Evelyn hadn’t expected William to call out her lie with a smile and a calm tone, as if discussing something unrelated to her. If it had been Jason, he would have mocked her coldly for lying. The light from the parking lot cast shifting shadows across William's face, and from Evelyn’s perspective, it seemed he concealed a fire beneath his seemingly composed demeanor—warm and sincere, capable of consuming her entirely.

As she studied William, he was also observing her. Today, without any makeup and showing a hint of fatigue, her face still radiated a natural brightness. She wore a loose-fitting white cashmere coat that hung open over a simple black hoodie dress, paired with flat loafers and a gray backpack. Though she was dressed like any ordinary office lady, she had captivated William’s attention.

He opened the passenger door and, with a slightly hoarse voice, said, “It’s just a meal. I can’t think of a reason for you to refuse.”

Caught in her lie, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I’m too tired from working late today, and I’ve been trying to lose weight. I just want to get home and rest.”

“If you don’t want to eat out, then I can take you home,” William offered. With that, she could no longer be stubborn and decided to get in the back seat.

William closed the passenger door and drove out of the parking lot. She quietly said, “I’m going back to 9Bliss Garden.”

“Moved back again,” William remarked, glancing at her as he drove.

“Yeah,” she replied softly.

“I heard your hometown is Lycheeville. Do your parents live there or in Riverton?” William chose his words carefully, clearly interested in Evelyn’s family background, even though he typically avoided prying into others' private lives.

“My dad passed away when I was thirteen, and my mom has lived in Lycheeville ever since.” She didn’t want to delve into anything related to Lycheeville, so she swiftly changed the topic. “There’s been a lot of upheaval at the television station lately. A new leader will be taking over on Monday, so Mr. Leighton’s interview will be on the agenda.”

“Sorry to bring up sad memories,” William said, noticing her eyes reddening in the rearview mirror. “My schedule next week isn’t too tight, so I can accommodate your filming.”

“Thank you, Mr. Leighton.” She struggled to think of a topic to keep the conversation flowing and resorted to expressing her gratitude to ease the awkward silence.

After a brief silence, William spoke again. “Do you like Riverton? Do you think you’ll consider settling down here long-term?”

“I can’t leave for a few years; it’s hard to say about the future.” Her thoughts immediately turned to her marriage.

When she first started her job, she had dreams of achieving something significant in her career.

However, after marrying Jason, the despair of her marriage had made her pour all her energy into work, spending endless hours on location shoots and overtime.

Within just two years, she had climbed to the position of a top anchor.

Now, as long as she could divorce Jason, she would even be willing to work in a small city to escape the sorrow Riverton held for her.

“Riverton has mountains to the north and the sea to the east, with a fairly mild climate. It’s a great place to settle down,” William said lightly, a soft laugh escaping his lips. “You’ve lived in Riverton for three years and still haven’t fallen in love with this city. Is it because there’s no one you like here?”

What a tactful way to ask! He was really asking if she had a boyfriend, indirectly pointing out Riverton’s charm.

Noticing she remained silent, he added, “Did I ask something I shouldn’t have?”

“I was just thinking about work. I’ve been under so much pressure lately that I find myself zoning out whenever someone is talking,” Evelyn said, trying to ease the tension between them. She didn’t want to make things awkward.

To her surprise, William pressed on. “I remember you said you didn’t have a boyfriend.”

His straightforwardness caught Evelyn off guard. She recalled that when William had previously asked her about her relationship status, she had only nodded without revealing her marriage. Now, it seemed crucial to clarify things before William got the wrong idea. Otherwise, they might struggle to maintain even a friendship.

As she considered her words, Evelyn hesitated. Would revealing her marital status provoke William and cause him to back out of next week’s interview?

“Sorry, Mr. Leighton, I didn’t explain clearly last time,” she said, fixing her gaze on his profile. “I have a boyfriend in Riverton.”

The smile on William’s face froze instantly. “What does your boyfriend do?”

“He’s just an ordinary worker,” she replied, lying through her teeth.

As they approached the north gate of 9Bliss Garden, she felt a sudden urgency to get out of the car.

William quickly parked along the side of the road but didn’t open the door for her this time.

“Thank you, Mr. Leighton,” Evelyn said again as she stepped out of the car.

“Not at all,” he replied, adjusting his emotions and smiling as he waved goodbye to her.

Once Evelyn’s figure disappeared from view, William finally averted his gaze. The colorful light refracted by the neon signs along the street only deepened his sense of unease.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number, speaking in a measured tone.

A few minutes later, his phone rang.

He switched it to speaker mode and rolled up the car windows.

“Mr. Leighton, we’ve found Evelyn’s personal information. Eleven years ago, her father committed suicide due to embezzlement charges, a substantial amount. Less than three months later, her mother remarried Victor Johnson.”

“Victor?” William lowered his voice, intrigued. “The current head of Lycheeville?”

“Exactly,” the caller confirmed respectfully. “After graduating from university, Evelyn joined the Riverton TV station, and the following year, she married—”

“Who?” William interrupted, surprised that the caller was withholding information.

“Evelyn’s husband is Jason, a notorious playboy in Riverton.”

“Are you sure? Is Evelyn married to Jason or are they just dating?” William felt as if his chest had been sealed with waterlogged cotton, leaving no room for relief.

“Every word is true. I heard it directly from Cedric.” The caller sounded pitying. “Evelyn isn’t well-regarded by Jason or the Stark family; otherwise, she wouldn’t have kept her marriage a secret for so long.”

Cedric, the eldest grandson of the Stark family and Jason’s nephew, wouldn’t be mistaken.

William couldn’t take it any longer and hung up the phone. Jason, the vice president of Stark Group, was notorious for being carefree, calculating, and manipulative. He was also William’s rival in the business world. Over the past two years, William had seized several nine-figure deals from Jason through dubious means.

No calculation could have predicted that Evelyn was Jason’s woman. He recalled Evelyn mentioning her boyfriend was just an ordinary worker and couldn’t help but sneer.

Slowly lowering the car window halfway, the biting northern wind rushed in. He raised his hand and tossed a pristine velvet box out of the window.

The box hit the ground and popped open, revealing a pair of exquisite pearl earrings. A white sedan sped by, crushing the box, and the pearls scattered across the cold asphalt.