To her surprise, a soft chuckle came from the other end of the line. Alex's laughter, light and unexpected, echoed through the phone."Why do you think I'm here to talk you into something?"There was a hint of challenge in his voice as if he was gently pushing back against Evangeline's assumption."Don't they say it's better to tear down a house than to break up a marriage? You're like a brother to both me and Walter, so it makes sense you'd call to talk some sense into me, right?"Evangeline paused, taking a deep breath."Bro, I don't hold a grudge for how things turned out with Walter and me. You're not here to see it, but we've been at each other's throats..."On New Year's Eve, Walter had set up a fireworks display for Julia. She had to drag him back home in the dead of night, and even her hints at divorce could not stir his sympathy.Afterward, she looked after Julia, who had tried to end it all, giving her a place to stay and the help she needed.With every step, Evangeli
However, as soon as she set the phone down, the doorbell chimed."Who's there?"Evangeline had splurged on the presidential suite and had one rule: No interruptions. Apparently, that was too much to ask.Were the hotel staff clueless? What were the bodyguards even there for if not to keep people out?"Hello, room service!" came a muffled call from the other side of the door.With a frown, Evangeline swung the door open, her patience wearing thin. "I thought I made myself clear. No disturbances, remember?"However, the words hung unfinished in the air as she saw the mischievous grin plastered on the face of the unexpected visitor.There were no bellhops or maids in sight, just the malicious-looking Roslyn and a bodyguard who looked like he had seen a ghost.Roslyn was a vision in red, her tank top and miniskirt combo screaming 'party', her legs encased in sexy black fishnets, towering heels adding to her height, and her face done up in dramatic smoky makeup. She was a nightclub
At the clap of Roslyn's hands, a bodyguard appeared with a full array of skincare and makeup, plus an outfit that was nothing short of sizzling.Evangeline's mouth twitched in a half-smile.Roslyn had come ready for anything.Evangeline had made her bed, and Roslyn was not about to let her lie in it.Before long, Evangeline, her eyes smoldering with smoky makeup, found herself at Whiskey Barrel Pub, the biggest nightclub in the South, courtesy of Roslyn's insistent tugging.The strobe lights danced across the room, and the thunderous beats of heavy metal music set the crowd in motion, their bodies swaying instinctively to the rhythm.Towering among the dancers, a man in sleek black slacks and a crisp white shirt moved with a grace that belied his formal attire, drawing eyes with every fluid step.On the sidelines, Julia, clad in a modest white sundress, watched him with a mix of shock and envy.Walter, her Walter, was a revelation on the dance floor. She had only come to the cl
Only when the server emerged with their drinks did Julia seize her moment, darting in front of him.A triumphant glint swept over her as she looked at Evangeline.'Evangeline, you're so smug, aren't you? Well, tonight's the night you're going down in flames,' Julia thought, a gleeful smirk playing on her lips.Evangeline, settled in her booth, received her cocktail.It was a stunning shade of bright blue, the ice cubes casting a cool mist. If she leaned in close, the crisp scent of tequila would tease her senses.Evangeline's lips curled into a pleased smile.'Tomorrow' was blue, no? That was exactly the drink she had had in mind.She took a delicate sip, letting the flavors dance on her tongue.The liquor was potent, rushing to her head, and Evangeline knew she would be over the edge if she had more than half.She reined in the urge to gulp it down and, as the dance floor pulsed with a new song, she eagerly pulled Roslyn into the throng.The beat was infectious, and Roslyn w
Evangeline fought back with everything she had, kicking and flailing in the man's hold, but it was useless. Her resistance only seemed to pull him in closer.Then, a sharp pain shot through her ear."Evangeline, if you don't stop squirming, I won't be responsible for what happens next..." hissed a voice, hot and close.A shiver ran down her spine.Despite her heavy disguise, he knew her. That was no ordinary creep.The pain in her ear brought back a flicker of clarity.Who was that guy? She had to find out.As her head spun, she heard the click of a door unlocking.Through the dim light of the hallway, she caught a glimpse of his face—blurry, but familiar.Those features... They somewhat looked like Walter's.Impossible. What were the odds that she had bumped into Walter there, in a nightclub where Roslyn had dragged her to let loose?She must be seeing things. She rubbed her eyes, desperate for a clearer view.The door shut, plunging the room into darkness.Evangeline, he
Walter was determined to make Evangeline realize who she was dealing with."Walter, you are a monster!"Evangeline turned off the shower, braced herself against the tub, and stood to face him."No, you're worse. You're a real demon!"Didn't my uncle tell you that I'm divorcing you tomorrow? So what are you doing here? What's the deal? Are you trying to be trendy with a parting shot before the divorce, Mr. Walter Gordon?"Evangeline's biting words left Walter with no chance to argue back.The moment Evangeline stepped out of the chilly water, a wave of heat engulfed her. It was an all-consuming blaze, as though she was a steak sizzling on a grill.What on earth was happening to her?She tried to bear the searing pain, but a refreshing sensation on her cheek caught her off-guard. Her eyes snapped up to meet Walter's, who was looking down at her with a chilling smirk."Finally awake, Evangeline? Do you see who's before you?""I'd know you anywhere, Walter. You could be a pile of
Evangeline had no time to react as Walter grabbed her arm, hoisted her, and tossed her onto the bed. The brief contact with Walter's body, cool through their thin clothes, was too much for her already frayed nerves.The relief she felt was like rain after a long drought, so soothing that she could not help but sigh.However, why should she give in to Walter, a man she despised?What she did not realize was that Walter was struggling too. He felt as if he were on fire, his thirst unquenchable.The very person who had ignited that flame was still in bed, whispering sweet nothings, her hands pushing against him relentlessly.He inhaled deeply, fighting the urge to give in to temptation. When he looked at Evangeline, his patience seemed to grow.His hand gently caressed her warm, blushing cheek. "Evangeline, tell me, who's with you in bed right now?"Evangeline, driven by instinct, moved closer to the composed presence before her, her mind too muddled to think clearly."... Walter.
