Freda snatched Evan's hand tightly, furiously pulling him out of the living room to the main entrance outside and Evan followed without resistance.
As soon as they stepped outside, she let go of his hand, and the guards that were present by the sides of the entrance exchanged subtly glances at the scene before them. "What is wrong with you?! Look at how much embarrassment you've caused me today. Ugh!" Freda exclaimed in frustration as she pressed her hand against her forehead. Evan was surprised by her reaction, he at least thought she was going to stand up for him even a little. "What do you mean?! I was the one enduring constant humiliation in there just now and you're making this about you?!" Freda shot him an irritated glance the instant he said that. "Have you taken a look at yourself?! You're such a dummy. Can't you just stay out of trouble for one second and avoid being a burden to me?!" Freda barked. Evan was hurt but hesitated to respond, not wanting to worsen the situation. He loved Freda and he wanted to please her. He took a deep breath and attempted to reach out to her, apologizing "My love, I'm sorry…" Before he could finish, Freda recoiled, pulling her hand away in horror. "Don't touch me, you imbecile" she interjected and the guards almost burst out in laughter but maintained a serious outlook as she turned to them and said strictly "Guards, make sure you do not let him in until the birthday celebration is over. Else kiss your jobs goodbye" With that, she stormed back into the house, leaving Evan to stand outside. Evan stood there hurt and dumbfounded as he watched her walk back into the house. He was about to call her name but got interrupted by a phone call. "Hello! I'm I on the phone with Mr Evan Stone?!" A feminine voice asked urgently as Evan picked up the call. "Yes. Please who's this?" Evan replied as he noticed that the caller was not in his contacts. "Can I call you back? I'm currently in the middle of something right now" he added quickly. "I'm sorry to disturb you but this is urgent, I'm Nurse Valerie from Downtown Wellness Hospital. Your matron, Mrs Evelyn was rushed in after fainting due to a severe form of vasovagal syncope" "We managed to stabilize her but we discovered an underlying cardiac anomaly that requires immediate surgical intervention. The treatment costs $500,000 and you need to make a deposit before we can proceed with the treatment" she explained swiftly and it felt like Evan's world stopped. This wasn't supposed to happen today of all days. Evan couldn't believe what he heard. Mrs Evelyn was one of the few people who meant the world to Evan. She raised and took good care of Evan from childhood in the orphanage, so his world shook because of the call he had just received about her. "I'm on my way there right now, nurse!" he replied, panicking. "Please I'd suggest you come with the required amount so we can move on with the treatment immediately" the nurse added, before ending the call. Evan was devastated, he knew he couldn't go to the hospital empty-handed and the only money he had in his account right now was only $70. Where could he get $500,000 from in such a short time?! Instantly, an idea popped into his head. "I'll plead with Grandma Eva Reynolds for the money. Maybe she would understand and take pity on me as it is her birthday" Without thinking twice Evan decided to run back inside but the guards blocked his path. In desperation, he forcefully pushed through and they tried to restrain him but they couldn't. … "Grandma, we know you love art and paintings so we got you this custom family tree painting worth $850,000. We know you'll love it" "Grandma, we got you this exquisite walking cane worth $500,000. It is handcrafted from rare ebony wood and adorned with a solid gold handle" The grandchildren of Lady Eva Reynolds brought her various expensive gifts and this sweetened her heart. "Lady Reynolds, I heard you're a big lover of jewelry so I got you the celestial treasure jewelry box and some luxury pieces of jewelry with it" Justin Smith, Lincoln's friend said haughtily. Justin Smith was the first grandson of the Smith family, the third richest family in Metropolis Central. Safe to say he was their main heir. "What?!" "The celestial treasure jewelry box?! I would do anything to have that" "He must be filthy rich, that jewelry box costs over $1,500,000! Any girl he eventually marries will be so lucky" The guests murmured in shock and envy. "Thank you my dear Justin" Lady Eva Reynolds said happily. "Oh, it's nothing, Lady Reynolds. There's more from where that came from" he replied cockishly as he subtly narrowed his eyes at Freda, and she blushed. Justin Smith has always had his eye on