Chapter 8

Ravenwood Manor was nestled in a prestigious residential area. Evelyn was stunned by Jasper's wealth. Gretchen had money, but it was a small fortune that Evelyn had no claim to—not while her last name was Monroe. She knew she would never be free from Gretchen without getting a job and making enough money. After the satellite navigation led her to Jasper's place, Evelyn parked the car and turned to inform Jasper, only to find him fast asleep in the backseat. His head was tipped to one side to reveal a sharp jawline, and his chiseled side profile was calm. He had loosened his tie at some point and let it hang from his collar. The top two buttons of his shirt had also been undone. There was something attractive about his disheveled state that made Evelyn stare for a few seconds before she patted his shoulder. "Mr. Richmond, we're here." Jasper was a light sleeper. He looked dazed as he opened his eyes, and there was no wariness in his gaze. He looked docile, even. However, that facade lasted two seconds before he resumed his usual, guarded demeanor. He hummed and said stoically, "Thank you." Jasper got out of the car and nearly stumbled over his feet. Evelyn had planned to leave after dropping him off at the front door of the manor, but from the looks of it, she thought it was dangerous to leave him unsupervised. "Isn't anyone home to take care of you?" she asked. "No." "A housekeeper?" she pressed. "No." Jasper might be piss-drunk, but he kept to his boundaries and did not throw a drunken fit. He merely stood quietly in place and remained extraordinarily composed despite himself. Evelyn sighed. "Forget it. Come on. I'll escort you into the house." Worried he might get the wrong idea, she quickly added, "Just so you know. I'm not trying to seduce you or whatever. "I just don't want anything to happen to you while I'm here. I doubt I can take responsibility for it." Jasper brushed past her as if dismissing her overcompensating explanation. She hurried after him, and he did not pull away when she grabbed his arm to keep him steady. With that, she led him through the front door and into the cavernous manor. While the house was meticulously kept, it felt lonely and cold somehow. Evelyn eased Jasper onto the couch and asked, "Do you want me to bring you to your room?" He lifted his gaze to her and shot her an odd look. Alarmed, she stared at him wide-eyed and said defensively, "Don't get the wrong idea! I wouldn't take advantage of your drunkenness even if I were lusting after you. Besides, I have no interest in bedding a drunkard." She muttered under her breath, "Not that you'd last in bed anyway after all the drinks you had." Jasper half-growled, "One more word from you, and let's see if you'll last in bed with me." Evelyn's face warmed, but she kept her composure as she said primly, "Well, I have no interest in finding out. But given how spirited you are, I assume you won't need my help getting to your room upstairs. Bye, then." She wasn't sure if she could get a cab at this hour. When she made to leave, Jasper suddenly asked, "Do you know how to cook?" Evelyn blinked at him in confusion. "Anything will be fine, just as long as it's edible. I'm a little hungry," he said. There was a slight pause before she said, "I'm afraid that service comes with an extra charge. You'll have to pay me 500 dollars to prove you're serious about this." The kitchen was spotless and fully equipped. Evelyn found an apron and tied it around her waist. She opened the fridge and found only the most basic ingredients, but most of them were fresh enough that she could only assume the cleaners who came by every day had stocked the fridge. Evelyn decided to whip up a simple chicken noodle soup to warm Jasper's stomach and sober him up. He had hardly eaten at the restaurant earlier. Business conversations with Gretchen didn't make the most appetizing precursor to a meal. At the thought of this, she found herself asking Jasper, "Have you always been like this?" It was an open kitchen, and Jasper was on the living room couch when he heard the question. He turned to look at her blearily. "What?" "Drinking on an empty stomach during after-work business meetings," Evelyn elaborated. "It keeps my head clear," Jasper replied by way of explanation. Evelyn understood what he meant. If her experience with drinking was anything to go by, there was a higher chance of one getting drunk when consuming alcohol after food. Then again, she couldn't help wondering how long it had taken Jasper to get used to drinking on an empty stomach not to pass out at a dinner table during informal business meetings. To that end, he must have trained hard to become the formidable man he was. She brought the chicken noodle soup out to Jasper and made him a cup of strong tea, which she set down next to him. "Here you go. Nothing like a strong tea to help you sober up and keep a nasty hangover from developing." He sipped the tea and drawled, "I didn't think you'd be good at stuff like this." Evelyn explained self-deprecatingly, "Yeah, well, my aunt was strict with me my entire life. She wanted me to grow up all-rounded. Believe it or not, I can even use a sewing machine and wield a mean cross-stitch." Jasper humored her with a dry laugh. "It's too bad that Oliver lost out on a good wife candidate like you." Propping her chin up with one hand, Evelyn batted her lashes at Jasper and teased, "Ah, but you now have a chance to marry a perfect woman like me. So, have I won you over?" He did not laugh this time and merely stared at her. Something flickered in his gaze, and