At seven o'clock in the evening, Evelyn and Jason arrived at the best private dining place in Lycheeville—Flavor10. It was a high-end and discreet venue, chosen by Victor for the gathering. To Evelyn's surprise, Adrian had also come to join them.

With Victor, his trusted secretary, and Adrian present, it felt like three clever foxes were cornering Jason, truly a “banquet of ambush.” A case of unopened Lafite sat on the wine cabinet across the dining table, and a quick glance revealed it was from 1995.

Jason, being the social expert he was, stepped in with a bright smile, calling out, "Mayor Johnson!" After three years, Evelyn noticed that besides a few more gray hairs, Victor had hardly any new wrinkles. He looked exceptionally well-preserved for someone in his fifties, tall and upright, without a hint of a paunch.

“Jason, it’s fine for outsiders to call me that, but for you to do so feels like you’re trying to keep your distance,” Victor said with a smile, his eyes crinkling in a benevolent manner as he extended his hand to Jason.

“Though Eve and I aren’t blood relatives, she came to live with us when she was thirteen. I only have Adrian as a son, and I treat Eve like my own daughter. Even if you don’t call me father-in-law, you should at least refer to me as uncle.”

“I see now that I’ve been inconsiderate. Uncle, you’re a person of great standing, and I’m just a minor businessman. I feared that calling you too familiarly might not sit well with you.” Jason smoothly replied, playing along.

“Not at all! I’ve always regarded you the same way I do Adrian,” Victor said, pulling Jason into a seat. “It’s just that circumstances have made it hard for us to have time to chat like family.”

Evelyn felt a chill run down her spine, and as she intended to sit beside Jason, the secretary smiled ingratiatingly and pointed to the seats at the entrance. “Miss Eve, your seat is over here.”

Adrian promptly took the spot she had wanted, with the Johnson father and son sandwiching Jason in the middle. Adrian personally opened a bottle of milk and placed it in front of Evelyn, saying meaningfully, “This was your favorite when you were a child.”

“I don’t drink that brand anymore,” she replied, pushing the milk aside, showing no regard for Adrian’s gesture.

Adrian's expression soured slightly, but Jason’s eyes sparkled with delight.

“To entertain Jason, my father even brought out the best wine. Tonight, the three of us won’t leave until we’re drunk!” Adrian said, casting a knowing glance at the secretary.

The secretary stood up, opened the box of Maotai, and handed a bottle to Adrian, placing another on the table.

Jason had a light tolerance for alcohol; he typically only drank red wine and would get drunk with even a small amount of white liquor. Evelyn knew that once he took the first sip tonight, there would be countless others waiting.

“We came to Lycheeville in a rush; Jason didn’t pack warm clothes and caught a cold last night. He’s already taken four doses of antibiotics, so he can’t drink a drop of alcohol.”

She blurted out the excuse without considering how it might affect Victor and his son, a reason she had already prepared in her mind—one that even Jason didn’t know about.

“How can you have a good time without drinking? Eve, I suspect you’re doing this on purpose to make things difficult for me.” Victor’s old face fell.

After being thwarted twice by Evelyn, Adrian felt a twinge of discomfort and cast her a sidelong glance. “You’ve been married for only three years, yet your heart and mind are entirely occupied by Jason. Have you forgotten your family?”

“It’s just casual conversation; drinking or not doesn’t matter much.” She lowered her voice. “It’s not that Jason doesn’t want to drink; he can’t because he took antibiotics. If you keep pressuring him, you’ll only be waiting for me to become a widow.”

“You’ve become quite sharp-tongued from being a streamer!” Victor shook his head in annoyance.

The secretary immediately removed the two bottles of liquor from the table.

Adrian remained silent, his expression cool.

The atmosphere in the private room was tense, with only Jason sporting a smile.

The surprises Evelyn brought him today far exceeded his expectations.

Before arriving, Jason had already formulated a plan: after a few drinks, he would pretend to be drunk and slump over the table. Victor tried to steer the conversation toward the development of Stark’s Group, but Evelyn couldn’t interject and was left to quietly listen to Jason’s responses.

In less than three minutes, the discussion shifted to the investment in the pharmaceutical warehouse of Stark’s Group. No matter how Victor and Adrian pressed, Jason steadfastly refused to yield, insisting that the decision on investments belonged to the old man.

Seeing that he wouldn’t get anywhere, Victor excused himself and left with his secretary before the dishes were fully served. Once he estimated that Victor was in the car, Evelyn subtly tugged at the hem of Jason's shirt.

Jason immediately understood, stood up, grabbed his coat, and smiled before he even spoke. “Eve and I are preparing for a baby, so we need to rest early. We’ll head out first.”

Before Adrian could react, the two were already holding hands as they exited the private room. The vast room was left empty, and Adrian watched the chair where Evelyn had sat, a faintly cold smile playing on his lips.

Evelyn and Jason walked down the stairs together, and it wasn’t until they were waiting for the car that she realized they were still holding hands. Jason gripped her hand tightly, showing no sign of disdain.

“Mrs. Stark, you performed wonderfully at the dinner,” Jason leaned in close, whispering into her ear, his tone suddenly flirtatious. “How should I repay you when we get back to the hotel, hmm?”

“They’re too much,” she didn’t catch the meaning behind Jason’s last words, her teeth clenched in frustration. “You should deal with them less often.”

“They say you can’t bite the hand that feeds you. Now that we’ve eaten their meal, we can’t very well not visit your mother-in-law tomorrow morning.”

“Let them say what they want; I’m not going.”

Just thinking about Agnes made her angry. If Jason went to the hospital, Agnes would undoubtedly try to convince Victor to secure investment in their favor.

At that moment, their car arrived.

Back at the hotel, as soon as she opened the door with the room key, Jason kissed her passionately in the dark. The kiss was intense.

She felt flustered. “I still have a little bit left; it’ll be ready tomorrow.”

“Now is the time—”

His voice trailed off, and before completely taking her, he rationally reached for a condom. Perhaps because it was their first time teaming up for such a victory, both of them were fully invested and indulged in the moment.

In several instances, Evelyn found herself harboring a longing for an everlasting future with Jason.

The next day, she woke up smiling.

Feeling beside her, she realized she was alone.

Glancing toward the bathroom, there was no sign of Jason.

He might have gone for a walk, she thought to herself.

She pulled back the curtains to see that the snow had stopped.

In a hurry, she grabbed her phone and opened the flight booking app; the flights to Riverton were back on schedule!

Dialing Jason’s number, she got no answer, so she left a message on WhatsApp asking when he would return to Riverton.

By the time she finished getting ready, Jason still hadn’t replied.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Assuming it was Jason without his room card, she rushed to open it.

Standing at the door was a tall, elegant woman. Evelyn hadn’t even seen the woman’s face clearly before she was slapped across the face!

Covering her burning cheek, she angrily asked, “Who are you? Why did you hit me?”

“Who am I?” The woman’s strikingly beautiful face was filled with sarcasm. “Adrian even let you be his mistress; hasn’t he told you who I am?”