Chapter 6

Walter ended the call, a storm brewing in his chest. He paced the room with a gloomy expression and smoked one cigarette after another until the last one was crushed in the ashtray.

He grabbed his coat and stormed out of the bedroom, not without delivering a swift kick to the coffee table that sent it toppling over.

Feeling the extremely low pressure, wherever he walked felt like a hurricane had passed through.

Aria, oblivious to the brewing tempest, chased after him. "You just got back, and it's the holidays! Where are you off to now? Why not stay and spend some time with me?"

Walter said nothing as he marched out with a scowl on his face.

Just then, his phone rang. It was Caden Scott, his close friend.

"Missed the show on your yacht last night. I heard Evangeline gave you the boot and wants a divorce?"

"News travels fast. I'm hanging up," said Walter.

"Wait, don't hang up. So it's over? Who would've thought Evangeline had it in her to be so tough? The whole social circle is buzzing about you being dumped! And get this—last night, a rich lady offered big bucks for a baby daddy, someone to outdo a Walter. That rich lady is none other than Evie-Baby. Word is, she's already got a candidate cozying up in the Ocean Crest Hotel's presidential suite. You..."

The message was loud and clear: Walter was being publicly cuckolded.

"A bounty for a baby?!" At that, Walter's frown cut deep, his heart pounding like a drum.

"Yep. Don't believe me? I'll forward you the advertisement. There's a line of guys queuing up for the chance!"

Walter warned through clenched teeth, "Call her Evie-Baby one more time, and I'll toss you to the sharks in the sea!"

He ended the call with a frown.

As expected, Caden sent the job posting over without a fuss.

In the dim light, Walter's piercing gaze scanned the advertisement for a potential father. The woman's list was demanding: Tall, standing at least 1.9 meters, with a chiseled eight-pack, a sharp jawline, a straight nose, dark hair, smart, and skilled in bed. The guy had to be a Stanford grad, too, and better than him in every way?

Could anyone in Avalon City even outmatch him?

Walter slid his phone into his pocket, his face stormy as he jumped into his car and tore off toward the hotel like a predator on the hunt.

…

Meanwhile, in the Ocean Crest Hotel's presidential suite, Evangeline was pressed against the wall by a towering hunk with a mix of bloodlines.

Blond and blue-eyed, he was shirtless, a towel slung low on his hips.

Evangeline's gentle hands roamed over his muscular back. "Handsome... You're way more appealing than my good-for-nothing soon-to-be ex!"

Being single and rich had its perks. She could have her pick of pretty boys.

She could not believe she had been so foolish before. She had everything—spoiled, willful, and adored. All that, and she had put up with so much just for Walter, that jerk.

"Is that so? I'm glad you like it," he murmured.

"I do, and I'll give you anything you want," she purred.

"You're gorgeous, and you smell amazing..."

He was about to lean in for a kiss when suddenly, the door burst open with a loud bang. It slammed against the wall and swung back violently.

A wave of deadly intent flooded the room.

The bodyguards burst in, and the mixed-race dude who had been on Evangeline was suddenly sprawled on the floor.

He exploded in rage, cursing loudly, "Get off me! What's your problem?!"

Evangeline was taken aback by the sudden intrusion of the men in black, her face turning pale. She hastily pulled her shawl around her to cover her slip dress.

Was Walter looking to play the hero? She glanced up and saw him at the door, commanding the room like a celebrity with an entourage.

Evangeline regained her composure, leaned back against the wall, and let out a mocking chuckle. "Walter? What are you doing here?! Tell your goons to back off and release my Alex!"

Walter stood at the doorway, his towering presence and dark eyes casting an intimidating aura, like a judge from the underworld.

Clad in a sharp black suit and a structured cashmere coat, his legs encased in perfectly tailored pants, he cut a striking figure against the backlight. His expression was icy, his lips a tight line.

The room's heat dropped like a stone.

He stared at Evangeline, lingering on her red lips before a calculated smile played on his own. He walked into the room with purpose.

The hotel was part of the Gordon Group empire.

With the arrival of the big boss, the hotel's top brass had all shown up.

Walter's footsteps, calm and measured, echoed ominously as he approached the mixed-race guy, the bodyguard forcing him to look up.

Walter stood imposingly at about 1.9 meters tall. "Which hand touched her?" he demanded.

"Who the hell are you to care?!" Alex shot back.

A bodyguard's hand cracked across Alex's face, instantly causing his sharp features to swell.

"I'm the 'dearly departed' soon-to-be ex she's been talking about."

Not a minute later, Walter's foot came down on his hand. The guy, Alex, screamed in agony.

Evangeline could even hear the sickening snap of bones as she lunged to reclaim her companion. "You're insane, Walter! Release him!"

Before she could reach Alex, Walter's firm grip encircled her waist, yanking her back into his unyielding hold. She was seething, flailing a small hammer, raining down a storm of blows on him.

Walter seized her chin, his eyes dark with scorn. "Really, Evangeline? You'd sink this low for a guy? Are you that desperate for the company?"

Evangeline's gaze turned icy as she struggled, "What's wrong with him? Mixed-race, young, a stallion, and easy on the eyes! A hell of a lot better than a washed-up soon-to-be ex like you!"

"Is that so?" Walter's eyes flicked dismissively over the man on the ground, his voice dripping with indifference, "Hector, take him down!"

"Walter! Stop it! You can't hurt him!" Evangeline cried out.

Walter's icy laugh echoed at her quick defense of a man she had just met.

"Useless and dirty, that's all I hear from you!"

Talking all the while, Walter calmly undid his cufflinks, then, with a flick of impatience, pulled off his tie and advanced on Evangeline.

"Three years alone, and you're this starved for attention?" He gripped her chin, pinning her against the wall. "Cheating before we're even divorced. Didn't your lawyer clue you in? Cheaters don't get much in the split. No cash, no way to pay your lawyer. Think your pretty boy will stick around without your money?"

His eyes roamed her delicately made-up face, then down to the slip dress she wore, more provocative than last night's, barely covering anything.

His expression darkened like the depths of the ocean.