Chapter 53 Pretend Not to See

Evelyn stood in a slightly dim corner, thinking to herself that she wasn't the protagonist anyway, so it would be enough to just go through the motions.

When Étienne entered with Sophie, everyone held their breath in anticipation. Looking at the two figures coming against the light, they were truly amazed. Some people seemed to be born with an air of royalty, standing above everyone else. And Étienne was such a person.

Today, he was wearing a dark blue suit that fit him perfectly, exuding a sense of formality. Evelyn looked at the person entering through the door and realized that he was completely different from the person she used to know. He radiated a deadly aura, not bothering to regard anyone, and beside him was Sophia.

Evelyn's heart plunged into an ice cellar. She realized that she had never truly had this person, that his heart belonged entirely to this woman, and there was not a single moment that belonged to her.

She picked up a glass of red wine and just as she was about to raise it, she had to slowly put it back down. No, she still had a child, all of this was off-limits. She tried her best to hide her emotions, not wanting to collapse too obviously in front of others.

As soon as Étienne entered the venue, everyone started to become restless. Holding their glasses, they eagerly awaited their turn to be acknowledged, crowding around Étienne.

This was something Étienne had hesitated over for a long time. He had just begun to make his mark in the film industry, and in order to secure his future career, he needed a grand entrance. Today, he had to make it clear that he had arrived and would showcase his talents here.

As soon as he saw Evelyn, he knew that Leo must've thought of this clever plan, but it was too late to stop everything. Holding Sophie's hand, he wished he had not brought her as he date. He quickly dismissed her under the guise of needing to attend to business.

After accompanying the business tycoon on his rounds, he finally found a moment to rest. His gaze unconsciously searched for Evelyn. He felt deeply in love with her.

Evelyn sat silently on the sofa and noticed that there were a few artists from the company. She understood that they were here to support him. After all, he was the behind-the-scenes president of WE Company. Standing alone like this wouldn't have enough impact. Since he was going to take control of WE Company, he needed a sensational meeting, and this secretive and lively party was the perfect choice.

Evelyn thought to herself that Étienne probably had more ambitions than just WE Company. Looking at the diverse crowd in the banquet hall, she noticed quite a few presidents of game companies. Could it be...? But what did it have to do with her? Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought.

Lost in her thoughts, Evelyn suddenly felt a hand resting on her shoulder, gently caressing it. Suppressing the nausea rising inside her, she stood up from the sofa, only to see that the owner of the hand was Jack.

Jack, a well-known director with a reputation for being a womanizer, was said to have mistreated many aspiring actors. Evelyn was shocked that he had set his sights on her. It seemed that times had changed. Evelyn stood there, arms crossed, coldly looking at him.

Jack appeared unfazed by her displeasure. "So, you really are the famous ice queen. Do I look like someone who freeloads off others? You..."

Evelyn couldn't be bothered to look at him again and turned to leave, but Jack reached out and grabbed her, saying, "Don't go! I heard things haven't been going well for you lately. I still have a few roles available, are you interested?"

Although she despised such a person, she couldn't deny his talent. His movies and TV shows as a director were always a huge success. Evelyn felt frustrated but finally broke free from his grasp. "No matter how bad things get, I would never work with scum like you!"

As she turned away, her elbow intentionally knocked over his glass.

For a moment, she delighted in the low shouts that followed.

Looking at Evelyn's retreating figure, Jack suppressed his anger. Despite being irritated, he couldn't cause trouble here, where all the big shots had gathered. He could only silently watch Evelyn walk away, mentally noting this down. In this industry, no one could escape.

Evelyn knew it was not the right thing to do, but she couldn't tolerate such a person and his disrespectful behavior. When she turned around, she noticed Étienne looking at her with an indifferent gaze, like an onlooker. Unable to resist speculating, she wondered if this was the reason she was brought here.

Was it a part of his revenge? If so, congratulations to him, he succeeded in humiliating her. Would that make him happy?

Checking the time, she realized she couldn't stay any longer. She wanted to call Antonio, but he was probably unable to answer. So, she decided to call Vivian.

Vivian was still busy in the kitchen, and there were people sitting at the dining table.

Charles was still waiting for his dinner when he heard the phone ringing. She grabbed the spatula and rushed out, asking, "Is that Evelyn?"

Charles handed her the phone and said, "You two don't need to call each other with such understanding."

Vivian glared at him and answered the call, "What's wrong with Evelyn?"

"Okay, give me the address." Vivian noted down the address and turned to Charles, "I'll go pick up Evelyn. In the kitchen..." It seemed like she remembered their interaction at the hospital that day. "Or maybe Charles can go!"

Charles knew exactly what she was thinking and pulled her towards the kitchen. After putting down the spatula and making sure all the appliances were turned off, he double-checked and found no issues. Then he embraced Vivian and said, "Let's go together. This way, you won't overthink, right?"

