Chapter 68

Chapter 68

The car was so quiet that only breathing could be heard. The evening breeze slipped through the window crack, carrying a slight chill.

William lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed on her face without blinking.

Soon, Evelyn finished treating the last scrape, tossed the cotton swab into the medical kit's trash bag, and said flatly, "Done."

Just as she was about to get up, he gently pressed down on her wrist.

Evelyn looked up and met William's deep eyes, which were filled with emotions she couldn't read.

He sighed, his face full of guilt. "I'm sorry. I got you into this mess. I was supposed to take you to dinner, but instead you ran into this and got hurt."

"It has nothing to do with you. You're a victim too," Evelyn said calmly.

"But you got into trouble because you were with me." William's tone was heavy, his gaze falling on her wound. "I even got you hurt."

Evelyn glanced down at her wound, frowned slightly, and said dismissively, "It's just a minor injury, no big deal."

William frowned, about to say something more, but Evelyn changed the subject. "What are you going to do with these people?"

Hearing this, William's gaze fell on the assassins, his eyes turning cold.

"I'll have someone clean them up."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, having no objection.

Soon, William made a phone call. After hanging up, he looked at Evelyn with concern.

"It's getting late. Let me take you home first."

Evelyn furrowed her brow. "You're in no condition to drive right now. I'll do it."

With that, she went straight to the driver's seat.

William paused slightly at her action, then obediently got into the passenger seat.

The car drove smoothly into the Brown Mansion's garage, with Evelyn deliberately avoiding all bumps.

After parking, just as William was about to speak, the lights at the entrance came on.

Willow happened to see William and Evelyn together and looked somewhat surprised. She came out with a smile. "Evelyn, you're here. Come in and sit for a while."

As Willow was about to approach, William's heart tightened. He instinctively turned slightly, facing Willow with his uninjured right shoulder, subtly blocking Evelyn while keeping his tone natural. "Mom, Evelyn has things to do. We shouldn't take up her time."

Evelyn immediately caught on, nodded lightly, her expression calm. "Aunt Willow, no need to trouble yourself. I have things to handle at home and need to head back."

Willow looked at William, then at Evelyn. She didn't insist and smiled warmly. "Alright then. Come visit the Brown Mansion again next time."

"Okay," Evelyn replied flatly.

Afraid that staying longer might reveal his injury, William nodded lightly. "I'll walk you to the door."

The two walked out of the garage together, both tactfully not mentioning the injuries.

The Taylor family's car was already waiting by the roadside.

Evelyn opened the car door, turned to look at him, her tone light but with a hint of instruction. "Remember to apply the medicine on time, don't move your left shoulder much, and keep it dry."

William felt warmth in his chest, a gentle smile appearing in his eyes as he replied softly, "I know. Drive safely, and text me when you get home."

Evelyn didn't say more, just nodded and bent down to get into the car.

The taxi slowly drove away. William remained standing there, watching the direction where the car disappeared, the tenderness in his eyes growing deeper.

Only after the car was completely out of sight did he slowly withdraw his gaze and turn back to the Brown Mansion.

The next morning, as soon as William arrived at the office, Chase placed a stack of project proposals on his desk.

"Mr. Brown, this is the Elysian Valley Retreat development project for your review."

He casually flipped it open and discovered that the most valuable thing about this resort wasn't the land or scenery, but the natural high-altitude mineral spring hidden in the mountains. The spring water was rich in rare nutrients, and the area around the spring was covered with wild plants beneficial to health.

William's eyes brightened almost imperceptibly. He immediately had a plan in mind. Looking up at Chase, he said, "I'll personally handle this project."

Chase froze on the spot, as if he'd heard something unbelievable.

The Brown Group had so many projects, and every single one was handled by teams. William only made final decisions and never got directly involved. Yet today, he wanted to personally oversee a resort project?

He opened his mouth, unable to hold back. "Mr. Brown, you'll handle it personally? Should I first get the team ready..."

"No need." William interrupted him, tapping his finger lightly on the line about the mineral spring in the document, his expression determined. "Prepare a detailed project proposal. I'm taking it to discuss a partnership with Vitalis Pharmaceuticals."

Chase was even more confused. "Vitalis Pharmaceuticals? With a resort..."

"Strange?" William looked up at him, his tone matter-of-fact. "They're a pharmaceutical company. The resort has high-altitude mineral springs and large areas of rare medicinal plants. Later-stage maintenance, development, and compliance testing all require professional pharmaceutical companies."

He paused, the corner of his lips curving up almost imperceptibly before quickly suppressing it. "The Brown Group develops it, and Vitalis provides professional support. Win-win. Just do as I say."

Only then did Chase understand, nodding quickly. "Yes, Mr. Brown. I'll prepare it right away!"

Watching Chase's retreating figure, William withdrew his gaze and returned to the document. Then, without any hesitation, he picked up his phone and directly called Evelyn.

The phone rang a few times before she answered, her voice clear and light, with the calm tone of someone at work. "Hello?"

"It's me, William." He spoke, trying to make his tone sound like business talk, without any personal emotion. "I have a project for Elysian Valley Retreat. There's a high-altitude mineral spring there, with quite a few wild herbs around it. I'd like to discuss it with you."

Evelyn paused, her heart stirring slightly. Mineral spring? Vitalis Pharmaceuticals was currently developing high-end medicinal water and medical skincare products, and they needed exactly this kind of natural, unpolluted water source. She hadn't expected the opportunity to come right to her door.

She didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "What do you want to say?"

William heard the interest in her tone, and his heart quietly relaxed, though his expression remained composed. "I'm personally overseeing this project. I'd like to invite you to come with me to the site for an on-site inspection of the mineral spring's water quality. If it's suitable, the Brown Group and Vitalis Pharmaceuticals can work together directly. We can collaborate on water source maintenance and herb utilization going forward."

He actually felt a bit uncertain, afraid Evelyn would refuse outright, since their relationship had always been neither close nor distant. But he was also confident that, given Vitalis Pharmaceuticals' current needs, she couldn't possibly pass up such good resources.

Sure enough, Evelyn barely thought about it before agreeing immediately. "Okay, when are we going?"

A barely noticeable smile flashed in William's eyes as he said in a low voice, "Tomorrow morning. I'll pick you up at the Taylor Mansion. It's just over an hour's drive."