Chapter 177 Responding to You Will Disrupt My Rhythm
Thalia stayed in bed until William came back, and she wouldn't have even woken up properly if Evelyn hadn't called.
"Mr. Brown really came through. Remember I told you I wanted to set up a company over there? It's all sorted out."
Thalia hugged her blanket and rolled over. "William helped you with that?"
"You saw what happened at the dinner table, right? Not long after we left, my project got approved. The documents just arrived at the company. I'm about to head out from home to pick them up."
Thalia propped herself up and sat cross-legged on the bed, feeling like thousands of ants were gnawing at her brain.
She felt terrible.
"Should you ask Mr. Brown if accepting their favor will affect him in any way?"
"If it would cause problems, he would've stopped it at the dinner table. Just take it. My head is killing me, gotta go."
Evelyn tossed her phone aside, changed clothes, and headed out. Downstairs, she ran into Kieran Thomas coming home from work.
"Going out?"
"Going to the office to pick up some documents."
"Is it important? There's a storm coming."
Evelyn nodded. "Very important."
Then she told Kieran about what happened at lunch.
Kieran paused while setting down his briefcase. "Are you serious? Everyone in Emerald City knows that people can't even squeeze into William's social circle. How did you get in?"
"Through Thalia," Evelyn said, shaking her head proudly, clearly thrilled.
Kieran was speechless. "So are William and Thalia really in that kind of relationship?"
Evelyn thought to herself, what do you mean "that kind of relationship"? They're properly married.
She drove to the office, planning to take a shortcut, but when she reached the main road, she hit traffic. The GPS told her there was an accident ahead and to move to the right lane.
As she slowly moved with traffic past the accident site, she spotted a man in a hat standing to the side. Her eye twitched. That was Andrew.
What a coincidence! Was this fate?
"Andrew?"
"Ms. Thomas?" Andrew didn't really want to be recognized. He wasn't going to respond to the call at first, but when he saw it was Evelyn calling him.
"Rear-ended?"
"Yes."
"Isn't that Evelyn? You know this guy?" A rich kid who was dealing with the police looked surprised to see Evelyn.
The Thomas family wasn't exactly one of Emerald City's elite families, but over the years Evelyn had grown close to Thalia, so people showed Evelyn some respect. Plus, everyone in Emerald City said they were a money-making team, and who knew—they might become the big shots among all these rich kids someday.
Showing Evelyn respect couldn't hurt.
"I know him. What happened here? Car accident?"
"Just a scrape. Since we all know each other, no need to bother the police. We can settle this ourselves."
The rich kid was generous. They had money for repairs—it just depended on whose car and for whom. If it was for some washed-up Andrew, definitely not worth it. But if it was for Evelyn, they had to give her that face.
The three parted ways. Evelyn watched the rich kid drive off in an imported sports car with a dented rear, then glanced at Andrew following behind her in a car with a crushed front end.
Troublesome!
"What do you think Evelyn's relationship with Andrew is?"
"What relationship could they have?"
"Haven't you heard? Andrew got kicked out of the entertainment industry because he offended Thalia, and Emma was involved too."
"Are you saying Emma wanted to destroy Thalia over that guy?"
"Finally catching on? Evelyn and Thalia are so close—would she really stick up for Andrew?"
The man driving gripped the steering wheel with one hand while rubbing his chin with the other, his gaze distant. "Interesting."
"I heard Thalia can be ruthless too. As soon as her dad died, she started suing the Wood family. With a lawsuit like that, someone's gotta pay with their life."
.........
"Does Andrew need something?" Evelyn pulled over and stopped, opened the car door, and stood under the swaying tree shadows in the dusk, looking at the person who had followed her.
"Can I ask Ms. Thomas something—why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you getting involved in this?"
Evelyn laughed lightly, her fingertips tapping on the car door. "Does there have to be a why?"
"You and Thalia are good friends, and Thalia and I have a terrible relationship. You keep showing up in front of me, teasing me, helping me—is it personal, or are you using me?"
"Using you?" Evelyn raised an eyebrow as the evening breeze tousled her hair. "Does Andrew think too highly of himself? Or does he look down on me too much?"
"Stop following me. I don't have time to chat with you. Let me remind Andrew of something—if you'd had this kind of vigilance when you were with Linda, you wouldn't have ended up like this."
Andrew watched Evelyn drive away, standing there looking defeated, like a stray dog.
He had ended up in his current situation all because of Linda.
.....
At six o'clock, William came home on time. After looking around and not finding Thalia, he called Fallon and learned she still hadn't gotten up.
She'd slept all afternoon. With that kind of alcohol tolerance, how could she keep going to bars with Evelyn? Was she just drinking water?
"Thalia."
"Thalia."
William started calling for her in the living room and kept calling all the way to the bedroom without seeing anyone. He pulled out his phone and made a call.
She answered quickly.
"What?"
"Where are you?"
"Bathroom," Thalia said.
"You're in the bathroom and you didn't answer when I called you?"
"I was concentrating on using the toilet. Answering you would've broken my rhythm."
William: ........
He shouldn't have called her.
When Thalia came downstairs, she saw William playing with the cat. The ragdoll cat was lying on the floor batting at the cat toy in his hand. Thalia walked over, squeezed next to William, and took the toy from him.
She played with the cat very half-heartedly.
William leaned beside her in a white shirt with sleeves rolled up high, looking lazy and relaxed, showing none of Thalia's post-drinking condition.
"You can really hold your liquor?"
William's palm rested on her lower back, slowly rubbing through her robe. "Not really."
William didn't particularly like the whole drinking culture at business dinners, but once you reach a certain position, you have to follow social rules whether you like it or not. Everyone came for him, and during all that toasting, it was hard to avoid. Some occasions allowed him to bring people—bringing a few subordinates to help deflect drinks—but most of the time when they sat together to discuss business, having outsiders made people guarded. Over time, his tolerance just developed naturally.