Evelyn felt a chill race down her spine. She swallowed and said, "Sorry. That was a bad joke. I know you'd only go for a woman of equal social standing." Jasper made no reply and quietly dug into the chicken noodle soup. For a moment, he actually considered her words. If he married her, she might just be the perfect wife for him. They would spend the rest of their days in cozy, ordinary moments like this. The thought was dashed as soon as it crossed his mind. Marrying Evelyn was something too mad for even him to consider. Evelyn glanced at the time and straightened up. "I think my work here is done. I'll take my leave now." "Are you sure you want to go back now?" Jasper asked with faint amusement, earning himself a baffled look from Evelyn. He raised the bowl to his lips and finished the last of the broth. She noted that he must have liked her cooking enough to eat every last bite. As he set the bowl down, he grabbed a paper napkin and dabbed the corners of his mouth. He was the portrait of elegance. A long pause later, he said slowly, "Did you really think your aunt left you at the restaurant just so you could be my driver for the night? "Did you think you could go home after dropping me off? Can you imagine what your aunt would do or say if you didn't stay the night at my place and went home instead?" At once, Evelyn flushed. She hadn't thought about this. Still, she sneered, "So what do you propose we do, Mr. Richmond? Am I an object to be traded in exchange for your favor? "Are you going to take my aunt up on her implied offer and relish my company for the night? Shall I pop into the shower and ready myself to warm your bed?" For some reason, Jasper found her smile derisive. He didn't like her mocking tone, either. She sounded resigned and hateful, her words dripping with destructive self-loathe. He averted his gaze. "It's getting late, and you'll have a hard time getting a cab in these parts. Besides, it isn't safe for you to find other lodgings at this hour. "You can stay in one of the guest rooms here for the night. I'll have Lester drive you home tomorrow." He added for good measure, "And don't worry. I'll keep my hands to myself during your stay." In the end, Evelyn relented and took him up on his offer to let her stay for the night. The guest room was next to the master bedroom. The closet was empty, so she ordered some clothes for the next day. After taking a shower, she slid under the bedcovers and got ready to sleep. Evelyn had no trouble falling asleep on a bed that was not hers. Sleep claimed her as soon as her head hit the pillow. She awoke the next morning well-rested and heard the faint sound of running water. No, it sounded a lot more like sloshing water. She opened her eyes and got out of bed, tracking the sound to the window. She pulled the curtains aside, only to realize her room overlooked the expansive outdoor pool. There was a lean figure slicing through the turquoise water. Jasper was swimming. Evelyn put on a change of clothes and headed downstairs. She found her way to the swimming pool and intended to bid him goodbye. He wore a pair of tight swim shorts that drew attention to his lean waist and muscular arms. He had pushed his goggles up so that they were strapped across his crown, which was covered by a swim cap. As he swam, Evelyn noted how there was enough manliness rolling off him to fill the pool. Standing next to the pool, Evelyn said, "Thank you for taking me in last night, Mr. Richmond. I won't impose on you any longer. Goodbye." Jasper finished a lap and finally emerged from the pool. The water droplets on his skin glistened under the morning sun like crystals. "Hey, don't go just yet. The driver will be here soon. I'll have him drive you home." He could be a gentleman, to some degree. Evelyn said, "In that case, thank you for the offer, Mr. Richmond." Just then, her phone rang. She walked away from the pool and answered it. The realtor she engaged previously was on the other line, informing her, "Ms. Monroe, I'm afraid the lease agreement for the property we talked about the other day has fallen through." "What? Does this have something to do with the rental? I'm sure we can work something out if the landlord would like to negotiate," Evelyn said. The realtor hesitated, stammering, "N-No, it's… Anyone else can lease the property but you, alright? I'm really sorry about this." Evelyn bit her lip and asked, "Did my aunt put you up to this?" "Please stop pressing me for answers, Ms. Monroe. We're just trying to make a living here," the realtor begged. "I'm sorry." He hung up after that, and Evelyn was left listening to the incessant beeping on the other line. She stood there, gobsmacked, as a dark look flashed in her eyes. She had recently gotten a job at Hully College. Her new life would begin after winter break and when springtime rolled around. She had planned on moving out of Gretchen's house, but the latter had objected to the idea. "Objected" was an understatement. Gretchen had a full ultimatum and grounded Evelyn for over ten days. She was terrified of losing control of Evelyn and watching the plans she had for her fall apart. She had spent over 20 years raising and educating Evelyn so that she could one day marry into a well-to-do family Gretchen had chosen. Ideally, the family should have the power and money to help launch the Fowlers' business to new heights. As such, Gretchen refused to let Evelyn out of her sight. Evelyn was in such a daze that she did not realize Jasper had brushed past her. He asked casually, "What? Were you looking to rent a place or something?"