Freda, Evan's wife, as she was extremely beautiful and he was doing this to get on the Reynolds's family good side. While this was going on, an abrupt shout was heard and everyone turned their heads simultaneously towards the direction it came from. "Grandma Eva!" Evan yelled, his voice rang through the room as he rushed to Lady Eva Reynolds. The moment Freda saw him, she bit her lips in fury. This man just wouldn't listen would he, he had come to embarrass her once again. She was definitely going to get those incompetent guards dealt with after this. "Grandma Eva! P..please I need your help! M..my matron was just rushed to the hospital and I need over $500,000 for her treatment. Please help me" Evan fell on his knees as he begged, panting. The guest's eyes widened in surprise and a wave of pleasure washed over Lincoln seeing Evan like this as Evan had earlier challenged him. "Your husband is quite shameless Freda, begging grandma for money and he is the only one who didn't bring her any gifts. Even my fiancee Xavier brought gifts for grandma" Caitlin Reynolds, Freda's cousin poked. "It seems that's the only thing he's good at, begging like a fool. Too bad Freda had to be married to someone like him" Xavier Jones, Caitlin's fiancé chimed in, mocking. He was also attracted to Freda, even though he was engaged to Caitlin. Lady Eva Reynolds's sight of Evan shifted her cheerful mood into a deadly one. "Get away from here you pig! How dare you come to pester me about your useless matron, how does her predicament concern me?!" She spat, her tone devoid of compassion, followed by a command "Someone, throw this pig out of here!" Justin Smith smiled as Franklin and Lincoln quickly rushed to do just that before Mrs. Brenda Reynolds, Evan's mother-in-law said… "I will give you the amount required for your matron's bill" Evan's teary eyes lit up the moment he heard that, but it was only fleeting as she then said... "But on one condition. You have to sign my daughter's divorce papers right here and now!""Hello?!""Hey Rico, it's me Evan" Evan replied calmly, trying to put himself together. He was on the phone with his colleague at his former garbage collector job as he stood outside the gates of the Reynolds villa."Oh, Evan. What do you want?!" Rico asked, his tone sounding a bit harsh."P..please, can you lend me some money?! I promise to pay back before the end of the month" Evan pleaded, his voice shaky. He knew he couldn't pay back before the end of the month but he was too desperate so he had to lie."Are you drunk?! Didn't I lend you some money just two weeks ago? You have some nerve, man. I had pity on you and told you not to pay back the last one you borrowed and you dare call me to ask for another?! "Don't ever call my phone again! You hear me?!" Rico's voice boomed through the phone."Rico, Please…" Evan was about to speak but the only sound he heard next was the beep of his phone as Rico instantly hung up on him after yelling.The doctor had given Evan a deadline of thr
"So you've been cheating on me with him?!" Evan asked, his tone mixed with hurt and anger as he clenched his fists beside him, his eyes boring into Freda's. Freda responded with a dismissive eye roll, unfazed by Evan's emotions. Evan catching her with Justin meant absolutely nothing to her. "You really think I would continue to spend my life with someone as miserable as you?!" She asked, her face contorted in irritation as she stared at Evan. "Of what good are you to me?! Huh?! You can't even afford the cheapest of gifts I want. Look at what Justin got me–the Himalayan Diamond Skin Birkin, my dream birkin bag. It's something you would never be able to afford in your entire life" Evan looked down at her hands and saw she was holding what looked like shopping bags. Justin Smith must have taken her on a lavish shopping spree. "Face it Evan, you're a worthless excuse of a man" she spat, her expression stern and demeaning. Justin Smith smiled at the words that came out of Freda'
Bang! Bang! Bang!"Open the damn gate! I need to see Mrs Brenda Reynolds!" Evan yelled, hitting furiously at the gates of the Reynolds villa."No can do, Mister" the gate man replied firmly."What do you mean by that?! Don't you suddenly know who I am, Albert?!" Evan asked in anger, he knew the gateman knew who he was."Sorry, but I'm just following orders. I was instructed explicitly by Mrs Brenda Reynolds not to let you in here ever again and I certainly don't plan on losing my job, so I'd suggest you leave now" the gateman replied, unwavering in his refusal to let Evan in."I'll be quick, this is urgent! Just open the gate!" Evan demanded in desperation, showing no sign of relenting. He had come to confront Mrs Brenda Reynolds about Mrs Evelyn's hospital bill."You're beginning to get on my nerves! You better leave now before I get the dogs on you" the gateman warned, his patience wearing thin."Mrs Brenda Reynolds! Freda! Come out!" Evan yelled more and more but it was of no use a
