Upon returning to the hotel, Evelyn immediately sent Jason a voice message on WhatsApp, letting him know she would arrive in Riverton by nine o'clock the next morning. Her voice was naturally pleasant, but she deliberately added a tone of sweetness, making it sound light and melodious.

Still, Jason didn’t respond.

After removing her makeup and taking a shower, Evelyn felt exhausted but found herself unable to sleep. Now, she was haunted by fears of Jason retaliating by suing Jean again, and the thought that the twenty million advertising fee might slip through her fingers weighed heavily on her.

As she dialed Jason’s number, she glanced at her phone and saw it was eleven fifteen. She didn’t have much hope, so it caught her off guard when Jason’s voice came through, laced with annoyance. “Are you really going to keep calling and sending voice messages? Don’t you ever get tired?”

In the background, she could hear the clattering of a mahjong machine and laughter—both male and female, creating a chaotic din.

“Please don’t be mad at me. I wasn’t avoiding you last night; I just felt really unwell,” she said, trying to sound sincere as she spun her lie. “I’ve been bleeding on and off all day.”

“Jason, we’ve lost three rounds in a row. You need to come help us—”

But Jason didn’t respond. Instead, Cecilia’s playful voice chimed in, “Come on, Jason! We’re waiting for you!”

Evelyn clenched her teeth, feeling a bitter sting of jealousy.

In the middle of the night, they were all together, laughing and enjoying themselves! No wonder Jason hadn’t bothered to send her a single message; with Cecilia around, how could he think of her?

“I'm hanging up.” Jason’s tone was icy, and before Evelyn could react, the call ended abruptly.

The busy signal echoed in her ears, pulling at her heart like a vice. As the pain surged, her mind sharpened with clarity.

How ridiculous it all seemed now—just a while ago, she had been fantasizing about having a child with Jason!

The next day was Sunday. After Evelyn's flight landed in Riverton, she headed straight to 9Bliss Garden.

At the entrance, she noticed Jason’s car keys, cigarettes, and lighter in the storage box. Dropping off her suitcase, she wandered into a few bedrooms and found Jason sprawled out on the bed in the master suite, sound asleep. One half of the blanket was pinned under his body, while the other half hung down to the floor.

She quietly approached him, bending down to tuck the blanket over his shoulders. Just as she turned to leave, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and yanked her onto the bed.

The sun blazed outside, but the room was shrouded in thick blackout curtains, casting a fluctuating, muted light as it filtered through the door. The contours of the man's bare skin were striking, reflecting a soft, silvery moonlight that danced in the dim room.

“So you decided to come back,” he murmured.

Though his tone was aloof, it carried an undercurrent of desire. They were positioned closely, her beneath him, their breaths mingling as their gazes locked.

Evelyn knew exactly what he wanted. Protectively, she crossed her arms over her chest and pleaded, “Not today. Tomorrow will be fine.”

As his restless hands brushed against the sanitary pad she had applied earlier, he suddenly sat up and headed toward the bathroom, the sound of running water following him.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief. Fortunately, she had prepared before coming to 9Bliss Garden. Not only had she put on a sanitary pad, but she had also squeezed a few drops of red dye onto it. The dye, purchased just before boarding the plane, was specifically selected to change color over time—perfect for creating a convincing illusion.

She glanced at Jason’s clothes piled at the foot of the bed and picked up a shirt, examining it closely. There was a lipstick mark just beneath the right shoulder, faint yet unmistakably full-lipped.

Aside from Cecilia, she couldn't think of any other woman who would leave such a mark.

Jason emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, heading for the closet without sparing her a glance as he passed by.

She tossed their dirty laundry into the washing machine, then opened the balcony window to let in some fresh air before shutting it again.

“Yesterday afternoon, someone delivered the invitation for Adrian's engagement. We’ll be heading back to Lycheeville together next Saturday,” Jason said casually, suddenly at her side.

“I’m not going back to Lycheeville,” she replied, her gaze skimming over the invitation he had placed on the small table beside her. “And you don’t need to go either.”

“Hearing about Adrian’s engagement stings a little?” he remarked, fastening his cufflinks, his expression inscrutable.

She immediately retorted, “No, I’m not!”

“Since you’re not, why are you so afraid to go back to Lycheeville for the ceremony? I even prepared a gift for my brother-in-law; you can’t skip it,” Jason countered.

“Don’t push me; I really don’t want to go.”

“The tickets are already booked. You’re coming back to Lycheeville with me next Friday,” Jason replied as he buttoned his last cufflink and headed toward the study.

Evelyn boiled a few eggs and heated up two cups of milk. She went to the study to call Jason for lunch, only to find him on a video call with Cecilia.

Cecilia was flipping through a thick stack of documents, anxiously searching for something, while Jason softly reassured her not to panic.

Even though their conversation was about work, Evelyn felt a pang of jealousy. She forced a smile and chimed in, “Time to eat, Jason.”

Jason replied with a casual “Mm,” his gaze fixated on the busy Cecilia in the phone screen.

“If you can’t find it, just wait until I get to the office to help you look. I feel terrible making you work on a Sunday. Let’s grab some seafood together for lunch as an apology,” Jason said.

“Just hearing that makes me feel like I can work twenty-four hours straight without getting tired. My forehead injury hasn’t fully healed yet, so I can’t eat seafood. Let’s go to BeyondSoul Tower for some music and snacks instead,” Cecilia suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Jason replied.

…

Their interaction continued without a care for Evelyn, who felt increasingly sidelined. With every sentence they exchanged, her heart clenched tighter. It felt as if they were deliberately trying to annoy her, and as long as she stayed in their presence, their conversation would go on indefinitely.

As soon as she entered the dining room, Jason followed closely behind. “We’ll eat out for lunch; skip breakfast for now.”

She peeled the egg shells obediently, trying to change the subject. “About the two million advertising contract with Stark’s Group and the TV station, can we keep it going?”

“I have no plans to do that at the moment; the TV station’s advertising isn’t worth much,” Jason replied bluntly.

“Just consider it a favor for me. If you really pull the two million, I’ll have to look for sponsorship elsewhere. You know I don’t have many connections in Riverton.”

“You’ve been in Riverton for three years, but you still think about Lycheeville. If you don’t put effort into building relationships in Riverton, of course, you won’t have any connections,” Jason mocked, bringing up her absence at the family gathering.

Evelyn sipped her milk slowly, trying to negotiate for another chance. “I went to Harborville the other day because it was a last-minute decision by the station. If I had known about the family gathering, I wouldn’t have gone.”

“Mom is still in Riverton; she’ll definitely want to see you in the next couple of days. Just don’t let slip that you’re pregnant,” Jason said as he picked up his jacket, preparing to leave.

Evelyn stood in front of the door, blocking his way. “You’re going to see Cecilia, aren’t you?”

“I’m going to the office for work; don’t be unreasonable.” His gaze was deep, his expression calm.

Evelyn’s frustration at his composure made her eyes red. “You’re having lunch with Cecilia at BeyondSoul Tower.”

“I’m just having a meal with my subordinate. Are you really going to dictate that to me?” he asked, half-closing his eyes, intrigued.

“If you expect me to have a child for you, this is definitely my concern,” Evelyn said resolutely. “You can’t go.”

“You can take charge when you’ve given birth to the child, then we can discuss conditions.” He gripped her wrist, a mocking glint in his eyes. “Tell me, where is your heart—Lycheeville or Riverton?”

Evelyn knew he was indirectly asking if she still thought about Adrian.

The grievances of the past three years surged within her. For the first time, she felt a desperate need to confess her unspoken feelings to the man before her—