Chapter 148: A Bitter Reunion
"Evelyn, it’s been four years. I’m not letting you disappear from my side again," Ryan said.
Evelyn didn't hesitate. She grabbed Elias and pulled him behind her, shielding him from Ryan’s sight. "Mr. Lawrence, I’m saying this for the last time. I am Sophia Bell. If you keep harrassing me, I will call the police immediately. Don't frighten my child."
She reached back and gripped Elias’s shoulder, refusing to back down.
Ryan looked into her hostile eyes, feeling as if a hand were squeezing his heart. She had changed. The Evelyn who once showed flashes of vulnerability had died at the docks four years ago. In her place was this unbreakable mother, covered in thorns.
"I don't believe you."
Ryan took a step forward, but a commotion at the gallery entrance cut him off.
"Let me in! I’m the CEO of Omni Group! I have an invitation!"
That voice was too familiar. It made Evelyn’s blood freeze before turning into a boiling, bitter chill.
Damian Green.
He was wearing an outdated navy suit. His hair was messy, his eyes sunken, and he radiated a desperate, frantic energy. Ever since the scandal broke four years ago and his assets were liquidated, his so-called Omni Group had become an empty shell. He was barely surviving by selling off the Green family estate.
He had struggled to get this invitation today, hoping to find an investor at Fashion Week. But he never expected to see the woman who haunted his every thought.
"Evelyn?"
Damian shoved past the security guards. His gaze landed on the little boy hiding behind Evelyn. About three or four years old. Black hair, amber eyes... there were traces of the Green family in those features.
The timeline clicked. A bolt of lightning went off in Damian’s mind.
"Is that... our child?" Damian’s voice trembled. His tone shifted from a demand to uncontrollable joy. "Evelyn, you kept this from me."
He took a deep breath, straightened his rumpled jacket, and put on a look of deep remorse. He strode toward them.
"Is this my son? My God... he didn't die. You gave birth to him." Damian’s eyes welled with tears as he reached out for Elias. "I’m Daddy. Come, let Daddy look at you."
Evelyn instinctively moved to retreat, but Ryan stepped out, blocking Damian’s path.
"Stay away from them."
Ryan placed a protective hand near Evelyn’s side. Several trained bodyguards quickly surrounded them, cutting Damian off.
Forced to stop, Damian glared at the tall, imposing man with a flash of jealousy. He straightened his back, trying to act like the "man of the house."
"Mr. Lawrence, show some respect. This is a family matter." He turned to Evelyn, his voice dropping into a pleading, humble tone. "Evelyn, I know you’re angry. But I’ve been looking for you for years. I regret everything... Now that the child is here, why can't we start over? Don't you want him to have a complete family?"
He tried to sidestep the bodyguards, a fawning smile on his face. "I was a jerk, but I’ve changed. Look, Evelyn, I even wore the suit you liked best just to see you. Stop being difficult and come home with me, okay?"
The guests and media were already gathering, raising their phones and cameras. Elias, frightened by the chaos, gripped the hem of his mother’s shirt.
Evelyn’s fingers tightened at her side. She took a breath, whispered "don't be afraid" to her son, and then stepped out in front of everyone. There was no fear in her eyes. She pulled out her phone and hit the record button.
"Damian Green." Her voice was clear and calm, cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. "Stop this disgusting performance. Take one more step, and I will sue you for harassment and threatening my safety. Every camera and phone in this room is my evidence."
She stepped forward, her aura so intense it made Damian freeze.
"Can your pathetic little shell company survive another scandal? Do you want to watch your stock price hit zero tomorrow, or do you want to get out now?"
Damian blinked. Looking at this cold, sharp woman, he felt a surge of desire to conquer her. Was this the same woman who used to cry in his arms? She had changed; she was a brilliant diamond now. He wanted her—and the son who represented his legacy—back in his grasp.
"Evelyn... I’m serious. How can you think so poorly of me? I’m the father. That’s a fact." He softened his voice. "Evelyn... or Sophia, whatever you go by, I’ll wait for you to come around."
"My name is Sophia," she interrupted coldly. "If you don't leave, my lawyer will have a notice in your inbox within ten minutes."
Camera flashes went off like strobes. Damian looked at the lenses, then at Ryan’s dark expression, and realized he wouldn't win today. He shot one last look at Elias and a greedy glance at Evelyn’s face.
"Fine, I won't force you." Damian raised his hands in surrender, backing away slowly. "I’ll prove it to you. I’ll be a good father and a good husband. We have plenty of time."
He turned and left, clearly unsatisfied.
The drama seemed to end. Evelyn put her phone away without looking at Ryan. She picked up Elias. "We’re leaving."
Back at her Upper East Side apartment, Evelyn locked the door immediately. She left Elias with the nanny and called a locksmith to upgrade to the highest-level security locks. Then, she opened her laptop to link her security cameras to a high-alert alarm system.
Despite her calm exterior, she was terrified of Damian. Not for herself, but for Elias.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell made her jump. She grabbed a fruit knife from the table and looked through the peephole. It wasn't the locksmith.
It was Ryan. He had taken off his jacket. His charcoal shirt was open at the collar, sleeves rolled up. He held a thick envelope.
"Open up," Ryan’s voice came through the door. "I know you’re there."
Evelyn gripped the knife. "Mr. Lawrence, I appreciate the help earlier, but that doesn't mean you can trespass. Please go."
"I’m not coming in. I’m just delivering something." He held the envelope up to the peephole. "This is a Level One protection plan from Nova Group’s security division. It includes an upgrade for this building, covert protection for Elias’s preschool, and 24-hour bodyguards on rotation."
Evelyn paused. "I don't need it. I can protect my child myself."
"Can you? With that fruit knife? Or that useless alarm? Damian is a mad dog now; he’ll do anything for money. And Sienna—do you think she gave up over the last four years?"
His words hit her right where it hurt.
"Evelyn, you can hate me. You can ignore me. But Elias is innocent. Don't gamble with his safety just because you're angry with me."
Silence followed from inside the door.