Chapter 37 I Need A Phone
Evelyn’s POV
Morning came with a kind of silence that didn’t feel peaceful, it felt heavy. The air in the house was still, the kind that carried leftover tension from the night before.
I didn’t sleep much. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Lorenzo’s hand brushing Kim’s hair, his voice steady and low. ‘I’ll be here with you.’
Those words had echoed inside me until they started to hurt.
When I finally stepped out of bed, the sun had already come out. I wrapped my silky scarf around my shoulders, feeling the chill that came not from the air but from the emptiness beside me.
Lorenzo was gone. His side of the bed was untouched, cold.
Of course, it was.
He must have stayed in her room till morning. Maybe even slept on the chair beside her bed, watching her breathe fake pain while I lay here burning in silence.
I walked to the mirror, brushing my fingers through my hair, trying to smooth the thoughts that wouldn’t stop pulling at me. My reflection looked foreign, like someone I didn’t recognize anymore.
That was when the door creaked open.
“Morning,” Kim’s voice slipped in, light but filled with venom.
I turned, slow, cautious. She stood by the doorway, wrapped in a silk robe the color of red wine, her hair perfectly set, her lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile.
“What do you want?” I asked. My voice came out calm, but I'm sure she could feel the anger burning in them.
She stepped in, her heels soft against the floor. “You know, I was wondering….” she started, dragging her words like she was enjoying them. “Do you ever get tired of pretending to be someone you’re not?”
I blinked. “Pretending?”
She laughed quietly, her tone low, almost kind. “Yes, pretending. Acting like you belong here. Acting like Lorenzo sees you the same way he sees me.”
I folded my arms, hiding the tremor in my hands. “You’ve got a strange sense of humor.”
“Do I?” she asked, inching closer. “Last night, you just couldn’t stand it, could you? You couldn’t bear to see him care for me….even for a second.”
“I wasn’t the one pretending to be sick,” I said, voice sharp but steady.
Her eyes glimmered. She didn’t even try to deny it. “Maybe I was,” she whispered. “But you see, the difference between us, Evelyn, is that I know how to get what I want. You don’t.”
My heart pounded hard, but I didn’t move. I just watched her, my silence deliberate.
She took another step closer. Her fragrance struck my nose, smelling like poison. “You’ve overstayed your welcome,” she said softly. “You don’t have a place here.”
I laughed under my breath. Bold of her to think I actually loved being here. I would have gladly asked her for help to escape, but who knows? She could easily snitch on me or twist the story, making Lorenzo believe things I never did. And knowing him, I wasn’t sure he’d even give me a chance to defend myself.
I tilted my head. “And what exactly do you want me to do about that?”
Her lips lifted into a cruel half-smile. “Leave. Quietly. Before I make your stay unbearable.”
A small laugh escaped me, short, humorless. “You think you can scare me?”
Kim’s gaze hardened. “I don’t need to scare you. I just need to make sure Lorenzo sees what kind of woman you really are, desperate, jealous, and replaceable.”
Something inside me snapped, but not loud. Not wild. Just…. final.
“You think last night was about you?” I said, stepping forward until we were eye to eye. “You faked sickness to interrupt a moment that wasn’t even yours to begin with. That’s not power, Kim. That’s desperation dressed in a terrible fake act.”
Her jaw tightened, but her eyes stayed steady. “Say whatever makes you sleep at night, darling. Just remember, Lorenzo always chooses me. He always will.”
She brushed past me, her shoulder grazing mine, leaving a trail of cold arrogance behind her.
When the door shut, I stood still for a moment, listening to my own heartbeat echo in the silence.
Then I decided I’d had enough.
I didn’t even bother to change out of my robe. I walked out of my room, the marble floors cool beneath my feet. Everyone in the house was wide awake now, distant footsteps, voices, the faint scent of freshly fried egg and coffee. But it all felt like nothing because of the storm gathering in my chest.
The closer I got to Lorenzo's office, the more anger increased, because he caused all this. If he hadn't made me look invisible yesterday Kim wouldn't have any reason to confront me this morning for stupid reasons.
By the time I reached the end of the corridor, I could already hear his voice, deep, low, commanding.
“.…make sure the guards stay at the east gate until noon. No one gets in without my word,” he said.
Gideon stood in front of him, tall and alert, nodding as he received instructions. Lorenzo’s tone carried authority. Sharp, steady, completely composed, like last night hadn’t even touched him.
I leaned against the doorframe, watching for a moment. The way he moved. The way his hands gestured. Everything about him screamed control. And I hated it, how effortlessly he could separate his emotions, while I was still bleeding inside.
He turned slightly, his eyes catching me before I could mask my stare.
“Evelyn,” he said, voice soft but edged. “You’re up early.”
I stepped into the room. “Apparently not as early as you.”
Gideon looked between us, sensing something electric in the air.
“Maybe I should come back later, boss." He said.
“It’s fine,” Lorenzo cut in, eyes still on me. “Finish the briefing.”
Gideon hesitated, then continued, though his tone carried unease. “The car’s ready. And I’ve informed the rest of the men to get ready, we are going after the president.”
Lorenzo nodded absently, his gaze never leaving mine. “Good. You may now go.”
“Yes, boss."
The moment the door clicked behind Gideon, silence filled the room, thick, charged, dangerous.
He leaned back on his desk, folding his arms. “What's wrong?"
I stared at him. For a long second, I didn’t speak. Maybe because I didn’t have a tangible reason for coming here.
“I need a phone.” I said finally.