"Let me show you what a true beast looks like!"Evangeline had drunkenly called out for Alex with such joy, a sound that still echoed in his ears.That was why he was determined to prove to her through his actions that it was always him by her side, the one who passionately claimed her, always him.Evangeline had woken up in a rage, and he realized she was filled with regret.Regret for surrendering to him the night before.He got out of bed and started putting on his clothes that were scattered around, doing so with a calm precision.Walter was undeniably good-looking. Even in crumpled clothes, his charm was untarnished."Evangeline, weren't we supposed to meet at the County Clerk's Office? Make sure you're not late."If Evangeline had never loved him, then he would grant her wish. He would agree to the divorce and let her chase after Alex.With a decisive slam of the door, Walter left without a backward glance.Just pulling up his pants and walking away, Walter was the epit
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
"Impossible! How could Mr. Alex Gordon possibly do such a thing?""Exactly! They're all part of the Gordon family. If Gordon Group collapses, how would that benefit him?""Well, you never know. Don't you remember what happened back then? Mr. Alex Gordon didn't leave Gordon Group voluntarily—he was forced out by Mr. Trey Gordon and Mr. Walter Gordon!"Everything was going smoothly, and then he was suddenly kicked out. Who wouldn't hold a grudge over that?"The crowd buzzed with speculation, including Emma, who had always been loyal to Alex.She looked at Alex in disbelief. "Mr. Gordon, what he said… it's not true, is it?"Her expression was complicated, tinged with visible disappointment.The reason she had helped Alex with those things was because she cared for him. She believed that he had returned to Gordon Group to achieve something great and that Trey and Walter were just thieves who had stolen the fruits of his labor.Walter's revelations seemed to suggest that Alex had be
Alex took a deep breath, his face darkening as he demanded, "Walter, you've been removed from the company. Grandfather personally stripped you of your authority in front of all the shareholders."You have no decision-making power in any company affairs. So, please leave my meeting room immediately. Thank you!"Contrary to expectations, Walter, despite being blatantly dismissed, remained unfazed. He sat firmly in his chair, unmoved."Yes, you and Grandfather forced me out of Gordon Group. But so what? Under your leadership, in these so-called traitor's hands, Gordon Group is on the brink of collapse."As a member of the Gordon family, am I supposed to just stand by and watch you drag Gordon Group into the abyss?"He leaned back slightly, his voice calm but sharp as a blade. "Or should I let these shareholders watch you use their hard-earned money to fill a bottomless pit—one that leads straight to an unmarked grave?"Alex's face paled at the accusation, and his hand trembled as he
"What's the point of all this arguing? Can it bring back the money? In the end, only Mr. Gordon can resolve the issue!"The room fell into a stunned silence. Everyone exchanged uncertain glances before they all turned, almost instinctively, toward Walter.Walter remained calm, casually raising his wrist to check his watch. "There's still one hour before The Bennex Corporation's press conference. Feel free to continue arguing if you'd like."But if you do, I won't stay to keep you company."The shareholders' faces turned pale, and their aggression completely dissipated."No, no, we don't know anything about these matters. You're the expert, sir. Please, tell us what to do."'What's this? Begging someone to help after shoving them out the door? Truly shameless.'Walter chuckled lightly. "I've already been removed from the company. I don't deserve to be called your president. The only reason I'm here today is because Gordon Group represents my grandfather's life's work. Watching it
Emma came along reluctantly, but she had to follow Alex's orders.Even as she stood beside Walter, her loyalty never wavered—she was Alex's person. Every action, every word, was meant to assist Alex, not this usurper Walter!Walter glanced at the woman beside him, his feelings mixed.The fact that Alex sent his personal assistant to him probably meant that he was aware of David's situation—hospitalized and severely injured. If Walter wanted to win this battle in front of the shareholders, he would have to handle everything himself.For the Gordon family, that was far too humiliating.Alex could be frighteningly stubborn sometimes yet inexplicably considerate at others.However, Walter had no interest in what Emma was thinking at this moment because…"Ms. Carter, if you want to help Alex, you'd better listen to me during today's meeting," he advised her, though his tone carried a hint of warning."Why should I?" Emma immediately stiffened, glaring at him defiantly.Walter smile