"Hey man! Where the heck are you?! You promised to come early, remember?!" Zack, Evan's friend and former classmate asked loudly over the phone. Prior to today, Zack had informed Evan about an upcoming reunion for old classmates, scheduled to take place at one of the most prestigious hotels in Metropolis Central, Harlow Grand Hotels & Resorts. Evan had forgotten about the reunion due to how preoccupied he was with Mrs Evelyn's condition. Though Evan was reluctant to go, he had already promised Zack that he would attend. "I'm on my way Zack. I'll be there soon" Evan assured before ending the call, he was still at the hospital. "Look, I'm currently late for a reunion I'm supposed to be at right now. I'll give you a call when I finish up so I can meet my granddad" Evan said hastily to Mr Johnson. "Where is the reunion held, young master? Would you like me to accompany you there?!" Mr Johnson asked with concern. "It's in Harlow Grand Hotels & Resorts and no, I'll just take a ca
"That's enough Connor!" Arabella intervened sharply, shooting Connor a cold stare, and this slightly bruised Connor's ego. He expected Arabella to join in on the fun."Now let's talk about something else. Zack, I heard you bagged a new job at Jarvis's Tech Corp. Congrats by the way" She switched to Zack, trying to dilute the tension."Yeah, I did. I didn't expect to get picked though but I'm really happy about it" Zack replied cheerfully."Lucky you Zacky, I heard their pay is really good" Rose added coquettishly and Connor's eyes twitched in jealousy."Yeah, it really is," Zack confirmed."That's great bro. But I bet it's not as stressful as me being the manager of Urbanworks Construction, my schedule is really tight, that's one of the reasons I came late even" Connor said, raising an eyebrow, trying to bring attention to himself."Wow Connor, you're the manager of the famous Urbanworks Construction Company?! That's a huge position you've got there" Rose cooed, diverting her attentio
"Are you trying to be funny, Evan? You couldn't even afford your own meal" Connor blurted out."Exactly. What are trying to prove, Evan?! I would have asked if you're drunk but you didn't take from the champagne" Rose finally opened her mouth to speak, her tone filled with disdain."Bro, what are you doing?" Zack asked with a low tone, nudging Evan's arm in a subtle manner."It seems to me you all came to play jokes here" the manager said, eyeing Evan with contempt.Ignoring their remarks, Evan calmly stood up and gently dipped his hand into his pocket. With a composed demeanor, he retrieved the Emerald Prime Card and handed it over to the manager to pay the bill."It can't be! Is that an Emerald Prime Card?!""Only a few respected billionaires have access to that card!""I can't believe my eyes!"Some of the patrons whispered in disbelief.The manager raised his brows skeptically as he narrowed his eyes at Evan. "What do you take me for? A fool? How dare you try to play me with an ob
"Welcome, young master. I trust the reunion went well?" Mr Johnson warmly greeted, as Evan entered one of the waiting convoys of luxurious cars parked outside the hotel."Ah yes it did" Evan replied with a smile on his face.Vance Harlow had done as Evan ordered. Connor, Rose, and Nicholas were humiliated and thrown out of the hotel by the security guards and stood outside the building in shame.Connor especially, was mortified."This is all your fault, Connor. Look what you've caused" Rose and Nicholas had scolded him in disdain.It was then shortly after, Evan came out of the hotel with Zack and Arabella and they were all stunned to see a convoy of huge luxurious cars waiting for him. The perception of Evan they had in their heads was altered, he wasn't the pauper they had thought he was.…Mr Johnson took Evan to see his Grandfather Williams Stone. He was surprised to see his grandfather at a hospital. Grandpa Williams Stone was really old and had been terribly sick, so he had be
