Chapter 9

Evelyn snapped out of her thoughts and forced a smile. "Yeah. Do you know any place being put up for rent right now, Mr. Richmond? Preferably someplace my aunt can't stop me from renting." Jasper picked up a towel and dried his face. "What do I stand to gain from helping you?" "Won't you take pity on a friend?" Evelyn asked, batting her eyelashes as if in pleading. He raised a brow. "We're not friends." She gritted her teeth. As far as the cold-hearted bastard was concerned, there was nothing personal between them, only business. Jasper paid her no mind as he took a sip of water and returned to the pool. Evelyn stood in place and watched him. After a while, she padded over to the pool's edge and began to undo her shirt buttons, her eyes still on Jasper. The next second, she dived into the pool in a perfect arc, the water sloshing as it rose to claim her. It was a smooth, flawless maneuver. Without the blouse to cover it, her alabaster skin glistened in the morning sun as she swam toward Jasper like a mermaid. Meanwhile, Jasper had stopped swimming when he noticed her diving into the water. He bobbed by the poolside as she drew near, lowering his gaze to assess her with faint amusement. Evelyn wrapped her long legs around him, teasing him under the water. "I've given it some thought, and I believe we have something special between us." Jasper pinned her legs in place. "And what might that be? A lurid affair, perhaps?" He sounded so cold and stoic that Evelyn might have been inclined to swim away if she hadn't sensed his body's reaction earlier. Never one to give up, she hooked her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him. Jasper stilled, his back stiffening. His eyes widened, then went wholly dark as he gained control over her instead. … Jasper promised Evelyn he would help her look for a place to rent, but he also said it would take time. She understood. He was a busy man, after all, and he had compromised a lot just by agreeing to help her. A few days later, she invited him out for a meal, deciding she would return his coat then. She had sent it to the dry cleaner the other day, only to learn that the coat was tailor-made by a globally renowned designer and cost a small fortune. Jasper was the epitome of chivalrous this time. He asked her when she would be convenient for the meal and offered to have her picked up. Evelyn turned down his courteous gesture and told him she would be running errands near Advent Group. She would wait for him on the first floor of the company when she was done. Upon hearing this, Jasper did not press any further. … At 4:00 pm, Evelyn arrived at the first floor of Advent Group. To keep the others from talking, she did not enter the building immediately. Instead, she found a café in the nearby business district and sat there waiting for Jasper to get off work. The moment she sat down, a flashy sports car pulled up by the curb outside. When she caught a glimpse of the license plate, she instinctively rose to leave. Oliver opened the car door and got out. He closed the distance between him and Evelyn in a few long strides and accosted her. He gripped her arm to keep her from leaving. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" Evelyn's brows furrowed. "I have nothing to say to you." "You fucking blocked my number, Evelyn," Oliver growled. "Pretty ballsy of you." She tried to pull away, but she was much weaker than him and could not pry his vise-like grip off her. Oliver demanded menacingly, "What the hell is going on between you and Jasper? Word on the street is that you moved into his place. Did you sleep with him?" "That's none of your business!" Evelyn snapped, glaring at him. "Did you fucking sleep with him?" Oliver repeated, loud enough that everyone in the café turned to look at them. Exhaustion suddenly washed over Evelyn. "What right do you have to snap at me, Oliver? You were the one who cheated and knocked up another woman. What do you hope to accomplish by making a scene now?" What was he trying to accomplish? Stumped by the question, Oliver replied lamely, "My mom wants to see you." At the mention of Monica Hardy, Evelyn stopped struggling to pull away. Monica had been kind to her while she was dating Oliver. There were times when she thought Monica treated her more like a daughter than Gretchen did. "She's been sick and hospitalized for a while," Oliver said. "You're the first person she asked to see after waking up." Evelyn froze. She remained stunned for what felt like ages before she finally said, "Let go of me. I can walk on my own." Oliver did as he was told and watched Evelyn slide into the passenger seat. … Meanwhile, over at Advent Group, the man who stood by the large floor-to-ceiling windows of the CEO's office on the 58th floor scowled at the scene outside the café downstairs. "Jasper, is it true that you brought the Fowlers' princess back to Ravenwood Manor? Are you serious about her?" the man behind Jasper teased. With his gaze still on the scene downstairs, Jasper watched as Oliver's flashy sports car took off and sneered, "It was just a moment of fun. She's a lot spunkier than the other women I've met." His friend sighed audibly. "I figured as much. I mean, you and Charlotte had memories in Ravenwood Manor, after all… Look. As