Chapter 115: Caught in the Act
The backstage corridor was bustling with staff and models. Evelyn had just reached the waiting area when a staff member carrying a bucket of paint suddenly rushed around the corner. He slipped, and the entire bucket of deep blue acrylic paint splashed, staining a large, glaring patch on the hem of her simple black gown.
“I’m so sorry!” the staff member apologized frantically. Wiping the area uselessly with a tissue, he said anxiously, “There’s a fitting room here. I can take you to clean it up, or the stain will set.”
“Go clean it up now,” Damian impatiently let go of her arm, as if shaking off something dirty. “Don’t embarrass me.”
Evelyn was eager to get away from the suffocating man. She lifted the heavy skirt and followed the staff member down the hallway. As soon as they rounded the corner and were out of Damian’s sight, the staff member, who had been timid moments before, straightened up and whispered, “Mr. Lawrence is waiting for you in Room 302.” He then turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Ryan Lawrence. This was definitely that man's style. She took a deep breath and hurried toward the fitting room at the end of the hall.
Click. As the door cracked open, a hot, large hand shot out, gripped her wrist fiercely, and slammed her against the door. Before she could clearly see the person, hot breath fell on her neck, carrying a strong scent of tobacco and intense, suppressed rage.
“When he held you in the elevator just now,” Ryan said, his voice low and ragged, “I wanted to cut his hand off.”
Evelyn looked up. In the faint light filtering through the door crack, she saw Ryan’s bloodshot eyes. The possessiveness in them was alarming.
“Ryan, this is backstage…”
“I don’t care!” Ryan cut her off, forcing his knee between her legs and pinning her firmly against the door, leaving no space between them. “You didn’t push him away,” Ryan's fingers gripped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “You let him hold you. You let him touch you. Evelyn, do you still care about him? Are you still holding onto some fantasy about him?”
That phrase again. It felt like a slap across Evelyn’s face.
“I don’t love him.” Evelyn stared into Ryan's eyes, her voice clear and firm. “I’ve never been clearer in my life.” To prove it, and to vent, she suddenly stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around Ryan’s neck, and initiated a kiss on his thin lips.
Ryan’s body tensed for a moment. The next second, he took over, his large hand cupping the back of her head, brutally deepening the kiss. Ryan’s tongue roughly forced its way past her teeth, aggressively stealing her saliva and her oxygen. Evelyn kissed him back with equal fervor, her nails digging into the muscles of his back, using the pain to confirm their shared reality.
The temperature in the small fitting room soared. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, feeling each other's heat even through their clothes. Just as their kiss became desperate and Ryan’s hand slipped beneath her dress…
A sharp sound of high heels approached outside the door. “Damn it, how could I leave my clutch backstage?”
It was Sienna. That annoying voice was clearly recognizable even through the door.
Evelyn’s body went rigid. She instinctively tried to push Ryan away, but the man held her tightly, refusing to budge. The door crack hadn't fully closed, letting in a sliver of weak light. Sienna walked past the fitting room and her peripheral vision caught the unlatched door. She stopped instinctively and leaned closer.
Through the narrow gap, she saw the scene inside. In the dim light, Evelyn was passionately pressed against the door, kissing a tall man. The man's back was broad, completely shadowing Evelyn, making his face invisible. But their entangled forms and heavy breathing screamed of an intense, illicit encounter.
Sienna’s eyes widened instantly, replaced by a look of twisted ecstasy. Got her! Evelyn was actually cheating! If she screamed now and drew the reporters over, Evelyn would be ruined and permanently out of Omni Group!
Sienna took a deep breath, opening her mouth to scream…
“Mmmph!” A hand wearing a black leather glove suddenly shot out from behind her, clamping tightly over her mouth. Sienna’s eyes went wide with terror, and she was dragged backward by immense force, directly into the adjacent storage room.
“If I were you, I’d keep that mouth shut.” A cold female voice hissed in her ear.
Ayla Vance, dressed in a sharp black suit, stood over Sienna, her eyes like knives, pinning her against the wall. “Well, well, isn’t this Sienna, the one who climbed her way up?” Ayla said. “Still using despicable tricks, I see. What, trying to catch her cheating? Trying to ruin Evelyn?” Ayla’s grip tightened, making Sienna’s jaw ache. “Listen, you idiot. If you make a single sound, or dare to say one word about what you just saw… I promise you’ll wake up tomorrow morning naked in a Hudson River sewer.”
Sienna trembled violently, her arrogance instantly replaced by pure terror. She could tell this woman was deadly serious.
“Get lost.” Ayla released her hand, tossing her aside like garbage. Sienna stumbled against a shelf and scrambled out of the backstage area without looking back.
Having dealt with the distraction, Ayla straightened her cuff and walked to the fitting room door. She raised her hand and tapped twice, lightly.
Knock, knock.
The passionate kiss inside stopped instantly. Ryan released Evelyn’s swollen lips, their foreheads touching, his breathing still heavy.
“Ryan, that’s enough.” Ayla’s calm voice came through the door. “Don’t make her late for her show. And Evelyn, good luck. Your design deserves to be seen by all of New York.”
With that, her decisive footsteps faded away.