Marrie, wearing silk and diamonds, was leaving her exclusive club by herself one night. Her driver was running late. It was dark on the street.
Abruptly - tire screech.
Her path was blocked by a black SUV. The back door flew open.
Ronald emerged before she could respond. tidy suit. insane eyes. One hand full of flowers. In the other, a gun.
"Love, get in. We must speak. Alone."
She was fearless as she stood up. "Ronald, put that away."
"When you understand that he doesn't deserve you, I'll put it away. I do!"
Another SUV raced down the road at that very moment. Doors flew open. security. Evan.
Trained with a gun. powerful voice. "Release her."
Ronald grinned. "Oh no. So the ice king comes running after all."
Evan remained still. "You die if you touch her."
Ronald burst out laughing. "Do you believe that touching her is the goal here? I'd like to have her heart!"
With her gaze fixed on Ronald's, Marrie moved slowly. "Ronald, you don't own people. Not me, in particular."
She kicked his hand with a sweep of her heel, causing the gun to clang. Evan's men flocked in. Ronald had been pinned.
Breathless, her hair wild, her eyes keen, she turned to face Evan. "I guess your fictitious relationship has become genuine."
Evan grinned. "Yes. Princess, you're stuck with me now."
Post-Rescue - Forced Proximity
That night, Evan took Marrie to his extremely private penthouse - for protection, of course.
She threw off her coat and warned, "Just for tonight."
"Yes," Evan replied. "One night. Unless you beg for more."
Curling up on his enormous couch, she rolled her eyes. "In your dreams."
He brushed a stray hair as he leaned closer. "Every night only."
Quiet. tension. electricity. Then, in a gentle, playful tone, she said, "Wanna see if your dreams match reality?"
Sherline's Rage - The Plan Deepens
Sherline clinched her fists as she watched from a concealed camera that Ronald had previously set up.
"They're getting closer."
However, she had a strategy. She wouldn't act by herself this time.
She would involve Emi in this.
Because Sherline was aware that Emi had attempted and been successful in severing Evan from a previous romantic partner.
"She'll do it once more. For me," Sherline muttered.
Sherline's Plan Backfires
Dressed to kill, Sherline pretended to ask Emi for advice regarding Evan's future when she invited her to high tea in a fancy rooftop cafe.
Sweetly, she remarked, "My only wish is to see Evan with someone who truly uplifts him... someone who isn't destroying his name."
Emi drank her tea, her serene face concealing piercing gaze. "You're referring to Marrie."
Sherline paused. "I'm just concerned about the impression she makes. The scandals, the recklessness…"
With a clink, Emi set down her teacup before she could continue. "I like her."
Sherline gave a blink. "You... what?"
Emi bent closer. She makes me think of my younger self. Evan has never appeared so vibrant.
Sherline's grin broke. She gripped her spoon with trembling fingers. "But…"
"Sherline, she's a storm. Additionally, Evan requires a partner who can withstand a hurricane. You? The first drop of rain would melt you."
As Emi got up, straightened her coat, and left like the empress she was, Sherline sat in startled stillness.
Evan's Wrath – The Silent Punishment
Marrie was unaware that Ronald was still the subject of an investigation. She believed it was finished.
However, Evan?
He never backs down from a threat. Evan met with his most reliable security chief while Marrie was away at a weekend fashion event with Lancy. "There are no bruises. No grades. Evan said, "No police."
"I understand," the man said.
"But I want him destroyed. Economically. socially. on an emotional level. Strip him down to nothing." Evan spoke angrily.
By Monday:
Ronald's high-end vehicle was taken back. His stocks crashed inexplicably. He was fired by his modeling agency due to "image risks." Worst of all, pictures of his hidden obsession with Marrie were posted anonymously, portraying him as a dangerous stalker. Charges of digital harassment led to his imprisonment. Nobody was aware of the person responsible.
Ronald, though? He was aware. And like a curse, he said Evan's name in that filthy, cold jail.
Marrie's Curiosity - What Did You Do?
In the headlines, Marrie learned about Ronald's collapse.
She whispered, "He deserves it," yet something felt too tidy. Too ideal.
She arched an eyebrow across the table at supper that evening. "Evan..."
As he sliced into his steak, he looked up.
"You wouldn't be aware of Ronald's abrupt collapse, would you?"
With his gaze fixed on hers, Evan wiped his mouth.
He responded simply, "I protect what's mine."
Her breath seized as she momentarily froze. "Yours?"
His lips were close to her ear as he gently leaned in. "I said I protect like you are, not that you were."
With a mixture of curiosity and challenge in her gaze, Marrie withdrew. "Evan, be careful. Chaos-controlling men attract to me. not turn into that."
He grinned. "You're going to love what happens next, baby."