Chapter 121 Then Sue Me for Cheating

Chapter 121 Then Sue Me for Cheating

Two days later, Evie arrived for orientation. James had deliberately cleared his entire hospital schedule to drive her to Parsons School of Design in NYC.

James parked at the campus entrance and killed the engine before stepping out. He walked around to Evie's side and opened her door.

He wasn't wearing his usual professional attire today—just a charcoal gray knit sweater that stretched across his broad shoulders, sleeves rolled up to mid-forearm, revealing clean, defined wrists.

As James stood beside the car, several passing girls noticeably slowed their pace.

Evie unbuckled her seatbelt, catching his silhouette in her peripheral vision. He stood a full head and more taller than her, his shoulders nearly filling the entire doorframe.

Evie grabbed her bag and stepped out. James smoothly took it from her, then retrieved her suitcase and art tube from the trunk with his other hand, handling them as effortlessly as if they were paperbacks.

The walk from the campus entrance to the residential area took about seven or eight minutes. They walked side by side, James's stride naturally longer than hers, but he deliberately slowed his pace, positioning himself half a step ahead on her outer side.

James's presence was impossible to ignore—his broad frame blocking out half the sky. Passersby couldn't help but let their eyes drift toward him.

Several girls excitedly pulled out their phones to snap photos of James.

"Oh my God, who is that guy? He's gorgeous—literally the hottest man I've ever seen!"

"Could you keep it down? But yeah, he really is insanely hot!"

"He's gotta be like six-three, right? Look at those shoulders—and those arms are so built!"

"Is that his girlfriend next to him? She's beautiful too. They look like they walked off a magazine cover."

"Stop staring, stop staring—I think he just glanced this way."

Their voices were hushed but couldn't contain their excitement, and the words still drifted to Evie and James's ears.

James didn't break stride, but the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, and his hand resting on Evie's shoulder tightened slightly.

Just then, a group of students walking ahead suddenly stopped. One of the guys stared at Evie for several seconds before gasping and grabbing his friend's sleeve.

"Wait—is that Cove?!" Before he'd even finished speaking, the others recognized Evie too and swarmed toward her. Some raised their phones to take pictures, others stepped forward eagerly.

"Cove! It's really you! I love every single one of your paintings—I've copied them so many times!"

"Can we get a photo with you?"

"I'm your fan! I've been following your work since before you disappeared three years ago!"

Several guys crowded closest, one even taking an extra step forward, phone raised and ready to snap a shot, his gaze fixed eagerly on Evie's face.

Evie was somewhat surprised to find fans on campus. She smiled. "Sure."

James frowned. Seeing just how popular Evie was left a sour taste in his mouth.

Before anyone could get closer, he took half a step forward and extended his arm, sliding it around Evie's waist and pulling her against him.

Evie's back pressed against his chest. James's towering frame nearly enveloped her completely. He lifted his chin slightly, his gaze sweeping across the guy with the phone, then scanning the rest of the group.

He didn't say a word, but that one look carried more authority than any verbal warning.

The students who'd been so enthusiastic about getting a photo with Evie glanced at James's arm around her waist, then at his imposing figure practically shielding her from view. They immediately got the message and backed off with sheepish smiles.

"We'll catch you around campus for that photo!"

"Yeah, yeah—we can chat about your work another time!"

Once they'd moved on, Evie lightly jabbed his side with her elbow and lowered her voice. "Dial it back a little."

James looked somewhat aggrieved and displeased. "Seeing how popular you are makes me even more worried about you living on campus. What if some guy tries to steal you away?"

Evie laughed. "Then you can sue me for infidelity."

James let out an exasperated laugh. "So you're saying you actually would let some guy steal you away?"

"Alright, alright, I'm just teasing. Not just any man can catch my eye—after all, men as exceptional as you don't exactly grow on trees."

That one sentence completely placated James, though he still made Evie promise three times over that she wouldn't chat with any male students—not even exchange a single word, not even a glance.

Only after Evie agreed did James finally feel satisfied enough to continue walking her toward the dorm.

When they reached the dorm building entrance, Evie took her suitcase and art tube from him and tilted her head back to look at him. "Okay, mission accomplished. You can head back now."

James didn't move.

He stood before her, his height advantage so pronounced that his shadow nearly enveloped her entirely.

James looked down at Evie, his eyes full of reluctance.

"I'll pick you up Friday," he said.

"I know."

Evie started to turn away, but James caught her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

James bent down, his other hand cradling the back of her head. When his lips descended, they carried that characteristic unhurried certainty of his.

The kiss lasted a while—long enough that Evie reached up and clutched the fabric at his side. Only then did James reluctantly pull away.

His thumb traced along Evie's jawline as his voice dropped half an octave. "Go on up. Don't forget to video call tonight."

Evie's ears flushed crimson. She averted her gaze, pulled open the door, and hurried inside.

James stood in place, watching until her figure disappeared into the hallway before slowly withdrawing his gaze and turning to leave.

-

The dorm room was more spacious than Evie had imagined. Two south-facing windows stood open, afternoon light flooding the desk.

Light gray walls displayed a few posters. The beds were standard white metal frames. The carpet looked old but had been thoroughly cleaned—thick and soft underfoot.

Evie had just wheeled her suitcase inside and hadn't yet closed the door when she collided with a warm chest.

Evie stepped back half a pace and looked up. A tall, lean guy stood in the narrow passage between the entryway and the main room, holding a cup of coffee. The collision had caused a few drops to spill onto his fingers.

He froze too, his gaze lingering on Evie's face for a full two seconds, as if he hadn't expected the person coming through the door to be a stranger.

"Why is there a guy in the girls' dorm?" Evie's brow furrowed as her gaze swept past him to scan the room.

A face emerged from the lower bunk on the far side—a girl with her hair in a bun glanced at Evie, her tone carrying a weariness that had clearly been building for a while. "Sophie's boyfriend. Regular visitor. We're all used to it by now—complaining doesn't do any good anyway."

As she spoke, her gaze didn't rest on Evie but instead slanted toward the bed by the window, as if hinting at something.

Evie followed her line of sight. The bed by the window was empty, but a men's watch sat on the nightstand, next to an opened pack of cigarettes, brazenly displayed.

Evie withdrew her gaze, visibly angry. She hadn't expected to encounter this kind of situation in campus housing.

"Dorm rules prohibit outside guests staying overnight—boyfriend or not. Which one is Sophie?"

The moment Evie finished speaking, the bathroom door opened and Sophie emerged wrapped in a towel, her hair still dripping.

Sophie saw Evie standing in the doorway and froze briefly. Then her gaze shifted to the guy before returning to Evie's face. She seemed to grasp what had happened.

Sophie tugged her towel up a bit and smiled casually. "Oh, you must be the new girl? Sorry about this—my boyfriend just came by for a bit to help me move some stuff. He's leaving now."

With that, Sophie shot the guy a pointed look. "You're done moving things, so get going."

The guy muttered "oh" and rubbed his nose, but his gaze remained glued to Evie's face.

As he walked toward the exit, he deliberately slowed his pace. When he brushed past Evie, he tilted his head, his eyes filled with obvious admiration.

It wasn't until Sophie physically pushed him out and shut the door that the barrier finally cut off his lingering stare.