Chapter 159: Ryan’s Support
The spotlight hit Evelyn. She was still wearing the same dress, but now, no one saw a stain.
They saw a piece of high-impact visual art.
The wine stain had become part of the dress's soul, as if the garment were born to look this way—carrying a tragic aesthetic called "Redemption."
"My God..." A senior fashion editor took off her glasses and whispered, "This is the work of a genius."
In contrast, Valerie’s piece, though flashy, looked like a curtain owned by a nouveau riche—completely soulless.
The result of the vote was never in doubt. Evelyn won by a landslide.
"This is impossible!" Valerie screamed. "Are you all blind? She’s wearing dirty clothes! That's trash!"
"That is art, Miss Astor," the organizer interrupted coldly. "A bet is a bet. Please leave."
Valerie looked around. Those who had been sucking up to her moments ago were now looking at her like she was a clown. Overwhelmed by shame and rage, she stomped her foot and ran out of the ballroom, clutching her skirts.
Evelyn stood under the spotlight, accepting the applause, but there was no smile on her face. She had won this battle, but it was only the beginning.
Just then, her phone buzzed. It was a message from the nanny.
Miss Bell, Elias suddenly started crying for you earlier. We couldn't calm him down. But he’s fine now. A gentleman is with him.
A gentleman?
Evelyn’s heart tightened. Was it Damian? Had that madman followed them here?
Ignoring the people trying to talk to her, she didn't even stop to change. She pushed through the crowd and hurried toward the children’s lounge at the end of the hall.
As she pushed the door open, Evelyn gripped the scissors she was still carrying. If Damian was inside, she wouldn't mind putting a hole in him.
However, the sight before her made her freeze. Her muscles relaxed, and the scissors clattered onto the rug.
The floor of the lounge was covered in colorful padded mats. The ruthless boss of the Nova Group—the man who made the business world tremble—was sitting on the floor without a shred of his usual ego.
Ryan’s expensive custom suit jacket was tossed aside. His shirt sleeves were rolled to his elbows, and his tie was loosened. Elias was sitting on his shoulders, waving a plastic toy sword and giggling.
"Giddy up! Run, horse! We have to beat the monsters!"
"Hold on tight, little knight." Ryan held the boy’s legs, crawling across the mats while making horse-trotting sounds.
He looked up and caught Evelyn’s stunned gaze. A flash of embarrassment crossed his cold face, but it was quickly replaced by a calm tenderness.
"All settled?" Ryan lifted Elias down and sat him on his lap. His eyes swept over Evelyn’s modified dress, a flash of admiration gleaming in his eyes. "It looks like Valerie lost badly."
Seeing his mother, Elias pounced on her. "Mommy! Uncle Ryan is a superhero! He told me so many stories and promised to take me real racing!"
Evelyn caught the boy, her nose stinging with unshed tears. She had expected to have to stay sharp, fighting the world's malice alone. She didn't expect that while she was on the front lines, someone was at the back, guarding her peace.
"How did you get in?" Evelyn asked.
"I have shares in this club." Ryan stood up, brushed the dust off his trousers, and walked over to her. His long fingers lightly brushed the iris she had created from the wine stain. "It’s beautiful."
His fingertips were warm, burning her skin through the fabric. "Evelyn, I told you I would prove it to you."
Ryan leaned down, locking his gaze onto hers. There was no pressure, only a deep affection that could drown a person. He didn't rush for an answer. Instead, he straightened up and looked at a pile of Legos in the corner. It was Elias’s half-finished castle, missing a roof.
"Let’s take Elias to the theme park in Brooklyn tomorrow," Ryan said softly. "He’s been talking about it all week. I promised him."
Evelyn hesitated, instinctively wanting to refuse this sudden family outing. Sensing her worry, Ryan reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. His thumb brushed her earlobe, light as a feather.
"You know, Evelyn, I have many strategies for business negotiations, but I would never lie to a child."
The next day, the theme park next to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was packed. The air smelled of caramel popcorn and cotton candy, and screams of joy echoed from the roller coasters.
Ryan had changed into a simple black T-shirt and jeans. He wore sunglasses and carried Elias’s water bottle.
"Uncle Ryan! I want that! The big brown bear!" Elias sat on Ryan’s shoulders, pointing excitedly at a giant stuffed bear at the top of a shooting gallery.
The stall owner, a burly man with a thick beard, looked at them with a smirk. "Hey, pal, that’s the grand prize. You have to hit ten moving targets in a row. No one’s done it yet."
Ryan set Elias down and handed him to Evelyn. He pulled a hundred-dollar bill from his pocket and slapped it on the counter. "Keep the change."
He picked up the toy air rifle without a moment’s hesitation. He didn't even seem to aim.
Bang. Bang. Bang...
After ten crisp shots, all ten targets were down. The cigarette fell out of the owner’s mouth as he stared at the man.
"Get the toy down," Ryan said, putting the gun back. "Give it to the little man." He turned to Evelyn, looking at her through his sunglasses. "I was in the shooting club back in college."
Evelyn held the stuffed bear, which was almost as big as she was. Seeing the outline of the man’s chest muscles dampened with a bit of sweat, her heart felt like it was being squeezed. These past four years, she had grown used to fighting for everything herself.
"Thank you," Evelyn whispered, looking down to hide the moisture in her eyes.