Vivian was still in a daze.

Evelyn was waiting by the roadside and felt extremely apologetic as she saw the car. As soon as she got in, she said to the two of them, "Sorry for bothering you." Charles smiled and nodded.

Vivian was speechless, but seeing Evelyn's complexion, she thought that she must have been waiting in the cold wind for a long time. She immediately took off her coat and handed it to her, saying, "What's wrong with you? You're dressed so lightly. What if you catch a cold? And right now, you..."

Evelyn quickly took the coat and interrupted her, "I understand. Let's go!"

Vivian then realized that she had almost let something slip. "I'm almost done cooking. You definitely haven't eaten. Is there anything you want to eat? I can go buy something for you. How about buying a fish? I can make fish soup for you."

Charles looked at the person in the passenger seat who was chattering and asking Evelyn questions. Why couldn't she care about him like that? He was actually starting to feel jealous of Evelyn.

Evelyn was also helpless. "Alright! I'll eat whatever you two eat. Now, shut up."

Vivian pouted and sat back, muttering, "You don't show any concern either, huh!"

Charles smiled and continued the conversation, "Okay, show concern for me then."

With this, Vivian blushed at his words.

They had a meal that was relatively enjoyable.

"Okay, I'm going back now. Antonio is worried and waiting for me outside." Evelyn walked straight out the door, no longer saying anything more to Vivian. Vivian had been talking too much lately, and Evelyn didn't feel like talking to her anymore.

Vivian watched Evelyn get into Antonio's car from upstairs, finally feeling relieved. Charles saw her nervous look and asked, "What's wrong? You seem reluctant to say goodbye."

"It's nothing, why don't you go back already? Hurry up, I want to sleep." Vivian hurriedly ushered him out.

Charles could only nod and said, "Then you can send me off."

Vivian wanted to refuse, but looking at his sincere expression, she couldn't bear to say no. However, she learned her lesson this time and grabbed the keys, saying, "Let's go!"

The two stood in the elevator.

At the entrance, Charles turned to look at Vivian, "Don't you understand yet?"

Vivian intended to play dumb, "Understand what?"

Charles looked at her, "I said, aren't you uncomfortable anymore?"

Vivian rolled her eyes. Who gives a vaccination before confessing? "Well, let's see what you have to say."

Charles pulled her to a corner where the surveillance couldn't see, leaning against the wall. "I love you, alright?"

Vivian pushed him away and ran back, holding her heart about to burst out of her chest. Is this for real? Did she actually hear Charles confess to her? It was hard to believe!

Charles watched her figure and shook his head with a hint of helplessness. He had said those words so seriously for the first time, yet scared her away.

Evelyn didn't tell Antonio what had happened at the banquet in the evening. She only mentioned that she hadn't eaten enough and came to find Vivian. Antonio never questioned Evelyn's words and naturally believed her. He actually felt content with their current state. Evelyn was close to him.

Returning home, it was quiet and desolate. Evelyn collapsed on the sofa. The strength in her body seemed to have been drained away, leaving her weakly lying on the couch. She kept her eyes open, staring at the bright light on the ceiling. It was somewhat piercing, as if only this kind of brightness could stimulate her vision and reassure her that everything before her was real.

Evelyn started writing a diary, pouring her emotions into its pages, as if confiding in the baby inside her belly. She tried hard to convince herself and the baby that this world is beautiful and she truly anticipated its arrival. However, as she wrote, tears began to uncontrollably stream down her face.

During the day, there were strange and peculiar tasks, and Antonio couldn't help but notice that there were too many social engagements recently. "Evelyn, if you don't want to go, just decline."

Antonio was genuinely concerned, especially when he saw how she struggled to adapt but still forced herself to endure. It truly saddened him.

He always felt that this restrained Evelyn must be brewing something, urgently wanting to explode, or perhaps she was just missing a catalyst.

Evelyn calmly shook her head, "It's alright, give me the clothes. I'll come find you after I finish my work this afternoon."

In the evening, they were at an upscale club. As soon as Evelyn finished shooting the last advertisement, the executives from the other company insisted on having dinner. She immediately changed clothes, too rushed to even do her makeup or hair. By the time she arrived at the club, she was a bit late. She called Antonio, who was already waiting at the entrance, "Is everyone here?"

"Yes." Antonio noticed that she hadn't been wearing high heels with any of her dresses lately, and today her hair was slightly messy, her complexion not too good. "Why do you look so tired lately?" He probably attributed it to William, a slight unwillingness lingering in Antonio's heart.

Evelyn smiled and remained silent. She also wanted to know why.

At the moment she entered, Evelyn didn't look up; she just knew Étienne was there. Suddenly,