A little smile visibly formed at the corner of Evan's lips as he stared back intently at Xavier. Seeing this, Xavier instantly felt a pang of irritation, while Caitlin raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What's funny? Does this look like a joke to you?" Caitlin questioned in disdain, she was taken aback by Evan's composure. Why was he so calm and confident? This wasn't the person she knew him to be. "Maybe he feels too important to kneel before me. Let's not waste any more time on him, babe. He's not worth it. Come on, let's head inside" Xavier said, wrapping his arm around Caitlin's waist. "You're right, baby. When he starves, he'll come begging for the job like the vagrant he is" Caitlin mocked, laughing as they walked toward the company. "Welcome, sir" the guards greeted Xavier as he and Caitlin reached the entrance. Without any waste of time, he sternly ordered, "See that dolt over there? Make sure he doesn't get in, or you both are fired" "Yes sir" the guards replied
Knowing Patriarch Charles, he never gave easy conditions, and this made Adeline's heart skip a beat as she anxiously wondered what he was about to demand.The rest of the family also watched closely, their curiosity piqued as they eagerly waited for Patriarch Charles to reveal his condition."As you all know, Valtor Corporation is building a new convention center and they're accepting bids for contracts…" Patriarch Charles began, leaving everyone to wonder where he was going with this."Okay… but Grandpa, what does that have to do with you allowing Evan and me to be together?" Adeline asked calmly, raising her eyebrows in confusion.The other members of the Davis family exchanged puzzled glances, equally curious about how Valtor Corporation's contract bids were connected to Adeline's relationship with Evan.A small smile formed at the corner of Patriarch Charles's lips as he finally revealed his condition. "This contract is very important to our family and our company. So, Adeline, if
Evan had tried several times to reach the unknown number that had sent him the text claiming to know who was responsible for his parents death, but there had been no response. He still hadn’t told Mr. Johnson about the message.During this time, Evan’s connection with Adeline grew stronger, and soon they started dating. Eventually, Adeline invited him to her family home to introduce him to her parents.Evan arrived in a cab, simply dressed in dark-washed jeans, a crisp white button-down shirt, paired with a tailored black blazer, and polished dress shoes."There you are! You look great!" Adeline exclaimed, greeting Evan with a warm hug as soon as he stepped out of the cab."Thanks, I did my best" Evan replied with a smile, though he felt a bit nervous."Come on, let’s go in" Adeline said with an excited tone, taking his hand and leading him toward the house.As they walked towards the front door, she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, they'll adore you. Just be yoursel
The muscular leader smirked, taking a step closer to Evan. "I see you want to play hero, huh? Well, let’s see how long that lasts"Evan stood his ground, his pulse steady. "You have no idea who you're dealing with"The leader’s smirk faltered for a moment before he chuckled darkly. "Big words for someone who's outnumbered. But fine, let’s play"Without warning, one of the men charged at Evan with his baton raised, but Evan swiftly grabbed the man's arm and twisted it with a quick, brutal motion that sent the man sprawling to the ground with a pained cry.Adeline gasped, her eyes wide with fear and admiration.The leader’s eyes narrowed. "So, you’ve got some skills in you. But it won’t be enough". With a flick of his wrist, he signaled to the remaining men.The two men rushed forward simultaneously, swinging their batons at the same time. Evan ducked under the swings, then landed a hard blow on the first man's ribs and the man stumbled back, gasping for breath.Evan then took down the
Evan's smile faltered for a moment, and he looked around the room carefully before leaning in closer to Adeline. "Remember, I told you I have my ways, I know a few people here" he said, trying to sound nonchalant."You did say that, but I know there's more to it. So please, tell me" Adeline insisted, sensing that Evan was hiding something.She noticed how much he had changed, not just in his appearance, but in personality. He had become bolder and more confident, traits the old Evan didn't really have. There had to be something he was keeping from her.Even the way the head waiter of the restaurant welcomed him into the platinum room so respectfully gave her a signal.Evan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Fine... I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to tell anyone else"Adeline's curiosity was piqued. "I promise. Now spill it"Evan glanced around the room again, ensuring no one was listening. "I... I have a connection. Someone who owes me
