Evelyn met Cecilia’s gaze without a hint of deference or arrogance.

Cecilia’s well-formed lips curved into a mocking smile. “Miss Joy, you look a bit more haggard in person than you do on-screen.”

“Well, I adopted a stray tomcat. He’s constantly in heat, always running out to find lady cats. Lately, he’s been keeping me up,” Evelyn said with a soft smile, thinly veiling her sarcasm.

Cecilia, naturally, understood who the tomcat and the lady cat were. Her face darkened even further. “When a tomcat goes running, it means there’s something outside that’s more enticing than home, something you can’t control.”

"Exactly. Once things settle down, I plan to get him neutered, make him a eunuch for life.” Evelyn sighed lightly, looking unbothered. “But I feel bad for that lady cat who keeps lingering around under my window, still in heat. Whatever will she do then?”

Cecilia’s face twisted in anger, but with other people around, she held her tongue.

The verbal sparring ended when the elevator doors opened. Cecilia led them to the top floor and then left.

Evelyn’s friend, Penny, the makeup artist, leaned in and whispered, “When you guys started talking about tomcats and lady cats, Miss Brooks looked super pissed. Her look was pure hostility. She’s Jason’s favorite, you know. We really can’t afford to offend her, so you might want to watch your words next time.”

“Jason’s favorite, huh? Not someone to mess with,” Evelyn murmured bitterly.

Everyone in Riverton knew Jason’s feelings for Cecilia, but no one knew that Evelyn was the real Mrs. Stark. She shook her head—compared to her health, romance was trivial. Better to let these meaningless emotions go.

The annual meeting was set for five p.m. in the large conference room on the top floor of the Stark’s Group building.

Last week, the Stark’s Group had finalized a partnership with the station. Yesterday afternoon, Zack, the event director, had brought in the lighting and camera crew to set up the venue.

Evelyn and her male co-host took the stage for a rehearsal.

After over three years at the station, she had broadcast more than 300 finance news segments and hosted numerous large and medium-sized events. A company event for less than a thousand people was easy for her to handle.

Once she and her co-host marked their positions on stage, Evelyn found a quiet corner offstage to study her lines.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps filled the entryway, and a young girl behind her announced, “VP Stark and Miss Brooks are here!”

Evelyn bit her lip. Hell! The last thing she wanted was to watch them flaunt their affection right in front of her.

Determined not to be rattled by the pair, she kept her gaze fixed on her script.

But within less than thirty seconds, her attention drifted over to Jason’s direction.

Jason was first chatting with Director Zack, then exchanging greetings with the male host seated in the front row.

And soon, the familiar sound of his footsteps approached her side.

She kept her gaze down, playing oblivious.

“Eve, VP Stark is here to cheer everyone on,” Zack called out when he saw her ignoring the cue, hurrying to get her attention.

She had no choice but to rise, casting Jason a glance, pretending they were meeting for the first time. She greeted him in a neutral tone, “VP Stark.”

“Miss Joy,” Jason nodded slightly. “If anything here is unsatisfactory, don’t hesitate to tell me. But please, don’t give my assistant a hard time.”

Evelyn was at a loss for words. Give his secretary a hard time? When? How? Unless Cecilia provoked her, she couldn’t even be bothered to speak to her.

Right now, Cecilia stood behind Jason, her brows knitted in a delicate frown, looking like a helpless little damsel.

“I came with Eve,” Zack said, chuckling, trying to play mediator. “She and Miss Brooks just shared a few pet care tips. VP Stark, you must’ve misunderstood.” Zack kept flashing Evelyn glances, urging her to apologize quickly.

Evelyn finally understood—Cecilia had exaggerated her sarcasm to Jason, who was now here to “set things straight.” If Cecilia hadn’t picked at her first, Evelyn wouldn’t have snapped back. But whatever Cecilia said, Jason believed it. Explaining herself would be useless; she might as well stay firm and save face.

“VP Stark, hear me out, and I’ll only say this once: I have never once made things hard for Miss Brooks.”

Before Jason could respond, Zack discreetly tugged on Evelyn’s sleeve, signaling her to stop talking.

She cast Jason a resentful look, then walked away, clutching her script, toward the dressing room.

“I was just being petty, totally misunderstood Miss Joy. I’ll apologize to her right away, and let’s move on…” Cecilia’s saccharine voice trailed off as Evelyn left.

As soon as Evelyn stepped into the makeup room, Penny followed her in.

The Stark’s Group had put effort into this event, providing two separate makeup rooms for the hosts.

Evelyn had brought three dresses: a ball gown, a strapless, and an off-the-shoulder gown. After discussing with her co-host, they decided she’d wear the off-the-shoulder one.

Penny started doing Evelyn’s makeup, gossiping as she went.

“Their status may differ, but their looks aren’t lying. Miss Brooks is totally in love with Jason. As for Jason, well, it’s hard to say.”

“Penny, you need glasses. Jason is head-over-heels in love with Cecilia,” Evelyn replied bitterly.

Penny looked at her, intrigued. “You know Jason?”

Evelyn gave a sardonic laugh. “I wouldn’t be so lucky.”

“Something tells me you do know each other and that there’s some history there. If that’s not it, then maybe Jason has a thing for you.”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” Evelyn said dismissively. “Everyone in Riverton knows where Jason’s heart lies—with Cecilia. He was just here to stick up for her.”

Penny, well-acquainted with the station’s hierarchy, knew when to leave things unsaid and quickly changed the topic.

“Every anchor here has a sugar daddy behind them. Jason may be a player, but he’s handsome, rich, and a master of charm. Even without a title, any woman would be lucky to have him.”

“Title or not, it’s still a raw deal,” Evelyn retorted, gritting her teeth.

“How so?” Penny chuckled knowingly. “Jason may fool around, but at the end of the day, he still has to go home and fulfill his marital duties. You can tell if a guy’s good in bed by his Adam’s apple and body hair. Jason’s got a prominent Adam’s apple, thick hair, and a bit of arm hair too. Bet he’s a great lover.”

Uh—

Evelyn hiccuped. Penny wasn’t wrong.

In the first two years, she and Jason barely spoke, living in the same house yet retreating to separate rooms. Aside from the first time, they hadn’t touched each other since.

Then, in the third year, Jason stumbled drunkenly into her room one night, and from there, things spiraled. No matter how much she resisted, that scumbag had a way of driving her to the edge, every time.

“Being Mrs. Stark—you get money, a satisfying love life, maybe even have a kid to tie him down. Spend your days shopping, doing beauty treatments, living the good life—not bad compared to our endless nine-to-nine workdays, right?” Penny went on, oblivious to Evelyn’s discomfort.

A sudden knock interrupted them. Before either could answer, Jason stepped into the room.