Once Evelyn got in the car, she immediately took out her compact mirror to check her forehead. The right side was swollen, with a small cut the size of a grain of rice. Fortunately, she had stopped the bleeding by applying pressure. Concerned about scarring, which could affect her on-camera appearances, she drove to the nearest private hospital.

Since it was nighttime, she registered quickly and received prompt treatment. The wound was cleaned, disinfected, medicated, and covered with a thin gauze. The doctor even gave her a tetanus shot. When she asked about scarring, he dismissed it lightly, assuring her that even if it did scar, it wouldn’t be noticeable. He asked her to return the next afternoon to have the dressing changed.

As she exited the elevator, Evelyn realized the doctor hadn’t mentioned any dietary restrictions. She called Jean, who immediately asked, "Did that asshole do this to you?"

"It was an accident—I hit the doorframe. Jason wasn’t involved," she insisted, still trying to maintain appearances.

While Jean rattled off a list of foods to avoid, Evelyn unlocked her car. Just then, a smooth male voice from a nearby black sedan called out, “Evelyn.”

She hurriedly wrapped up her call with Jean and turned toward the sound. It was William.

He stepped out of his car, the soft parking lot light casting his gray coat in a refined glow, his demeanor as composed and elegant as ever. For a split second, Evelyn mistook him for Jason in the dim light.

"How did you get hurt?" William’s gaze fell on the gauze on her forehead. “Nothing serious, I hope?”

"Mr. Leighton," she touched her forehead, "just a minor scrape from a fall."

“Glad to hear it’s nothing serious.” His gaze softened thoughtfully. “When I called you yesterday, Mr. Stark answered. We had quite the chat—surprisingly agreeable.”

“Jason told me,” she replied with a polite smile. “I assumed you didn’t have anything urgent, so I didn’t return the call.”

“Sophie asked me to arrange dinner with you, but it seems you and Mr. Stark went back to Lycheeville.” William glanced at the suitcases in her backseat. “Out late for a trip?”

“Just heading to West Lake.” Realizing her mistake, she quickly redirected, “It’s been a long day. I’ll let you get back to your evening, Mr. Leighton.”

“Drive safely.” William stepped aside to let her pass.

Eager to escape his watchful gaze, she started the car without even fastening her seatbelt. As her taillights disappeared, William let out a knowing chuckle. He pulled out his phone and called his secretary, his expression turning steely. “Cancel tomorrow morning’s first-round negotiation with Stark’s Group.”

“But, Mr. Leighton, we’ve finalized the cooperation proposal—”

“Do as I say.”

Ending the call, he wore an unreadable expression.

Back at West Lake, Evelyn spent half the night unpacking and arranging her three large suitcases of clothes. Though exhausted, she found herself unable to sleep after her shower. She flicked on the light, took out a notebook, and listed the items she’d need to purchase after work the next day. She only managed a restless sleep as dawn broke.

Tuesday morning arrived, and Evelyn glanced at her packed schedule in her phone’s notes. Having taken Monday off, her work had piled up. She had a full day ahead: a Spring Festival rehearsal in the afternoon and an evening corporate event to host.

Upon entering the office, a colleague informed her that Dane wanted to see her. The leaked photo had already caused a stir online, and she’d expected her boss would want to discuss it.

Unlike social media influencers, TV hosts were held to a high standard; even minor scandals could ruin their careers. Since the photo only showed her standing close to Adrian, she hoped the repercussions would be limited to a warning.

Knocking on Dane’s door, she saw him on the phone, motioning for her to sit.

"Please assure upper management that we’ll investigate thoroughly. We won’t let a morally questionable employee tarnish our network’s reputation…"

Dane’s words sent a chill through her. There was no doubt now that he was talking about her.

After finishing the call, Dane personally closed the office door and looked at her with a sigh. “Eve, there’s something I need to inform you of.”

Evelyn braced herself.

“The photo of you and Adrian has caused quite a stir online. Upper management is very concerned, and until the truth comes out, the station has decided to suspend you,” Dane said with a deep frown.

“You’re single, and if Adrian were single too, even a close photo could’ve been seen as a good story. But Adrian is engaged, and this situation makes you look like the third party. I hope you take this suspension to reflect on things.”

"The photographer has already explained—it was a forced perspective. There was actual distance between Adrian and me!" Evelyn protested, unwilling to accept the suspension.

Dane shook his head. “The damage is done, and a few words from the photographer aren’t enough to convince people otherwise. If the station doesn’t respond accordingly, others might object, and they might even report me for not taking action.”

“Hopefully, the station will clear my name soon,” Evelyn murmured, realizing the decision was final as she rose to leave.

After four years of careful interactions with her male colleagues, she’d been caught up in a scandal that labeled her a third party and severely impacted her career—all because of a single misleading photo. If she could go back in time, she wouldn’t have returned to the city with Adrian, even if it meant freezing in the cold.

Returning to her office, she discovered that the station had already published her suspension notice on the internal site. She read it three times, her eyes reddening, before she gathered her composure and began packing her things.

This job was more than just work to her—it was her solace and her support. Through three tumultuous years with Jason, it was her job that had kept her going in Riverton. Now, within a day of being kicked out of 9Bliss Garden by Jason, she’d been suspended. It felt as if the whole world had abandoned her.

Just then, her desk phone rang. The director of Business Talks delivered yet another blow: William had canceled his interview just ten minutes ago.

Evelyn’s heart sank. She’d spoken to William just last night, and everything had seemed fine. The questions had already been finalized, so what had gone wrong? Even if another host would benefit from her suspension, she had no ill feelings; securing an interview with the Leighton father-son duo had been no small feat. As long as she was still part of the station, she would prioritize the bigger picture.

She dialed William’s number from her cell. In less than three seconds, his voice sounded in her ear. “Calling at this hour—don’t you have work?”

Apparently, William hadn’t heard about her suspension.

“Mr. Leighton, Zack mentioned that you’ve withdrawn from the interview.”

“Apologies, Evelyn,” William’s tone was colder than she’d ever heard. “After careful consideration, I’ve decided to cancel. You’ll need to find someone else.” He paused briefly. “I’m busy with work, so I’ll end the call here.”

With that, the line went dead.