"I'm sorry, but I have to ask you all to leave" the waiter said calmly, gesturing toward the exit.Freda, Mr. Robert, and her family were stunned, and the patrons' eyes widened in shock."What?!" Freda exclaimed, raising her eyebrows in confusion."I don't understand! What do you mean?!" Mrs. Brenda chimed in, her expression filled with panic.They all looked to Mr. Robert, hoping he could stand up for them in that moment."And why are you asking us to leave?" Mr. Robert demanded, as Freda quickly linked her arm with his.The head waiter remained calm as he answered, "I'm afraid it's a security protocol. We've had some concerns about the room's capacity, and we need to rebalance the guest list"Mr. Robert's eyes narrowed. "Security protocol? At 8 PM on a Tuesday? I don't think so. What's really going on here?""Exactly, what's really going on?!" Mrs. Brenda's panic turned to annoyance. Seeing Mr. Robert speak up, gave her a confidence boost."This is ridiculous! We're not going anywhe
"Go on. Say it, tell your new sugar daddy who he is" Evan taunted."He's… irrelevant," Freda blurted out, not wanting to reveal who Justin was to Mr. Robert. "And as for you, you have the nerve to talk, huh?!""It seems to me you've forgotten how miserable you are. I don't know how a pauper like you even managed to get a reservation here. You can't even afford the lowest menu!" she added in disdain, diverting the attention back to Evan."Exactly! I'm so glad my daughter no longer has anything to do with your horrible self" Mrs. Brenda chimed in, her face contorted with scorn."You know what, Mother? I'm sure Adeline was the one who got their reservation here. And I'm sure she'll be the one paying for his meal" Freda mocked.Lincoln instantly laughed out loud. "You're right, Freda. We all know Evan can't even afford a bottle of water. I don't know why Adeline's wasting her time here with him"Hearing all this, a patron whispered, "Wow! He must really have no shame, coming here with a g
The evening of the dinner Evan had invited Adeline to had arrived, and the sun was beginning to setEvan got ready, wearing a navy blue dress shirt and pants that looked simple yet appropriate for the occasion.Mr. Johnson had offered to arrange a ride to take Evan to the restaurant, but he declined, preferring to take a cab instead.When he arrived there, he got out of the cab, paid the driver, and waited for Adeline. Shortly after, she also arrived in a cab, and Evan greeted her with a warm smile."You look stunning, Adeline! I'm so glad you could make it"Adeline blushed and chuckled, "Thank you. You look really good as well""But I have to say, I'm intrigued by this dinner invitation. How did you manage to get a reservation here? I've heard Chez La Vie is nearly impossible to get into" she added in curiosity.Evan, not wanting to reveal too much, smiled. "Well, let's just say I have my connections. I know a few people at the restaurant"Adeline raised an eyebrow, still a bit skept
Evan decided it was the right time to reveal the truth about his new identity and fortune to Mrs. Evelyn, sharing everything with her.He chose not to inform Mr. Johnson about the new text message, preferring to keep it to himself for the time being.To ensure Mrs. Evelyn's safety, Evan arranged for her to move to one of his family's private houses outside Metropolis Central.…Four Weeks Later."I can't believe this. Our company's earnings are drastically declining" Lady Eva Reynolds lamented as she arrived at their villa with her eldest son, Kenneth Reynolds, Franklin's father. They had just returned from their company meeting."The worst part is that some of our investors are demanding we achieve a 40% revenue growth compared to last month's figures, or they'll withdraw their investments. How on earth do they expect us to achieve that?" Mr. Kenneth Reynolds voiced out in frustration."I'm not even sure we can achieve a 10% revenue increase with the way things are right now" he add
"So, you were part of this?!" Evan seethed, looking at the guy standing beside the middle-aged man who had spoken earlier.Evan also saw Mrs. Evelyn tied up in the corner, and she screamed, "Evan, my dear, you need to leave while you still can!" "Oh, shut up, woman!" the middle-aged man snapped, his face irritated.Those words provoked Evan deeply, but he forced himself to maintain his composure. He had never tolerated anyone speaking to his matron in that manner."Who are you? And what do you want?" Evan demanded, unfamiliar with the man before him. However, he immediately recognized the guy standing by his side. It was Justin Smith, Freda's boyfriend."I am Christopher Smith, your worst nightmare" the man declared, puffing out his chest with arrogance. "My nephew here told me about the little stunt you pulled at the Reynolds's gala"Evan's eyes flicked to Justin, who looked away in fear, his face pale. "I have no idea what you're talking about" Evan replied in pretense."Don't you