn, then sorry, I can't just stand by and do nothing.""Too much love to force me?" Evangeline laughed like she had heard the funniest joke ever. "Does your face turn red when you say that? Does lying make you squirm?"You say you can't force me, but did I come to this creepy place because I wanted to? Did I ask you to tie me up like this?"Alex's face hardened, and his words were laced with pure fury."Evie, if you keep bad-mouthing me, keep getting me wrong, I'm going to lose
"Spill it, why did you bring me here, and why am I all tied up?"Evangeline had already taken in every detail of the room, feeling a wave of strangeness wash over her.She knew for a fact she had never set foot in that place before.Then again, this was Alex's secret lair. How could she have ever been there?Alex did not answer right away. Instead, he caressed her cheek with one hand, boasting arrogantly, "When I bring my girl to my place, there's no need for a reason."Evangeline tried to shrink away from his touch, but the ropes made it impossible to move.She resigned herself and thrust her bound hands toward Alex. "Alex, is this your idea of treating a woman right?"Drugging me, tying me up while I'm knocked out? Don't you think these tactics are a little low, even for you?"Before this, Evangeline had never thought Alex could be so vile.However, there he was, his hand casually resting on the ropes that tied her up, while his other hand reached out to grab hers. He looked
The room was so soundproof that Evangeline did not catch a word of the conversation. If she had, she would have laughed and said that the biggest danger she faced was Alex himself.Too bad Evangeline was out of earshot, and Yale was clueless that Alex was just faking concern. Considering how close Alex seemed to be with Evangeline and how worried he acted, Yale pushed aside his suspicions.Alex played the caring friend perfectly, offering Yale a few comforting words. However, Yale was too focused on the search for Evangeline to chat, so he hung up quickly.As soon as the call ended, the worried look on Alex's face melted away, replaced by a smug grin.'Yale, I wonder how you'll look next time we meet, when I'm introduced as Evangeline's boyfriend? Will you be relieved, or will you be steaming mad? Either way, I bet it'll be a picture worth seeing.'Of course, Yale's reaction did not matter. Alex had one thing on his mind today: to win Evangeline over.In a perfect world, he would
Walter did not buy the story for a second, his eyes locked on Thomas."That toy you're holding is the Shadow Wing, isn't it? A casual one million five hundred thousand dollar purchase—come on, you're no average person."Even though Thomas was riddled with doubts, he knew that was not the time to get caught up in them."Thomas, once we wrap this up and Evangeline's back safe, let's really get to know each other, okay?"Thomas just gave a nonchalant shrug. "Sure thing, I'm ready whenever you are."Just then, Thomas's eyes sparkled as he zeroed in on the screen."Got her! She's right here!"Walter glanced over at Thomas, and there was Evangeline's face on the screen, pale with fury.In a room on the third floor of the mansion, at the turn of the corridor, Evangeline was lying on the bed, a flimsy blanket her only cover. Tightly bound beneath the thin fabric were her wrists and ankles.As the memories from before she blacked out rushed back, Alex's triumphant smirk haunted Evangel
The gas pedal hit the floor, and the car surged forward faster than ever.Walter's mind was racing, fixated on the upcoming rescue.However, the place they pulled up to was all too familiar.It was the very villa where Walter's secret rendezvous had once been exposed.Stepping out of the car, Thomas could not suppress a chuckle at the sight of the private estate."It's kind of funny, you know? I thought bumping into an old friend while out and about was surprising enough, but to end up in the very same place, too?"Walter was not shocked, however.He had suspicions about Alex and had done his homework. This villa? It was Alex's hideout.What he did not expect was Alex could be so bold as to drag Evangeline there.Walter had been to that villa once. It was huge, with rooms galore, and pinning down which one Evangeline might be in was like looking for a needle in a haystack. If they were going to find her, they would have to check each room, which was a real pain.Walter caught
"How do I save Evangeline? And who the heck are you?"That enigmatic tipster, who kept dropping hints about Evangeline's peril, was no ordinary person.However, instead of an answer, all Walter got was the infuriating buzz of a busy signal.[Meet at the Dell family's alley crossroads in ten minutes.]Walter stared at the text, his curiosity about this cryptic informant spiking. It was like they knew exactly where he was, setting up the rendezvous right around the corner from the hospital.[Why should I trust you? And who are you, really?]Uncertainty swirled around Walter like a thick fog, but he was not about to let go of that mysterious lifeline that might just pull Evangeline back to safety.He shot back a quick reply and turned to David. "How many can we muster from the Gordons' forces?"Walter never imagined his grandfather would kick him out of Gordon Group. He had always focused on keeping the business running smoothly, never bothering to build up his own crew.However,
The thought struck David like lightning."All the Bennison family's clout is in Alex's grip. Could Alex be plotting against Ms. Evangeline? But wait, doesn't Alex have a thing for her? They could meet up in the open, no problem. So why would the Fosters kick up such a storm?"Nonetheless, who else in all of Avalon City would dare to mess with the Fosters' darling Evangeline in the open?As Walter was racking his brains, David suddenly gasped, a eureka moment lighting up his face."I got it! Alex has booted you from the company and got the thumbs up from Mr. Gordon. Gordon Group's practically his. He's on top of the world. If he now goes after Ms. Evangeline..."David clamped his mouth shut mid-sentence, realizing the rest was too risky to voice in front of Walter.However, he trusted Walter's smarts. Even without spelling it out, Walter would get the picture.He did. The moment Walter caught on to the unspoken words, panic washed over him, and he started sweating bullets.Alex
Yale's search revealed that the bodyguards assigned to Evangeline had been secretly taken out.The enemy's bad intentions were obvious.However, they were clueless and had no idea who the bad guy was.Evangeline had vanished without leaving a single clue, leaving Yale with nowhere to start."What do we do now?" Roslyn was pacing back and forth, frantic.Celina, biting down on her teeth with regret, said, "If only I'd stayed with Ms. Evangeline when she went out, or stopped her from leaving!"However, wishing for do-overs was like hoping for a magic cure for regret. It simply did not exist. No matter how much they were hurting, they could not rewrite the ending.The real problem was, they were clueless about who they were up against. The people the Foster family had sent out were just running in circles at the last place Evangeline had been spotted, like they were chasing their own tails.Then, Roslyn had a lightbulb moment."Evie got a call before she left. Can we dig into her