William looked at Evelyn with a smile, “It was me. Just a small favor, so you don’t need to feel burdened.”

“Restoring the video with a professional team costs quite a bit, Mr. Leighton. I—” Evelyn didn’t want to take advantage of William, but she also didn’t want to offend him, so she quickly stopped.

“I told you it was just a small favor.” To reassure her, William added, “I have a friend in IT who helped. I just put in a good word; I didn’t spend a dime.”

“Then please thank your friend for me,” she said, finding no more reasons to doubt him. With William’s status, it was indeed possible for him to have such connections.

William pressed the button to call the elevator, which was currently on one of the upper floors, so they had to wait.

When Evelyn heard someone had helped her, she instinctively thought of Jason. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment—this perfectly described her current mood.

“All the unpleasantness is behind us now. Go home and get some good sleep; tomorrow is a new day,” William said, offering a comforting smile that made her feel inexplicably at ease.

“Thank you, Mr. Leighton,” she said sincerely. “If it weren’t for your help, I might have been stuck here tonight.”

As the elevator doors opened, William gestured for her to enter first. She didn’t hesitate and stepped inside, with William following close behind.

Inside the elevator, it was just the two of them, and Evelyn instinctively moved a little further away from him.

“I spoke with your doctor, and they said your fainting was due to low blood sugar. You need to be more careful in the future,” he remarked.

She nodded softly. “It’s a shame I missed the product launch for SinoContinental.”

“There will be plenty of opportunities to collaborate in the future.” William’s smile was warm. “I’m set to be interviewed for your show next week. I hope our first collaboration goes smoothly and doesn’t drag your ratings down.”

“You’re being too modest, Mr. Leighton. As long as you’re on our show, the ratings will surely go up.”

As they chatted, they reached the underground parking garage. William invited her to his car. After hesitating for a few seconds, she slid into the back seat, still unsure about fully accepting his kindness.

As the car started, William glanced at her in the rearview mirror while driving. “Do you want to go home, or would you rather have dinner?”

“Back—” she started, then paused, finally stating firmly, “West Lake.”

She had come to realize Jason’s coldness. 9Bliss Garden was Jason’s property; what right did she have to cling to it any longer? West Lake only had basic bedding, and she had no clean clothes or daily necessities.

Another reason for not returning to 9Bliss Garden was that she didn’t want William to run into Jason; that would only stir up trouble for her.

“Have you moved?” William asked curiously.

She replied with a simple “Mm,” not elaborating further. William noticed her lack of enthusiasm and didn’t press her for details.

As they drove onto the street where West Lake was located, Evelyn mentioned she wanted to stop by the supermarket to buy some daily necessities and got out of the car.

William understood her desire to keep her address private and readily let her go.

Unbeknownst to them, not far away, a man in a black SUV observed the scene intently. He held a cigarette in his right hand while resting his left on the steering wheel, his gaze deep and serious.

When Evelyn stepped out of the car, and William opened the door for her, their eyes met, and they exchanged smiles.

That brief smile felt like a nail, driving straight into his heart and driving him wild.

He rolled down half the car window, flicked the unfinished cigarette out, and closed his eyes, repeatedly asking himself what he would do if everything went off the rails.

Evelyn waited until she estimated that William had walked far enough before hailing a rideshare back to 9Bliss Garden. Tonight, she would pack all her belongings for West Lake. From now on, she wouldn’t step foot into 9Bliss Garden for any reason!

Since she often appeared on camera, she had quite a few clothes, but most of them weren’t valuable. Three suitcases were stuffed to the brim, and she still had over ten pieces left unpacked.

When Jason returned, he found her lost in thought in the master bedroom, surrounded by a pile of clothes.

“Already got close to William and don’t plan on being with me anymore?” Jason stepped behind her and suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist.

The sudden force caught her off guard, and her back slammed against his chest. At that moment, she had no desire to even scold him and stood there, frozen.

Jason’s thin lips brushed against her eyes, leaving a trail of kisses laced with an underlying desire. At that moment, all she felt was disgust and one desperate thought:

Get away from this heartless man as fast as possible!

Soon, Jason sensed her indifference and deliberately provoked her, “Planning to move into the Leighton family’s home?”

She closed her swollen eyes and asked weakly, “Did you see the WhatsApp I sent you this morning?”

“I did.” Jason’s tone was calm.

“Then why didn’t you help?” She trembled with rage as she retorted, “I’m still sitting in the position of Mrs. Stark; can you really bear to watch me be wrongfully imprisoned?”

“With William helping you, why should I rush?” Jason lightly stroked her trembling chest, a playful smile forming on his lips. “You should thank me; I gave William the chance to be your hero, and now he’s won your favor.”

“Jason, you’re shameless!” She broke down in tears, gripping his shirt and trying to tear it. “I’m your legal wife—what do you take me for?”

“You can choose not to love me, but you shouldn’t demean me like this!”

“Jason, what sin have I committed in this life to end up with you?” Her curses came with frenzied punches aimed at him.

Frowning, Jason seized her wrist. “Enough!”

His icy reprimand was like a bucket of cold water, awakening her from her rage.

Talking about conscience and feelings with Jason was like playing music to a cow!

They both fell into silence. She wiped the tears from her face, gathered her emotions, and resumed packing.

Jason glanced at the disheveled clothes on the bed—summer dresses and short sleeves—and felt an inexplicable irritation.

“Are you planning to get divorced or just separate?”

“The choice is yours.” She knew the decision in this marriage lay with Jason, so she tossed the question back at him.

“Evelyn.” Jason’s voice was like ice. “Let me make this clear: if you walk out that door today, even if you beg me on your knees later, I won’t accept you back.”

Her body trembled, and the clothes in her hands fell to the floor.

“Jason, if you have even a shred of conscience, take all your resentment and revenge out on me—don’t involve anyone else.”

If Jason would spare Jean, she would have no hesitation in tearing her facade apart.

“Who are the ‘others’ Mrs. Stark mentioned—Leighton or Johnson?” Jason’s eyes narrowed, filled with a chilling coldness.

She felt her heart race from the pressure of his gaze and murmured, “I meant Jean.”

“You’ve scolded me for being petty and calculating more than once, and I am indeed that kind of person. As long as I can’t see you, do you think I would allow Jean to live well?”

“That’s not the same, Jason. Please, let Jean go.” Her voice broke with emotion.

“I don’t have that generosity,” Jason replied before turning and heading into the study.

Despair washed over her as she sank to the floor, clutching her head and crying uncontrollably.