Chapter 10 I Dare You to Believe It

Evelyn leaned on William's shoulder, remaining silent. The two stood in front of the French windows like this, and William gently patted her back. She was thin, making his heart ache, and he resolved to take better care of the goddess in front of him. After a long time, he finally spoke, asking her, "Feeling better?"
"It's okay now. I want to be alone for a while."
"Alright, just call me if you need anything. I'll come over right away. I'll go cook something for you first." Evelyn nodded. Watching him leave but keeping the door open, over time, she realized that he was a very attentive man, despite his appearance being incongruous.
At first, she had thought he was just a good assistant who handled everything properly. As they spent time more together, she began to sense his genuine care and felt touched by the little things he did for her. It was truly heartwarming.
In the kitchen, a soup was stewing with the salmon he had left in the fridge yesterday. William lowered his head and looked at the apron he was wearing. He wondered if the person on the other side would be surprised and speechless seeing him in such an eager-to-please state. Haha, there must be a way. Wooing a goddess is indeed difficult and challenging.
Actually, William just wanted to continue walking without asking about the origin, not caring about anything, doing what he truly loved from the bottom of his heart. It was truly the best way to live.
That night, while Evelyn rested, William took the address he had found and went out in his car. Some matters couldn't be left to others, and he couldn't trust someone else to handle them. It was better if he took care of it himself.
Sitting by the roadside for a short while, he saw Clint walking towards him from the darkness. With his appearance, it was evident that he deserved a good beating. William controlled his temper and approached, "Wanna do a deal? How about it?"
"This girl is quite something. Men come to her doorstep every few days to give her money. Do you want to be my son-in-law? Young man, watch your manners when you speak," Clint replied cheekily.
William pulled out a black card. "No spending limit." Clint's eyes stared at the card in William's hand. He reached out to take it, but William snatched it back before him. "It's not just this card. What if I send you to Norway too? How about that?"
"You want me to leave?"
"Or do you think it's better off being dead?" William's tone was no longer questioning. Clint looked into William's eyes, filled with unmistakable murderous intent. Startled, Clint kept retreating while William closed in step by step. "You can't run away."
"What do you want?" Clint trembled as he looked at William. He didn't expect this person to be so ruthless. Judging by his words, he must have fully prepared himself. There was no one around, and if he died here by this man's hands, perhaps no one would ever know.
"It's simple. Go to Norway, never come back. I'll give you the card and passport. Or you can have nothing, and die right now!"
Clint thought going abroad might not be a bad idea. He would have money to spend and enjoy himself. The only thing he didn't know was whether the person in front of him could be trusted. Irritated by Clint's greediness, William asked, "What's your choice?" Clint could only nod in agreement.
"Go to the airport tomorrow. Someone will be waiting for you there."
"Good!" Clint thought there was no need to boast about something said in words.
"But I have something to do right now." Without saying what it was, William just stared at Clint, making Clint's heart jump.
"What is it?"
"Hit you!" In the midst of speaking, William threw a punch, and Clint ended up lying on the ground, unable to get up. "This punch is for Evelyn's mother. Next, there will be one from Evelyn. Be prepared." Moments later, disregarding Clint's pleas for mercy, William approached and delivered another punch.
Having learned Judo for many years, William held back his strength considering Clint's age. As long as Clint didn't continue harassing Evelyn like he did now, there was no need to completely eliminate him. Those two punches were already doing him a favor.
But after all, Clint was Evelyn's father. No matter how much hatred there was, Evelyn couldn't bring herself to be too merciless. By sending him abroad like this and having someone tamper with his passport, the problem would be solved without causing too much damage to their relationship. As long as everyone found their own peace, without any further disturbances, it would be the best outcome.
Evelyn would still be able to guard the affection between father and daughter from her childhood, without having every last memory eroded by this scum.
Afterwards, Clint never appeared again.
Evelyn didn't know whose scheme it was, William? Jovan? She didn't ask much, thinking it was best to not see them again. As for the story behind it, it was easier not to inquire and maintain a sense of ease. Asking would only add pressure.
Evelyn couldn't help but chuckle at her own selfishness. She had never thought she would become like this.
Jovan was feeling down on his own, hoping to start with Clint, but after just one night, he couldn't find a trace of him no matter how hard he looked. He inquired from various sources but got no information, so he had to give up.
With the contract expiring soon, every day at work was torment for Evelyn. From the upper management to the managers and even Lily at the reception desk or the cleaners, they all expressed their reluctance for her to leave in their own unique ways. It was all strange and made her feel anxious every time she stepped into the company.
And in moments like these, William would just stand by and watch, making Evelyn even more embarrassed. So, deciding what to wear before leaving became a dilemma, as she wanted to keep a low profile.
"Hey, Goddess, did you resolve it?" William sat in the living room, still looking relaxed. The time spent on choosing outfits was getting longer and longer, and he naturally knew why, but he didn't want to solve the Goddess's problems in this matter.
