The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot-Chapter 57: Exchanging Drinks

"When did I even agree to this?" Evelyn grumbled, her eyes narrowing at the message Annabelle had just sent.

[Evy!! I arranged a hotel for the weekend! Let’s have dinner and spend some great time together *heart emoji*]

[I’m so excited for our date! I hope we can put all our past clashes behind us and start fresh! We’ll both be waiting for you *Pleading face* *heart emoji*]

"The audacity to still act innocent!" Evelyn muttered, pressing her temples in frustration. She had already made it clear that she knew Annabelle’s true identity, yet this woman continued to pretend otherwise.

Zevian, noticing her irritation, asked, "What’s wrong?"

Evelyn huffed and showed him the texts. "I don’t even understand why she’s so eager for us to meet."

Zevian sighed, contemplating whether now was the right time to reveal the full truth about her burial incident. He had previously only told her that they were still investigating, not wanting to burden her with more worries. But Evelyn hated it when he hid things from her, and he decided to not repeat his past mistakes that could frustrate her even more in the future.

"I think it’s all related to your kidnapping," Zevian began, his tone serious.

Evelyn frowned, her confusion deepening as she looked at him. Zevian sat up on the bed, motioning for her to follow. "Come with me."

They both carefully got out of bed, making sure not to wake Kiana, who was peacefully asleep beside them. Settling on the sofa, Zevian turned to face Evelyn, his expression somber. "We caught the man who tried to bury you alive," he started, "and there have been some shocking revelations."

Evelyn’s heart raced in anticipation. "What’s it?"

"His name is Monu," Zevian explained, "and he was hired by your stepmother to bury you alive. But for some reason, she ordered him to abandon the mission halfway through. Perhaps she realized she was being too hasty."

Evelyn’s eyes widened in shock. She had never imagined that a woman could stoop so low. Greed must have driven her mad, something that was both horrifying and sickening.

"But there’s more," Zevian added, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "She tried to use the Blake family as a scapegoat to escape my wrath."

Evelyn blinked in confusion. "How?"

"She manipulated Monu to implicate Felicia and Vincent if he were ever caught and forced to reveal the truth. Initially, he followed her orders, declaring that Felicia was behind the whole plot. But after some... persuasion, we managed to make him confess the truth, completely unraveling Sophia’s plans."

Evelyn nodded, recalling Monu’s connection with the Blake family. "But how does Annabelle fit into all of this?" she asked, still struggling to see how Annabelle played a role in what appeared to be a larger scheme. If Sophia had set the stage for the Blakes’ downfall, it didn’t make sense for her to help them now—unless there was something even more sinister at play.

"Well," Zevian continued, pulling out his phone, "to deceive Sophia and boost her ego, making her think she had successfully fooled me, I’ve been causing chaos in the Blake company."

Evelyn’s eyes widened as she saw the Blake family’s stocks plummeting on his screen. If this continued for a few more days, she was certain they would go bankrupt. Her heart ached for Edmond, the elder of the family, who had always treated her with kindness, but she knew Zevian would be fair to him.

Zevian put his phone aside and added, "I suspect that since both families still share strong business ties, Vincent and his parents must have requested your family to help them. Sophia, always playing the noblewoman, likely used Annabelle to set up this meeting, just as she convinced your father to be kind to you."

Evelyn nodded, finding his reasoning plausible. Vincent, having grown close to Annabelle, must have asked for this favor. A smile crept onto her lips, amused by how Zevian was turning the tables on Sophia, much like she believed she had done to him.

"Marrying you was a wise decision, Mr. Sly Fox," Evelyn quipped, her tone playful. "I would have regretted turning down this offer."

Zevian grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "So, you were planning to reject it, huh?" he teased, recalling how Avery had mentioned Evelyn was not sure until the last few hours before her wedding.

Evelyn shrugged, not willing to delve into that topic. When Zevian reappeared in her life, he was still the love-struck husband mourning his wife’s death in her eyes, just as the media had portrayed his five-year absence. But things had changed after she heard a few things about his marriage from everyone but him. And it wasn’t the right time to bring up the past, especially with Katherine’s death anniversary approaching and Rosalind had requested to keep him as distracted as possible.

"Are you planning to meet them?" Zevian’s question pulled her from her thoughts.

