Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, Evan looks even taller than normal. His face is terrifyingly hostile.
"Sotis my wife gets confused when she wakes," he mutters through gritted teeth.
His eyes are cold and expressionless, and a furious chill seems to emanate from him. He walks slowly; every step is heavy and threatening.
Not worth the paper it takes to divorce him! Whoever wants him, can have him! Avery's words echo in his mind. With every step, he fights the impulse to strangle her.
"Evan, you ca here just in ti," Florence says, "Do you want to hear what your wife said?"
"What did she say?" Evan asks, jaw clenched.
"Leonie, you tell her," Florence says.
"She said she wants to set up with you. She sent a candle laced with an aphrodisiac drug to your room to ensure the match. She wants to beco your wife so she can divorce you and leave," Leonie looks up at Evan through long lashes, "Also, she said you're not worth the paper it takes to divorce you."
Avery glares icily at Leonie. The other woman has embellished the story with her own ideas. Evan gazes intently at Avery, his face is unreadable and cold. In the past, Avery would have been terrified of such a look, but she's bolder now. She ets his gaze and they lock eyes. Sothing intense seems to pass between them.
The power of their gaze makes Leonie uncomfortable. She wants Evan to focus on her.
"Don't be angry Evan. Avery must be half asleep," she says, "Why else would she say you're not worth the paper it takes to divorce you?"
She repeats Avery's words, clearly and deliberately. The corners of her mouth twitch upwards into a small smirk, enjoying the wretchedness of Avery's position. She glances at Evan and sees he looks very upset.
"Evan, this is the candle," Florence says.
Upon hearing her words, a maid places the candle on the table.
"You have behaved shafully as Evan's wife, and you have damaged our family's reputation," Florence says, "You used a disgusting drug on Evan and you could have hurt him terribly. If we don't punish you, what will people think of our family?"
Florence Howel places her teacup on the table and gestures for Leonie to help her stand up. She crosses the room and stands in front of Avery.
"Your family is well-known and respected in this city. I will never understand how such an ill-mannered, useless woman could co from the worthy Peters family. Now, do you dare to repeat the lies you told in front of Evan?"
Suddenly, Avery feels cold. She looks at the candle sitting on the table and at Florence Howel. She inhales deeply and looks at Evan, smiling softly and enticingly.
"It's true, I sent this candle, but I rember that when I sent it, it was a perfect pale blue," she says, "Why is it now purple around the wick? Can you explain this to Leonie?"
Leonie can't believe what she's hearing. She looks away from Evan and stares at the floor.
"Are you accusing of adding the drug to the candle?" she asks with an innocent expression. She begins to shake her head as if the idea is ridiculous, "I didn't. A maid told to go to Evan's room and gave the candle as a gift from Avery. I swear it was purple when she gave it to . Do you believe , Evan?"
Leonie's eyes fill with tears and Florence Howel takes her hand. Evan says nothing.
"I believe you," Florence says, "You wouldn't even harm a fly. How could you do sothing as awful as this?"
Florence Howel takes Leonie's face in her hands and carefully wipes away her tears. Becoming severe, she turns to Evan.
"Look for any evidence you can find!" she orders.
"Summon the maid who gave Leonie the candle."
The maids rush from the room to find the woman who gave Leonie the candle. Evan strides to the sofa and sits down, his eyes squinted in deep thought. Within minutes, the maid, Lily, appears in the sitting room. She looks terrified.
"Mr. Howel, Mrs. Howel, what's the matter?"
"What do you know about this candle?" Evan asks.
Lily looks shocked and afraid. Quickly, she glances at Leonie but then rembers to look away.
"Your wife asked to give a candle to Miss Leonie. She said it was to help you have fun," she points at the coffee table, "That's it on the table! Your wife told you love Miss Leonie more than her."
Florence Howel slaps Avery across the face, and Avery winces. Florence Howel is surprisingly strong for her age.
"So it was you! The Peters family doesn't know how to raise a disciplined daughter. No matter, I'll discipline you for them!"
Instead of looking ashad or guilty, Avery looks furious. Florence points angrily at Avery, "What's wrong with you? Do you still deny your guilt?"
She turns to Evan, "A vicious woman like this is not worthy of being your wife."
Avery's cheek still stings from the slap. She glares at Florence Howel with such intensity that the older woman begins to feel guilty. The butler, Robert Tinder, enters the room and rushes to Evan's side.
"Sir the surveillance system has been partially burnt," he whispers.
Though he speaks quietly, Avery can hear him.
"Burnt? Darling Evan, you're hopeless," she says, playing the role of concerned wife, "First you have problems with a devious maid and now soone has burnt part of your surveillance system."
Evan raises his eyebrows at Avery's tone. He's not sure what she's playing at, but she seems to be asking for him to help her out of her unfortunate situation.
"Co here," he said in a low voice.
Obedient as a kitten, Avery moves toward Evan. Before he can ask her to sit, she climbs onto his lap and wraps her arms around his neck. Blood drains from Leonie Sumr's face. How dare Avery tries to seduce Evan in front of her and Mrs. Howel!
Lily is so scared her whole body trembles. Yesterday morning, Leonie Sumr had asked her for help and had written her a handso check. She warned her not to trust the wrong person. She doesn't understand why Evan and Avery are suddenly so intimate.
Evan wraps his arms around Avery. The scent of her hair is thrilling; he feels like he's floating. Suddenly, he tightens his arms around her.
"How can you prove that you didn't do this?" he asks in a low whisper.
His lips brush her ear and she shivers. For the mont he's decided to help the woman sitting on his lapno matter what she's done. However, he has no idea what her plans are. He wants to see how she'll try to get out of this.
Avery's eyes beco determined.
"Leonie, you just said that you were given a candle with a purple wick, right?"
"Yes, that's right!" Leonie agrees.
Avery smiles and whispers a few words in Evan's ear. Evan summons Robert to his side and whispers a few quick orders. Robert nods and runs out of the room.
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