After all, the Goddess used to live a life detached from worldly affairs, and now, with more communication and interaction with people, it was good for her to be less closed off. He felt more and more that he was a very competent assistant.
"After finishing things at the company, let's go to the mall." Evelyn came down from upstairs, wearing a black vest dress.
The dress was slightly above her knees and plain, like something you'd find at a street stall. The only highlight was the small opening at the waist, with the dress fitting to her curves, exposing her curves. Her chestnut-colored long hair had a slight wave today.
William looked at the Goddess coming down. Her beauty and elegance couldn't be concealed by clothes alone. Even the signature high heels were replaced. He could imagine how troubled she had been recently.
"Sure, let's go later and buy some clothes."
"Are you trying to get on my nerves?" Evelyn looked at his smiling face, finding it irritating today.
"How could I dare." William calmly removed the smile he had. The Goddess's pride was still incredibly strong.
Recently, the work had been just some magazine covers and inner pages, easy photoshoots that Evelyn cooperated with readily and completed quickly. In the evenings, she also had to record episodes for the popular variety show "Perfect." It was similar to an interview and consisted of female celebrities.
Evelyn hated this kind of schedule the most. It was time-consuming and mentally draining. And if she encountered an unscrupulous host, they would ask questions beyond the script.
"The domestic variety market has been thriving recently. Celebrities with a bit of fame are being sought after by various variety shows. The company has received many invitations as well, and this time they made a careful selection. It's a great opportunity for Evelyn, whether you renew the contract or not, you can't miss it. So, for the recording tonight, we need to..." Antonio looked at Evelyn, hesitant to speak further.
In appearance, it was very speechless. Ever since her debut, only he had truly been considerate of her. Of course, it was also possible that it was only for the sake of her career.
"Just show a little more enthusiasm, and don't stay silent," Antonio said.
Evelyn nodded in agreement. She understood Antonio's meaning very well. In this kind of situation, appearing on a show would give her more exposure. If they revealed the contract expiration during the interview, it would also make it easier to find a new company.
The company definitely wouldn't publicize the contract expiration if they wanted to keep her, and she noticed that the company seemed to be misleading everyone. The contract renewal matter had already been resolved.
They didn't have any arrangements in the afternoon, so Evelyn went directly to the usual mall with William. The foot traffic was normal. Stepping into the mall, Evelyn realized that she hadn't gone shopping for a long time.
Although she wasn't too passionate about typical girly things, it was still quite uncomfortable to see row after row of clothes sent by sponsors in her wardrobe.
As they approached the entrance of a familiar store, Evelyn overheard some idle chatter. William followed behind her and heard two girls discussing something related to a goddess:
"Evelyn is really funny! The company gives her everything, yet she's always dissatisfied."
"She won't understand until she falls from grace."
"I bet she doesn't know how many people are waiting for her to plummet from her pedestal and stomp on her a few times!"
"Isn't 'pedestal' an exaggeration? You're really overestimating her. At the end of the day, she's just a model who thinks she's so amazing."
Evelyn grabbed William's arm as he was about to step forward. "There's nothing to argue about," she said and pulled him away.
William glanced at the hand clasping his arm, its skin soft and fair, with slender and beautiful fingers. Evelyn followed William's gaze and immediately let go of his hand.
Not feeling particularly interested in shopping, Evelyn bought a few clothes for William to take back while she went to the TV station. Antonio was already there waiting.
"The script is here. They're all very typical questions. Just answer them naturally. We'll do a rehearsal soon, and then you can touch up your hair and makeup afterwards."
"Okay, got it. Thank you."
"You've been so easygoing lately. It's completely unexpected," Antonia said, stroking his chin and appraising Evelyn. It made Evelyn feel awkward.
"Do you think so? Maybe it's about time," she replied.
"Just look at this kind of conversation. In the past, you would've just glared at me. Now you're going along with it," Evelyn raised her handbag as if she was going to hit him, and Antonio playfully dodged.
"Just so you know, Lena is also here."
"Is it necessary to remind me so deliberately? Besides, isn't she a movie actress?"
"It's because of Tim's situation. She used to be the lead in 'The Arrow,' but the movie got cancelled, so you know..."
"Why was 'The Arrow' cancelled?" Evelyn honestly didn't know about that. Could it be due to pressure from higher-ups? But that was impossible, as stars...
In the field of modeling, Point indeed had some strength, but her arms could never reach the film industry, especially not with a director like Tim who was in the limelight.
"Don't you know? I thought you had influential people helping you! After that incident, all the promotions were quickly canceled, and the film went silent."
Who could it be? They must be really powerful. Although I know some people in the industry with clever tactics and mysterious backgrounds, I can't think of anyone who has such a close relationship with her. Even if I were to do something, there would surely be corresponding conditions involved. It's not surprising in this line of work.
"Why are you staring blankly? If you don't know, forget it. It's all in the past. It's better not to know. Let's prepare for the show."