June Jacobs could feel that something was very off about Evelyn Grant today.
Her suspicion peaked when Evelyn abruptly stood up and headed for the dining room.
Evelyn Grant sat down, her face devoid of expression.
Across from her, Sophie Keaton was eating cheerfully.
The eel noodle soup and thumb-sized soup dumplings were specialties of Solara.
One bite, and it tasted no different from home.
Sophie Keaton loved it, but since she had already eaten breakfast at Clearwater Bay, she didn’t have much.
She was full after just a few bites.
Propping her chin on her hand, she said, “By the way, my brother said you’re busy tonight and that I shouldn’t bother you.”
She asked curiously, “What is it?
Am I allowed to know?”
“…”
‘He really is,’ she thought, ‘putting pressure on me at every turn.’
Evelyn Grant took a silent breath and exhaled slowly.
“Tonight…”
She frowned.
As a thought occurred to her, her grip on her chopsticks tightened until her knuckles turned white.
“Sophie, you’re going back to Corvin tomorrow, right?”
Sophie Keaton was taken aback for a moment by her urgent tone, but then she nodded.
‘Then after tomorrow, won’t The Mid-Levels be just like last month, with only me and Preston Keaton left?
Even though June Jacobs is also here, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s very dangerous.’
“Could you,” Evelyn Grant bit her lip, “stay a few more days?”
Her eyes suddenly brightened.
“Or, June and I could go with you to Corvin.
We’ll be at loose ends when you’re gone anyway.
We might as well go to Corvin.
We can do your makeup and keep you company.”
Sophie Keaton, of course, was thrilled with the idea.
She nodded enthusiastically.
“My brother bought me an apartment in Cheswick, right next to The Corvin River and Emperor’s Park!
He has lots of other properties in Eldoria, too.
I’ll show you around!
You can stay for as long as you want.”
Having solved one of her pressing problems, Evelyn Grant looked much more relaxed.
‘The contract she’d signed with Preston Keaton stipulated a penalty of ten times the original sum for breach of contract—five hundred million.
Where would she ever get that kind of money?’
‘That path was a dead end, so she had to find another.
From now on, she would just stick with Sophie Keaton.
When Sophie came to Veridia, she would come.
When Sophie returned to Corvin, she would go to Corvin with her.’
‘The one-year contract would be over before she knew it.’
There was also another matter.
In the afternoon, the three young women returned to their rooms for a nap.
Evelyn Grant sat on the terrace and thought for a long time before dialing Dylan Grant’s number.
He always answered his little sister’s calls quickly.
His voice was languid, sounding relaxed and carefree.
“What’s wrong, Princess?”
He sounded completely at ease.
“Heartbroken?”
He hit the nail on the head.
Evelyn Grant pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Only the sound of her faint breathing could be heard.
She had never told Dylan Grant about her love life, but he was always sharp enough to sense things.
“Life isn’t always smooth sailing, and neither is love.
You need to have the courage to let go.”
He should have been busy at this hour, but his tone was unhurried—a rare moment of seriousness from him.
“It’s not the end of the world.
It’ll hurt at first, that’s unavoidable.
When you feel down, go talk to your friends, go shopping, eat some delicious food.
I’ll foot the bill.”
Evelyn Grant chuckled.
“Really?
You’ll pay?”
“Really.” Hearing his sister’s tone was back to normal, he started teasing her again.
“It’s about time our little princess got a taste of heartbreak.
It builds character.
Might stop you from lording it over me all day, acting like you’re fearless.”
“But,” Dylan Grant’s tone suddenly grew serious, “tell your big brother, who’s the blind fool who dared to make my sister upset?”
Evelyn Grant’s eyes curved into crescents.
The phone call seemed to have fully recharged her.
She smiled.
“Let’s not talk about it.
In any case, losing me is his loss.”
She had a six o’clock date with Leo Lawrence.
At five-thirty, she left, the driver taking her to Seraphall.
On the way down the mountain, they passed a motorcade.
The driver said, “Sir has returned.”
Evelyn Grant’s breath hitched.
Even though she knew he couldn’t see her, she instinctively shrank back to avoid being seen.
Her fingers twisted together, her heart pounding with anxiety.
Sophie Keaton had been in a great mood all day.
Hearing the sound of engines outside, she eagerly ran out to greet her brother, looking so smug you just knew she was up to something.
Preston Keaton gave her an indifferent glance and strode ahead, uninterested.
“Hey, Brother!
Why are you walking so fast?
I have some good news to tell you.”
Innocent and bubbly, she couldn’t stop grinning as she scampered after him.
She giggled.
“Evelyn is coming back to Corvin with me!
I absolutely adore her.”
Preston Keaton’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
The temperature around him seemed to drop instantly.
Sophie Keaton’s smile froze on her face.
She shrank back and blinked timidly.
“What’s wrong, Brother?”
The man turned around calmly, his expression unchanged—as elegant and composed as ever.
You couldn’t detect anything amiss.
“Evelyn Grant is going back to Corvin with you?”
Watching Sophie Keaton nod fearfully, Preston Keaton’s lips curved into an emotionless smile.
“Good.”
‘Just wonderful.’
***
Seraphall was a famous restaurant in Veridia, situated right beside Sovereign Harbor.
The view alone was enough to attract countless patrons who came just for the reputation.
But tonight, Seraphall was closed to the public, open for one person alone.
Evelyn Grant walked in slowly.
The restaurant was decorated with masses of white roses, their fragrance rich and lovely.
A smiling waiter placed a bouquet of pink roses in her arms and gestured for her to proceed.
Following the path of flowers, she saw Leo Lawrence standing on the terrace with Sovereign Harbor behind him.
His gaze was tender and affectionate, like honey that could never be diluted.
‘He looks like he really likes me.’
‘But a person like this is the type to hide the deepest secrets.’
Leo Lawrence pulled out a chair for Evelyn Grant to sit, then took the seat opposite her, his smile as easy as always.
Evelyn Grant placed the flowers to the side, her tone calm.
“It’s beautiful.”
‘Fresh flowers, a stunning night view, and the man she liked right across from her.
If this had been the past, she would have wanted to remember this moment forever.’
Leo Lawrence looked at her.
“Let’s eat first.”
He wasn’t sure what Evelyn Grant’s answer would be.
And so, since yesterday, he had been on edge, so nervous he hadn’t slept a wink all night.
Even now, he didn’t want to hear her answer just yet.
He was afraid it wouldn’t be the one he wanted, afraid their relationship would end then and there.
Escargot and foie gras were served one after the other.
A slight evening breeze began to blow, and across the water, they could see the dark silhouettes of a dense crowd of tourists.
Evelyn Grant’s heart grew progressively colder.
She didn’t want to waste her time on someone who was hiding things and deceiving her.
“Do you remember when I went back to Solara last month?”
At the mention of this, Leo Lawrence’s movements paused slightly.
As if recalling something, he lowered his gaze to mask his emotions before looking up with a smile.
“I remember.
What about it?”
Evelyn Grant tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I called you that day, but you were busy.
You didn’t get back to me until the next day.”
“…”
Leo Lawrence grew more and more uneasy.
He didn’t know why Evelyn Grant had suddenly brought that up again.
His pride in his emotional control was failing him.
He watched her in a panic, right up until she coldly raised her eyes to meet his gaze.
“That night…
were you really busy with work?”