your best friend, I want you to move on from Charlotte. "But I must warn you that Evelyn is not the best choice for a rebound. She's fine on her own but has nothing on Charlotte." In the car, Evelyn was about to text Jasper and tell him she couldn't make it for the meal when he texted her first. "I'm working late tonight. We'll have to reschedule." The message was written with his usual indifference. Evelyn thought it was rather coincidental that he had to work late but did not question him. She reminded him to eat on time and wished him all the best with his work this evening, but he did not reply. Oliver had not duped Evelyn and indeed drove her to Oshire Prime Hospital. She bought some fruits from a nearby shop and followed Oliver to the inpatient ward. She entered Monica's hospital room, only for the latter to grab her hand and say, "Evelyn, you poor thing. I know how much you've been through—" Evelyn immediately changed the subject. "What happened, Mrs. Langston?" Monica cut Oliver a baleful look and explained, "It's all because of what happened between you and this useless brat. I was so angry with him that I didn't eat or sleep well. I fainted this morning." Feeling awkward, Oliver rubbed the tip of his nose and kept his gaze averted. Evelyn refused to acknowledge Monica's implication and said, "You must take better care of yourself, Mrs. Langston." "How can I when you and Oliver are in such a mess?" Monica was beside herself with regret. "I apologize on behalf of my useless brat of a son, Evelyn. I've already straightened him out. Don't worry. "As for the other woman, I've told her to get rid of the child. She will not marry into our family without my permission!" Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise as she glanced at Oliver, who did not object to Monica's suggestion to have Eva abort the baby. Evelyn pointed out, "Mrs. Langston, there's been a misunderstanding. Oliver was the one who ended things with me. Besides, far be it from me to come between him and Eva when they're so in love with each other." Monica urged, "He was only trying to piss you off for attention, Evelyn. More importantly, Eva only got knocked up because of her indiscretion after Oliver got too drunk to think. They're not in love! Oliver cares about you and nobody else." Evelyn was perplexed all of a sudden. She shot Oliver a sharp look and asked, "Aren't you going to say something?" "My mom has already told you what I've been meaning to say. If you'll forgive me, we'll have a wedding and announce our marriage right away," Oliver said. The next second, a loud crash sounded outside the door. Eva was ashen-faced as she stood by the entryway, and at her feet lay scattered the contents of a fruit basket and bouquet. She wiped the tears streaking past her cheeks and ran off. Oliver grimaced but did not go after her. It was then that Evelyn put two and two together. Eva had come to visit Monica around the same time she did, which was too coincidental for comfort. Monica did not approve of Eva, but she did not want her relationship with Oliver to sour either. As such, she used Evelyn as a pawn against Eva, hoping the latter would back off for good. Evelyn decided beating around the bush would do her no favors. "Mrs. Langston, Oliver and I are over. I only came here to visit you today not because I believe there's a chance he and I will get back together, but out of respect for you as my elder." With that, she did not stay in the hospital any longer and turned to leave. She had only just walked out the door when Oliver caught up to her. He pinned her against the wall and growled, "Why are you doing this, Evelyn? For Jasper?" "Yes," she bit out. "He's in love with someone else! You're just a shiny, new plaything for him! Once the love of his life comes back, you'll be out of the picture!" Oliver snapped, his breath labored and his eyes turning red with rage. For a second, Evelyn was dazed as she thought about Jasper's aloofness. Only someone who was pining over another could be so guarded against the world. He was saving all his love and tenderness for that special someone. Evelyn hid her unease and smirked at Oliver. "So what?" "He'll never love you, but I can. I'll overlook everything you've done with Jasper if you come back to me," Oliver begged. He buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, the tip of his nose nuzzling against her collarbone. He did this to soften her during their past arguments, but she was having none of it. She refused to have anything to do with him and decided to cut things off for good. "Stop behaving like a child. We're all grown-ups here, and love is just a fanciful thought. "You don't actually believe I love Jasper, do you? He has more power, status, and money than you. I'd end up reaping more benefits staying with him than with you!" At once, Oliver released her and swore menacingly, "Fucking bitch!" "I'm not worth your time." Freed from his vise-like grip, Evelyn turned and made her way downstairs. She had taken all but two steps when she noticed the figure standing in the shadows. It was Jasper, and not even the dimness could hide the icy contempt and disgust in his eyes. His gaze stabbed her like a dagger to the heart. He had heard everything Evelyn said to Oliver earlier.