Chapter 111: My Pleasure to Pick Up the Tab
Champagne glasses clinked inside a high-end French restaurant in Manhattan.
“To freedom, and to Evelyn finally growing a spine!” Sophie raised her glass, radiating the satisfaction of sweet revenge. “Your walk-off at the conference was badass. You should have seen Damian’s constipated face and Sienna collapsing like a wet noodle. So gratifying!”
Maintaining that composure and indifference at the conference had drained almost all of Evelyn's energy. Relaxing now, exhaustion seeped into her bones, but it was overshadowed by an unprecedented lightness.
She touched her abdomen. “This is just the beginning. Damian has enough of a mess to clean up to keep him busy for a while. That gives me the time I need.”
After discussing their next steps, Evelyn motioned for the waiter to get the check. The waiter in the tuxedo bowed slightly and said politely, “Ma'am, your bill has been taken care of.”
Evelyn and Sophie exchanged a surprised look. “Taken care of? By whom?” Evelyn asked, her guard up. If this was one of Damian's nauseating attempts to "make peace," she'd want to throw up her dinner.
“That would be me.”
A deep, magnetic male voice came from behind them. Evelyn whirled around.
Ryan Lawrence stood a short distance away, wearing a sharp, custom-tailored dark grey suit, tieless, with his collar slightly open, revealing his collarbones. He stood there, one hand in his pocket. The warm, amber restaurant lighting hit his chiseled features, making him look dangerous and captivating.
He walked over, his eyes openly fixed on Evelyn. “It’s my pleasure to pay for a brilliant designer who just fought a beautiful battle and won.”
Sophie looked from Ryan to Evelyn, a knowing glint in her eye. She snatched her clutch and stood up, looking dramatically at her watch. “Oh, shoot, I just remembered I have an urgent delivery from the studio—I need to tweak some details on that design. Evelyn, you guys talk. I’m out!”
Before Evelyn could stop her, Sophie was clicking out of the restaurant in a hurry. Only Evelyn and Ryan were left at the table. The suffocating, intimate tension returned.
Ryan pulled out the chair across from Evelyn and sat down, his long fingers tapping rhythmically on the table—tap, tap—like a beat on her heart.
“Mr. Lawrence, this isn’t right,” Evelyn frowned. “I’ll transfer the money.”
“I’m more concerned about something else than the money.” Ryan leaned forward, his deep eyes boring into hers. “The ‘Rebirth’ menswear design. I think I need an update on the progress. Otherwise, I worry you might get distracted by someone or something else.”
“The drafts are mostly done, but…” Evelyn glanced around. This was the heart of Manhattan. After the massive scandal at the conference, paparazzi or Damian’s spies could be anywhere. If she were photographed having dinner with another man immediately after her public break with her husband, public opinion could swing against her. Sienna would definitely use it to smear her as an “adulteress.”
Ryan keenly caught the worry in her eyes. He chuckled softly and stood up. “Since this isn’t a good place to discuss work, let’s go somewhere else.”
“Where?” Evelyn asked instinctively.
“Somewhere completely secure, just for us.” Ryan leaned toward her, offering his hand, palm up, in an invitation. “Let’s go, Evelyn.”
Evelyn hesitated for two seconds, then finally placed her hand in his.
The black Maybach melted into the New York night, shielding them from prying eyes. The car was quiet, scented faintly with cedar. Ryan didn't speak, just gazed out the window. But Evelyn could feel that his reflection in the glass was constantly watching her.
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in the exclusive underground garage of the Four Seasons Hotel. Evelyn followed Ryan into the private elevator, which rose to the penthouse suite.
The door opened to reveal luxurious decor and the dazzling Manhattan skyline. But Ryan was not interested in the view. He walked straight to the large walk-in closet and returned with a premium white silk shirt and a pair of sharply cut black trousers.
Evelyn’s eyes widened slightly. This wasn’t just a random outfit; it was her preliminary design, which she had sent to Ryan the night before. It had already been made into a physical sample!
Ryan walked up to her, handed her the clothes, and unhurriedly unbuttoned his suit jacket, tossing it onto the sofa. “What’s the point of just looking at blueprints?”
Ryan unbuttoned the second button on his shirt, exposing a broad expanse of muscled chest. His eyes held a rogue-like flippancy mixed with an irresistible intensity. He closed the distance, backing Evelyn against the wall until she had nowhere left to go.
“Darling, since the final design isn’t set, why don't we do a ‘live test’ now?” He placed the white shirt in Evelyn’s hand, leaned down, and let his breath fan her ear. His voice was low, husky, and dangerously seductive. “Help me put it on. Let’s see if your design is truly up to the test.”
Evelyn held the smooth silk shirt, her fingers slightly hot. Ryan stood in front of her, arms slightly open, his gaze so intense it could melt her. She hesitated, then raised her hands, a little clumsily, to unfasten the remaining buttons on his shirt.
As each button came undone, his toned chest was revealed, radiating potent masculinity. Evelyn picked up the white silk shirt and gestured for him to put his arms through. Ryan cooperated, and Evelyn was forced to step closer to button it up for him. Her fingertips inevitably brushed his warm skin. She instantly stiffened, feeling a jolt like an electric current, and instinctively tried to pull her hand away.
“Darling, why are you pulling away?” Ryan caught her hand and pressed it directly against his warm chest. The powerful beat of his heart throbbed against her palm.