Grace scoffed derisively, “Another purpose? What other use does Evelyn have besides warming your bed?”

“That’s not something you need to know.” Jason exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes glinting with intensity. “You should stay out of my affairs with the Stark family. If there are any more allegations about Evelyn accepting bribes, Shawn’s company will face a financial breakdown and be forced into bankruptcy.”

Shawn was Grace’s beloved man and her greatest vulnerability. Over the years, they had shared a deep bond in the Capital city, supporting each other through thick and thin. Although they hadn’t officially registered their marriage, their relationship was closer than that of many couples.

Shawn’s fortunes had never matched those of the elder Mr. Stark; whatever he invested seemed to fail, leaving Grace to constantly supplement his income. Meanwhile, her Serenity Pavilion relied heavily on Jason’s investments.

Just days ago, when Grace pressured Evelyn to divorce Jason, he immediately withdrew his investment from Serenity Pavilion, forcing it to halt operations. Grace had come to Riverton not only to gather information about the Stark family assets but also to mend her relationship with Jason and seek new investors for Serenity Pavilion.

However, she hadn’t anticipated Evelyn exposing the pregnancy-preserving medications, nor had she expected Jason to find out she was the one who had anonymously reported Evelyn.

“Jason, I’ve only given birth to you. Whatever I do, right or wrong, it’s all for your sake.” In desperation, she resorted to appealing to their emotional bond.

“If you truly want what’s best for me, then leave Riverton immediately. Don’t wade into this murky water.”

Jason shook the ash from his cigarette and strode into the elevator.

As Jason entered their home, Evelyn glanced toward the door, relieved to see Grace hadn’t followed him. She let out a quiet sigh, genuinely afraid of this so-called mother-in-law.

“What happened to the medication my mother sent?” Jason asked as he hung up his coat.

Without hesitation, she replied, “I threw it away.”

“Where?”

“In the garbage bin in the parking lot.”

Jason didn’t press further, heading straight to his study. Evelyn wasn’t sure what had transpired between Jason and Grace upstairs, but she sensed it hadn’t been pleasant.

An hour later, Jason left for the hospital again. After a short nap, Evelyn drove to the largest supermarket in Riverton to stock up on groceries and daily necessities. The fridge and pantry were bare, and even the toilet paper was down to its last roll, so she quickly filled her shopping cart to the brim.

While selecting yogurt in the dairy section, she heard William’s voice.

“We can’t always place the higher-priced dairy products in the most visible spots. Even in first-tier cities, it’s the average working class that has the most lasting consumer potential…”

William was surrounded by several supermarket executives, discussing product placement.

Evelyn suddenly realized that “EasyPlus” was a subsidiary of SinoContinental and quickly lowered her gaze, trying to step aside.

But then William’s voice called her name from behind.

“Mr. Leighton.” She nodded and smiled.

William signaled for the executives nearby to attend to other matters and approached her. “I thought I saw someone who looked like you from behind and called out. Turns out I was right.”

“You really work hard, Mr. Leighton, coming to the supermarket for inspections on a Saturday.” Evelyn sought to make small talk.

Since she had mentioned having a boyfriend, she had sensed a slight distance in William’s demeanor. But at this moment, seeing him again, his gaze still held an element of admiration, seemingly unaffected by her relationship status.

“Buying a lot, I see. Food, drinks, and daily essentials—all covered,” William remarked, his attention drifting to her overflowing cart.

The man’s keen intuition quickly spotted a bottle of men’s shaving lotion—an expensive brand, no less. He reached out to push Evelyn’s shopping cart.

Evelyn hesitated to refuse him, not wanting to appear overly coy, so she let him take over.

“Do you think you can carry all this by yourself? Where’s your boyfriend?” William’s question was skillfully phrased. It seemed like a concern for her ability to manage the groceries, but it was really about her boyfriend.

“He’s busy with family matters,” she replied candidly, without hiding the truth.

William looked at her with a mixture of restraint and longing.

“Just out of curiosity, do you and your boyfriend have plans to get married?”

“Yes,” she answered decisively.

“When the wedding happens, don’t forget to send me an invitation. I’d love to see which lucky guy gets to marry you.” William’s smile was warm and flawless, but to Evelyn, it felt somewhat jarring, so she quickly shifted the conversation to work.

“Mr. Leighton, please remind your secretary to send over the interview documents on Monday.”

“Thanks for the reminder.” William casually picked up two cartons of imported milk and added them to the cart. “This brand is very pure, with almost no additives. You should give it a try.”

“I’m sure your recommendation won’t disappoint. I’ll be enjoying good food today,” Evelyn replied, using polite small talk to deflect.

William glanced in another direction. “The flower section here is nice too. They have roses airlifted from France; you could pick out a few bunches.”

“I’m not good with flowers. I’m usually busy with work, and they never last more than three days in my care. I think I’ll leave them for true flower lovers. It’s getting late, so I’ll go check out now.” She politely declined.

“Alright then.” William didn’t press further and pushed the cart toward the checkout line.

Seeing William in line, the supermarket manager rushed over to assist him. Evelyn felt a bit embarrassed and quickly grabbed the cart to head to the self-checkout area.

As she scanned her items, William helped by placing each scanned item into the cart. During checkout, Evelyn was on high alert, trying to prevent him from paying, but William managed to get ahead of her.

The supermarket manager personally delivered Evelyn’s purchases to the parking lot and loaded them into her trunk. After expressing her gratitude, Evelyn got into the car and sent the money to William via WhatsApp.

William stood there, gazing at Evelyn in the car, his ambition intensifying in his eyes.

“Mr. Leighton, don’t forget to collect the money,” Evelyn’s face appeared through the slowly descending car window, waving her phone at him.

He smiled and nodded, waving goodbye to her as the car sped away. In an instant, his joy dissipated.

His arm dropped to his side as he took a deep breath, locating a phone number saved two years ago on his phone, and dialed.

Soon, a mature, deep voice came through, “I can’t be mistaken—it's Mr. Leighton from SinoContinental.”

“VP Stark, you’re right. It’s me, William.” He smiled before he spoke, “Let’s meet. I’d like to discuss the details of last year’s new energy project collaboration.”

“The Stark Group extended two olive branches for new energy cooperation to SinoContinental last year, both of which were declined by Mr. Leighton,” Jason replied, feigning confusion. “I’d love to know what’s made Mr. Leighton change his mind all of a sudden?”

In truth, Jason had been waiting for William’s call ever since he sensed William’s interest in Evelyn. He just hadn’t expected William to be so eager.

“Let’s meet for lunch. We can discuss it then.” William dodged Jason’s question.

Jason chuckled softly, “I look forward to meeting with Mr. Leighton.”