"Veridia." Evelyn shifted, revealing the city's brilliant skyline behind her, which overlooked the vast expanse of Sovereign Harbor.
"A last-minute job came up."
Yara Summers narrowed her eyes. "Judging by that view, your place must be something special. Is it the Keatons again?"
Evelyn nodded. "I'll be coming to Veridia for ten days every month from now on to do Miss Keaton's makeup."
Yara Summers gazed admiringly at the night view through the phone's camera for a long moment before finally stating the reason for her call.
"My boyfriend won Best Supporting Actor! I was going to ask you to come celebrate with us, but you're in Veridia. We'll have our own celebration when you get back."
She couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice.
It had been such a long road.
He had worked his way up from obscure, minor roles to finally stand in the spotlight. Only the two of them knew the sheer hardship and sacrifice it had taken to get there.
Evelyn had met Ryan Hayes both professionally and personally. Out of friendship with Yara, she had even cleared her schedule to do his makeup once. He was a quiet, reserved man, but just as he was starting to gain some popularity, he had decisively posted on social media to publicly announce his relationship with Yara.
It had caused a huge controversy at the time.
So for him to win Best Supporting Actor now was no small feat.
Evelyn was genuinely happy for them. "Congratulations! I'll celebrate with you both when I get back to Kryllos."
Yara giggled. She was still at the award ceremony, but the conversation soon shifted back to Evelyn.
"Oh, by the way, I just saw Leo Lawrence. He didn't seem to be in a very good mood. Did you two have a fight?"
'A fight?'
'Not really.'
A sudden knock sounded twice on the door. She got up to open it, speaking casually into the phone. "I'd promised him he could visit me in Solara this weekend, but this job in Veridia came up last minute. He's probably mad."
The door opened, but it wasn't a servant. At eye level, she was met with the sight of a perfectly tailored black suit. A handkerchief, matching the color of his tie, was tucked into the left breast pocket. He exuded a sharp, dignified air, and a faint scent of ebony and agarwood drifted toward her, followed by an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Evelyn froze. She slowly lifted her head to see Preston Keaton looking down at her, his expression cool and detached. His gaze, though seemingly casual, was enough to send waves of panic through her heart.
"On a call?"
The three quiet words, spoken in a slow, deep tone, carried an innate authority that made Evelyn's grip on her phone tighten. She could no longer hear what Yara was saying on the other end.
She nodded. "A friend."
She told Yara she would call back later, then hung up with a calm finality.
She unconsciously moved her hands behind her back, feeling like a child who had done something wrong and was about to be scolded by her parents.
She took a slow step backward, subtly increasing the distance between them. "Did you just get back, Mr. Keaton?"
Preston Keaton grunted in acknowledgment and said calmly, "Come and eat."
With that, he turned to leave.
Evelyn froze for a moment.
'Since when was she important enough for Preston Keaton himself to come and ask her to dinner?'
Before she could snap back to reality, the man stopped in his tracks. He glanced back over his shoulder and asked coolly, "Do you know where the dining room is?"
"..." Evelyn shook her head, stunned.
Preston Keaton said patiently, "Then you'd better keep up."
Her phone began buzzing with one new message notification after another. She didn't have to look to know they were from Yara. Evelyn silenced her phone and silently trotted to catch up.
This meal was even quieter than the one at Clearwater Bay.
Without Stella Ford's interruption like last time, she didn't dare leave early. Out of the corner of her eye, she stole a glance at Preston Keaton, who was dining in silence.
He was captivating to watch, even while eating.
He ate slowly and deliberately, the very picture of refined elegance, without making a sound. The knuckles of the hand holding his silverware were prominent, and his every gesture bespoke a life of privilege and untouchable status.
She pulled her gaze away and focused on eating obediently.
Rain began to fall over Veridia that night.
A light drizzle, accompanied by strong winds and flashes of lightning, soon escalated into a torrential downpour. Rain hammered against the glass curtain wall, blurring Veridia's nightscape into indistinct patches of light.
Evelyn was slowly chewing a cherry tomato when a sudden, unexpected clap of thunder made her jump.
The knife and fork in her hand clattered against the tabletop, the sound sharp and piercing in the silence.
Preston Keaton's gaze drifted over. His tone was cool. "Afraid of thunder?"
Evelyn silently shook her head. "No."
"Hm." The man set down his silverware, his tone matter-of-fact. "But you are afraid of me."
Meeting her wide-eyed stare, Preston's expression softened slightly. A faint, inexplicably reassuring smile touched his lips. "Such a timid little kitten."
'She shows her claws to others, but with him, she's so timid she doesn't even dare to speak loudly.'
'It's as if she's seen through his facade, sensed the danger, and is instinctively on guard.'
Evelyn's chest tightened. She couldn't refute a single word.
Just as she was at a loss for words, Preston didn't press the issue. He stood up, his tall shadow falling over her. "Are you finished? I'll walk you back to your room."
Following behind him, Evelyn made a mental note of the way.
"Sophie Sullivan's flight was affected by the weather. Her arrival will be delayed by two days."
He walked her to her door, stopping a few paces away. "Don't worry, this won't add to your workload. It will still be counted as part of the ten-day period."
"If you'd like to look around Veridia, just tell Butler Shaw. She'll make the arrangements for you."
He had thought of every last detail.
It gave Evelyn the distinct impression that she was a tourist in Veridia, not here for work.
"Thank you for the trouble, Mr. Keaton."
Her voice was soft, her thanks obedient, and her posture created a clear distance between them.
Evelyn's phone rang. Preston said gently, "Get some rest."
Just before he left, his eyes flickered over to her phone, catching the name flashing on the screen.
Leo Lawrence.
—
"If I hadn't called you, would you have even reached out?"
Leo Lawrence's voice was full of hurt.
Evelyn sat on the sofa and closed her eyes. "No, I just finished dinner. I was about to call you."
She wasn't one to give the cold shoulder; letting problems fester and create awkwardness was pointless.
She knew she was the one at fault this time, so her tone softened. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No," Leo Lawrence said. "I'm too upset with you to eat."
"..."
Evelyn laughed. "Now you're just trying to lay a guilt trip on me."
Leo wasn't actually that angry; mostly, he just wanted Evelyn to comfort him a little. Her calm rationality always left him feeling insecure in their relationship.
As for the last-minute job that had ruined their plans to meet...
He was a little disappointed, but he knew that if he were in her shoes, he might have chosen work as well.
They were adults, after all.
There was no need to let something so small create a rift between them.
He sighed softly. "We haven't seen each other in half a month."
Evelyn slowly opened her eyes. "As soon as I'm done with my work in Veridia, I'll come back to Kryllos."