Chapter 243 Embrace
Evelyn headed back to the office to grind, while William took Eric to sort out the compensation mess.
William, being the part-time lawyer he was, had the list ready to go. The amount was jaw-dropping, something regular folks couldn't even dream of.
But hey, that was the cost of ripping off Alexa's design.
Eric looked at the compensation contract and let out a heavy sigh, feeling a lump in his throat.
It wasn't about the money; it was about his pride.
He genuinely liked Evelyn. Even if they couldn't be a thing, he really wanted to be friends. Hurting her was never part of the plan.
But now, it felt like they were drifting further and further away from being "friends."
On the way to the parking lot, Jessica was bawling her eyes out like she'd been wronged big time.
"Evelyn didn't shed a single tear, so why the hell are you crying?" Eric's face was cold and stern as he walked ahead, almost leaving Jessica behind.
"Eric, is Evelyn heartless? She even asked you for twenty million dollars in compensation!" Jessica's heart ached at the thought of that money going straight into Evelyn's pocket. "When have you ever been so humiliated in your twenty-eight years of life? If I had known it would end like this, I would never have apologized to her!"
"Evelyn's already cut you some slack." Eric stopped, unable to listen any longer, and said, "If I hadn't forced you to show some sincerity, you'd be apologizing in a highly publicized press conference."
Jessica shivered at his words.
"When you get home, you're grounded. No going out without my say-so. Stay home, reflect, and think about your mistakes!" Eric took a deep breath and coldly threw out these words before getting into the car without looking back.
"Eric, you can't confine me! Eric!" But no matter how much Jessica shouted, knocked on the window, or cried, Eric, sitting in the luxury car, was completely unmoved.
He really couldn't be soft-hearted anymore. If this continued, it would truly harm her.
Watching the luxury car drive away, Jessica, in a fit of rage, stomped her foot and then collapsed to the ground, weeping uncontrollably.
"Please get in the car." Two female bodyguards said as they each grabbed one of Jessica's arms, swiftly lifting her and stuffing her into the car, then quickly closing the door.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
Wiping her tears, she took it out and saw that the screen displayed a private number, hidden.
"Who is it?" Jessica asked angrily.
"Miss Clark." On the other end of the line came a very pleasant male voice, but it was clearly processed.
"Who are you?" Jessica asked, sobbing.
"What happened today must have made you feel very frustrated and wronged, right? The person you like doesn't even want to look at you."
She was stunned, her heart racing as she thought, 'Who is secretly watching me and knows my situation so well?'
"If I said I could help you get the person you want, would you be willing to listen to me and cooperate with me?"
William returned to Evelyn after wrapping up his task and asked, "Evelyn, are you really planning to go easy on Miss Clark? This is the softest I've ever seen you handle someone."
Seeing Evelyn kicking her high heels around, William couldn't help but show a helpless yet indulgent smile, helping her place the shoes neatly under the table.
At this moment, Evelyn was intensely playing a game to relax, wildly killing in the game world.
In this game world, Lucifer had become a god worshipped by players. Every time Evelyn streamed her gameplay, tens of thousands of people watched, and her popularity was through the roof.
"What are you thinking? Lenient? I'm a philanthropist, not a hypocrite overflowing with sympathy. I'm not dealing with Jessica because I don't have concrete evidence right now. She used Debra as a fall guy, and all the suspicions are indirect so I can't do anything to her," she said logically.
"Miss Clark's totally lost it with you," William fumed. "She didn't show a shred of remorse. She even gave you a death glare when she left, like she wanted to kill you!"
"She better have the guts to try; otherwise, she's gonna regret it," Evelyn replied coldly.
Just then, her phone buzzed. It was Landon.
"Landon!" Evelyn answered quickly, her voice sweet.
"Evelyn, are you at the hotel?" Landon asked.
"Yeah, I'm in the office."
"So, you're with William?" Landon lowered his voice.
Evelyn, sharp as ever, got the hint and walked towards the door, pretending to head to the restroom.
If she asked William to leave now, he'd definitely think she was avoiding him on purpose.
Once inside the private restroom, Evelyn closed the door.
"Landon, what's up? Is it about William?" Evelyn asked in a low voice.
"Not directly, but there's a connection. With him around, it's hard to talk openly," Landon paused, his tone calm and measured. "Patrick sought out Gordon again to get Debra out. Gordon's already at the police station to pick her up."
Evelyn's eyes darkened. "With Gordon's backing, Debra's chances of getting released are high."
"Gordon's a slick, seasoned lawyer with a spotless record. He won't let himself fail. So even if he has to play dirty, he'll clear Debra's name," Landon gently reminded. "Evelyn, if I were Gordon, I'd target Dorothy. She's the key witness against Debra right now."
"I get it. But Dorothy's under Edward's protection," Evelyn took a deep breath, her expression calm and composed. "I'll handle this. You and Simon stay out of it. Especially Simon, as a public official, he can't break the rules for my sake and risk getting caught by those with ulterior motives."
After ending the call, she felt even more burdened.
She never took someone like Debra seriously; Tiffany was the real target she wanted to bring down.
But she was worried this would make William uncomfortable again. He was too responsible and sensitive, always coming to her with his problems.
Evelyn, deep in thought, walked back towards the office.
"Evelyn."
Hearing the deep, magnetic voice, she abruptly stopped, her heart tightening, and turned around in surprise.
Behind her, there was no one.
Evelyn shook her head, rubbing her temples, thinking she must be sleep-deprived and hallucinating.
Suddenly, a strong force grabbed her arm, pulling her into the darkness like a whirlpool.
The next second, she collided into a steady chest, Edward's slightly rapid breath brushing against her hair, spreading warmth throughout her body.
The embrace was big and heavy, both unfamiliar and familiar.
Maybe because she was wearing very high heels, Edward was afraid she might twist her ankle, so his strong arms tightly encircled her slender waist.
The grip was a bit tight, filled with conflicting emotions, wanting to protect her but also fearing she might escape.
"Edward! How did you get in?" Evelyn's face flushed with anger and surprise as she struggled.
"Eric said your place is heavily guarded, so it took some effort to get up here," Edward's dark eyes narrowed, his voice hoarse and casual.
He was a top graduate of a military academy, so evading hotel security was actually easy for him.
But after becoming a CEO, with people taking care of his every need, he no longer needed to use the skills he learned.
Only when he wanted to see Evelyn did he have to rack his brains and go to great lengths.
Evelyn gritted her teeth, angrily lifting her foot to stomp on his, but Edward swiftly turned, pinning her against the wall.
Their eyes met, and their intense, heated gazes intertwined.
Edward, knowing how rare it was to see her, couldn't help but let his slightly greedy eyes trace her face over and over.
"What are you looking at! Haven't you seen it before?" Evelyn shouted, her ears turning red.