Evelyn contemplated it for a while. The entire world was now eagerly awaiting the weekend, and if she didn’t show up, rumors would spread like wildfire—rumors that Annabelle had already hinted at, suggesting she still had feelings for Vincent. Normally, she wouldn’t care, but this would impact Zevian’s work too. His company would be thrust into another round of chaos, much like on their wedding day. And, deep down, she was curious to see how Vincent would react—would he still be rude, or would he beg for her forgiveness?

"I’ll meet them," Evelyn finally replied, her voice determined. "The worst they could do is kidnap me again, right?" she chuckled softly, having seen enough dramas to predict how these petty schemes usually played out.

"I’ll send my team with you," Zevian responded, already planning to have his men nearby, disguised in case of an emergency.

Evelyn smiled, feeling reassured by his protective nature. "Let’s go back to bed before she wakes up again," she murmured, noticing Kiana tossing in her sleep.

Zevian nodded, and they both returned to bed, settling on either side of Kiana. The little girl instinctively clung to her father while Evelyn moved closer, gently patting her head.

Exhausted from the day’s events, Evelyn quickly drifted off to sleep, her hand slipping off Kiana’s head.

Zevian pulled the blanket over her, tucking her in snugly. He carefully adjusted her bangs before leaning in to place a tender kiss on her forehead, something he did every night, once she had fallen asleep. "Good night, Eva," he whispered, before closing his eyes.

———

The weekend arrived sooner than expected, and the air was thick with anticipation. Evelyn, after putting the final touches on her outfit, stared at her reflection in the mirror and sighed.

"You ready?" Avery’s voice broke the silence as she entered the room, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Evelyn’s ensemble—a knee-length black dress paired with a sleek blazer. "You look perfect. Kiana and I will be just fine. So, don’t worry and slay it! Okay?"

Evelyn nodded, a small smile playing on her lips as she slipped on her heels. Exiting the room, she found Zevian waiting outside, leaning casually against the car door. He wore the striped ivory shirt she had bought him recently, and though his appearance was relaxed, his expression was anything but.

"You’re going with her?" Avery asked, a note of concern in her voice as she eyed him.

"No, I’m just dropping her off," Zevian replied, opening the car door for Evelyn. She slid into the seat, and he gently shielded her head from the door frame before closing it. As he took his place beside her, she waved at Avery, and the car pulled away.

The drive to the hotel was quiet, the tension between them almost palpable. Evelyn tried to lighten the mood with their usual banter, but Zevian’s responses were brief, his mind elsewhere. John, their driver, couldn’t help but smile at her attempts to ease the atmosphere.

When they arrived, Evelyn took a deep breath, clutching her purse tightly. "Don’t wait for me here," she said, turning to Zevian.

He nodded, but just as she reached for the door handle, his hand shot out, grasping her wrist. She turned to face him, her gaze meeting his, and saw the unease in his eyes.

"Keep it short and come home soon," he urged, his voice strained with worry. Despite the precautions he had taken, the recent events still haunted him.

Evelyn covered his hand with her own, offering a reassuring smile. "I’ll be back before you finish making my favorite pancakes," she promised, subtly hinting at her desire for him to cook something for her.

Zevian finally smiled, and nodded, releasing her hand. As she stepped out of the car, she took another deep breath and walked into the hotel. The staff greeted her with respectful bows as they led her to the private room, where Annabelle and Vincent were already seated.

Annabelle, who had been fidgeting nervously, sprang to her feet as soon as she saw Evelyn. "Evy! You’re just in time!" she exclaimed, though there was a tremor in her voice.

Vincent offered only a curt nod, his expression sour. If it hadn’t been for Annabelle’s insistence and his father’s pressure, he would never have agreed to see the woman who had turned his life upside down.

"Please, sit!" Annabelle motioned to the chair directly opposite Vincent, her smile forced. She sat beside him, quickly signaling the staff to bring the drinks. According to Sophia’s plan, time was running out, and Annabelle knew she needed to act swiftly.

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed as she noticed the drinks placed before them. Annabelle’s glass contained a bright blue liquid, while she and Vincent were served a thick, vivid orange juice.

"Let’s switch drinks, Anna," Evelyn said abruptly, her voice slicing through the tension in the room as she pushed her glass forward.

Annabelle’s face drained of color. She quickly shook her head, forcing a laugh. "I don’t like orange juice, Evy. Let me ask them to bring you something else."

"Didn’t you say you wanted to start fresh?" Evelyn said, her voice cold and cleat. "Then consider this as our first step—let’s exchange drinks, just like you have exchanged identities, Laila."