Chapter 77 If Life Could Only Be the First Encounter

Madelyn finally realized that being presumptuous only led to suffering.

Morgan had thought a lot that night; he felt that it was time to give each other some relief. After all, even if he didn't want a divorce, he had no right to keep Madelyn hanging. Despite the unhappy beginning, she had given him so much comfort over the past five years. That was enough.

Madelyn stood by the sink for a while, reminiscing about many things from the past. She had tried everything just to get Morgan to look at her.

Thinking about it now, Madelyn found it quite ridiculous.

Recalling those memories didn't evoke any feelings anymore. After all, when it comes to matters of the heart, one eventually gets used to it.

Early in the morning, Evelyn was awakened by Luis's scream. She ran out barefoot, afraid that something had happened to him. She only felt relieved when she saw Luis standing unharmed in the living room, holding her phone.

Evelyn was satisfied with her speed and then noticed that she was barefoot. "Mom, why aren't you wearing shoes? You're an adult!" He even pointed at his own feet.

Evelyn grabbed her hair. "Yeah, great! Luis, you're great! Why did you scream? Hurry up and tell me!"

"Um, here—" He showed Evelyn the phone. "It's you! Turns out you were feasting yesterday. The food looks delicious!"

Evelyn took the phone and saw that last night's incident had already made the news. In the picture, it was clearly her chatting with Antonio and Madelyn, but Luis only focused on the row of tables behind them, where food was placed. Children really have different points of interest.

She scrolled down a bit and was pleased to see that the photos were all good. Evelyn nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, I'll cook something delicious for you today, alright?"

After some fussing, she dropped Luis off at school and then drove to the Matinal Company. It had been a long time since she felt this kind of sensation, but it was pretty good. Finally having something to do felt refreshing to Evelyn.

In these five years, studying, working, and taking care of Luis had become her routine. It seemed like only this kind of busyness could fulfill her life and prevent her from dwelling too much.

The news of Evelyn signing with Matinal Company had caused a sensation throughout the city. Almost everyone who saw this news was amazed, as Evelyn had truly returned! There were a few who didn't know who Evelyn was, but they were immediately enlightened by others. Even Antonio hadn't expected it to become such a big deal.

Leo had handled all the related news before Étienne entered the office. Unfortunately, as soon as Étienne arrived, Leo could tell from his expression that he had already seen it.

Leo and Sophie smartly retreated to the side. Unexpectedly, nothing unusual happened.

Matters were handled smoothly, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Since that night, Sophie hadn't seen Étienne, but it had been like this for the past five years. He always indulged her, but she didn't feel surprised or excited anymore. Sophie had grown accustomed to it.

After delivering a document, she went about her routine of briefing Étienne on today's schedule and meeting arrangements. Since the company was now running smoothly, everything was in order, and Étienne had become much more relaxed.

Étienne looked at her and asked calmly, "Who is in charge of WE Company?"

"It's Oliver."

Étienne hadn't been involved with WE Company for a long time, but seeing the rumors about Lena, he was quite annoyed. Sophie thought it was about Evelyn.

"Lena was caught having a meal with a director a few days ago. How did he handle the situation? Isn't Lena a pillar of the WE Company? It's so embarrassing! Tell him to be more cautious."

Sophie realized she had been overthinking. The matter she was concerned about had already been suppressed, and there was no trace of it in the outside world. However, Oliver thought that the news of Evelyn's signing would have a significant impact on WE Company. That's why he brought up Lena's news to overshadow them. Little did he know, he only made things worse.

"I understand. I'll call Oliver right away," Sophie said.

"Oh, and help me arrange a meeting with Lena tonight," Étienne added.

Sophie was confused, but she couldn't say much. She could only nod and leave. Étienne seemed to have a purpose in everything he did, and Sophie never doubted that. Recently, he had been going on dates with different women, but Lena was not among them. They had no connection, so Sophie wasn't worried.

Étienne sighed. In fact, he had long lost interest in the matters of WE Company. The company's success or failure didn't matter much to him. He had only established the film and television company for Evelyn's sake.

Everything had passed, and holding onto this company meant nothing anymore. He didn't know why he was doing it or what he wanted to achieve. Ever since Evelyn returned, he hadn't been himself.

If one were to ask about his feelings toward Evelyn, Étienne knew it was definitely not love but rather hate. The fact that he saved his own life, the unborn child, and the endless sense of shame all made it hard for him to let go.

For this purposeful meeting in the evening, Étienne deliberately chose a busy restaurant in a shopping mall. After all, there were many people coming and going there.

Thanks to Sophie, Étienne found himself sitting conspicuously in the main hall. If there was a more prominent place than this, it would be the entrance. Lena hadn't arrived yet, so Étienne had to wait alone. Unable to bear it any longer, he called a waiter and switched to a private room.

But this kind of behavior still attracted a lot of attention. Finally, Lena arrived.

"Why did you suddenly want to meet me? And that too so openly?" Lena didn't wait for Étienne to say anything and simply sat at the table. Her tone was casual, as if meeting an old friend.

"You shouldn't do good deeds like that again."

Lena understood immediately. "WE Company shouldn't be a piece of chicken ribs to you, right?"

Growing up in France, Étienne naturally understood the meaning behind Lena's words. Indeed, WE Company had been tasteless and not worth keeping before, but now it seemed to be a different story.

Seeing Étienne's silence, Lena didn't press any further. It was advantageous to know when to stop and collect the benefits for oneself, and Lena understood that very well.

The meal was unusually quiet, but since the objective had already been achieved, there was no need to pretend anymore. Lena took a few bites and stopped eating because it was getting late. She would need to exercise if she continued eating.

Seeing her put down the fork, Étienne took out his phone. Lena found it interesting. "Isn't it impolite?"

Étienne nodded. "Yes, isn't it?"

Lena was taken aback by his words. "Ah? Me?"

Étienne nodded again, wondering if it was him who was being impolite.

Lena smiled and said, "It's all acting anyway. So, do I have to accompany you for a few drinks?" After a pause, she added, "But thank you. Actually, there's no need to thank you, right?"

Étienne looked at her without saying a word. He didn't expect her to see through everything so clearly. It was good, as it saved him from wasting his energy.

"I'm sure you won't help me for nothing. I understand. Just let me know if there's anything I can help with. But I won't sell myself. That's my bottom line. Let's make it clear."

Étienne had never come across a woman like her before. She was straightforward. At least it was quite pleasant to have a meal with her.

After finishing the meal, the two of them walked out together. Étienne signaled Lena to wait for a moment. Lena looked at him puzzled. She didn't have anything on her mouth or clothes.

Étienne raised his arm, and Lena finally understood. "Oh! You should have said so earlier! Are we really acting? I understand it now." Étienne realized that Lena was not as gentle and shy as the outside rumors suggested.

As they walked out, the crowd seemed to pause for a few seconds. Wasn't that Étienne? The usually low-profile person appeared so high-profile here, and Lena was holding his arm. It was a memorable scene, and many people started taking photos and videos.

Lena leaned closer and said, "I didn't put on much makeup today. Taking photos with a phone will make my eyes look small and my skin darker. It was a miscalculation."

Étienne chuckled. His smile was as refreshing as a spring breeze. The onlookers were even more surprised. Wasn't he known for being cold and aloof? How could he smile so sweetly? It seemed like Lena was his true love; otherwise, why would he smile so lovingly?

However, one person almost stumbled while taking a step forward. Evelyn came out of the restroom and coincidentally ran into the two of them. It was too late to avoid them, so she calmly walked up.