Evelyn's biggest concern was how to avoid having sex for the next three days. Jason was a man driven by lust and desire. He was now desperate for a child, and any hint of resistance from her could backfire on Jean. If things went south, Jason might even sue Jean again.

On the drive back to the TV station, an idea suddenly struck Evelyn, and she decided to call Jason. A few seconds later, a soft and sweet voice came through, “Sorry, Miss Joy, but Jason’s in a meeting. Is there something I can pass along?”

It was Cecilia.

Evelyn felt her enthusiasm wane as a wave of nausea rose within her. She forced herself to say, “Have Jason call me when the meeting's over.”

“Miss Joy—”

Cecilia's smile didn't reach her eyes as she called out to Evelyn, “If you can't satisfy Jason, then maybe you should let me take Mrs. Stark's place. With a lovely wife at home, Jason still clung to me, unsatisfied. What am I even to him?”

“If you want a title, go find Jason. As long as he agrees, I won’t hold back,” Evelyn said angrily before ending the call.

What a coincidence! When she arrived at the TV station, Director Logan notified her to head to Harborville for the annual Internet Gala. Originally, it was supposed to be another well-known female host, but an hour earlier, her mother had a stroke and was hospitalized, so she had to fill in.

The gala started at seven the next evening, but this event held significant weight in the domestic Internet scene, and as the host, Evelyn had to attend rehearsals in Harborville this afternoon. She had always hated business trips, but this time it solved her immediate problem, so she booked the next flight to Harborville on her phone.

On her way to the airport, she tried calling Jason again. No one answered for the second time in a row.

The flight from Riverton to Harborville was only an hour long. The gala organizers sent someone to pick Evelyn up from the airport and arranged for her to stay at a luxury hotel.

After a quick freshen-up, she dove straight into the gala rehearsal. Standing on stage, the moment the spotlight hit her, she beamed and spoke confidently, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor.

Meanwhile, her phone, muted during the rehearsal, kept lighting up. The name "Agnes Hathaway" flashing on the screen made her feel increasingly agitated. Agnes was Evelyn's biological mother, who remarried Victor less than three months after Evelyn's father passed away eleven years ago.

At that time, Victor was the head of the investment promotion office in Lycheeville—imposing and authoritative. His first wife had died in a car accident fifteen years earlier. Evelyn's father had also worked in the investment promotion office, under Victor, which made it impossible for Evelyn to accept Victor as her stepfather. Their relationship had been strained for years.

Agnes, name meaning ‘Pure and Faithful’.

Yet in fact, neither pure nor faithful.

What an irony!

Evelyn could thank Agnes and Victor for her marriage to Jason. After several missed calls, she slipped into an empty stairwell and called back.

Soon, the voice she least wanted to hear came through, filled with resentment. “I’m at the Riverton TV station. Meet me in the parking lot.”

Evelyn replied coldly, “I’m on a business trip, not in Riverton.”

“You still can’t forgive me?” Agnes’s tone was laced with anger. “It’s been three years. You haven’t seen me or returned to Lycheeville. Do you still not get it?”

“You definitely get it. My dad passed away less than three months before you hooked up with Victor,” Evelyn shot back, her voice icy. “Just be a good Mrs. Johnson and don’t disturb my life anymore.”

“Eve,” Agnes said urgently, “Victor only has one son, Adrian, and he’s already mapped out his career and marriage. You and him will never end up together.”

“Are you done? I’ve got things to do and can’t listen to your well-meaning advice any longer,” she replied sarcastically.

Agnes finally got to the point. “Adrian is getting engaged next Saturday. No matter what unpleasantness happened before, you’ll be seen as his stepsister. Out of consideration, you and Jason should come to Lycheeville for the engagement ceremony.”

“Three years ago—” Evelyn’s voice quivered, and tears fell from the corners of her eyes. “When you and Victor used me to secure the Stark Group’s investment project, our mother-daughter bond ended. Mrs. Johnson, how can you ask me to come back to Lycheeville and support you?”

There was silence on the other end.

Evelyn ended the call and stood by the window for a long time, only pulled back to reality by the jarring sound of her phone ringing.

Seeing it was Jason, she quickly composed herself and answered sweetly, “Jason.”

“Mother’s in Riverton. She just landed. The old house is having a family dinner tonight. We’re meeting at 9 Bliss Garden in half an hour to head over together.”

Although Jason’s tone was similar to usual, she somehow sensed a hint of warmth.

“There’s a last-minute arrangement at work. I came to Harborville this afternoon and can’t go back for the next couple of days.”

“Mother specifically came to see you, bringing a lot of pregnancy supplements. The whole Stark family knows you’re pregnant now. Whether you come back is up to you.”

She hadn’t figured out how to decline yet when the line went dead.

She had come to Harborville to avoid Jason—how could she go back now? After weighing her options, she called Jason back.

It took more than ten seconds before Jason picked up.

“Jason, I’m still at rehearsals; I really can’t go back,” she said, lowering her tone.

“Your ovulation period is ending soon. If you don’t get pregnant this month, it’s a wrap. You need to come back, now,” Jason said, his tone clearly impatient. “Don’t make me say it a third time.”

“But—” she began, but the call ended before she could finish.

She opened her flight app and let out a long sigh. The earliest flight back to Riverton was after 9 PM.

She took a screenshot of the flight information and sent it to Jason via WhatsApp, adding a note: “Even if I get back to Riverton today, it’ll be past midnight. I’ll book the earliest flight for the day after tomorrow.”

When she finished her rehearsal and returned to the hotel, Jason hadn’t replied at all.

In fact, she spent the whole afternoon in a state of anxiety, fearing Jason might sue Jean out of spite. Fortunately, it was Saturday tomorrow, and the courts were closed. Even if Jason had thoughts of revenge, he would have to wait until Monday.

By the time she returned to Riverton on Sunday, she could seek peace with Jason.

Standing for too long during the rehearsal left her legs sore. After showering, she lay down on her bed and fell asleep, lacking the energy to go eat at the rooftop restaurant.

A loud knocking on the door jolted her awake. She turned on the lamp and habitually checked her phone, only to find several missed calls from Jason.

“Open the door,” came a familiar male voice from outside.

She didn’t even have time to put on her shoes before rushing to open the door.

Jason’s handsome face appeared before her.

“What are you doing here?”

She was filled with surprise, standing on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around Jason’s neck, completely forgetting the doctor’s advice about her birth control shots.

Jason pulled her hands away, his suspicious gaze scanning over her head and landing on the messy bed.