Chapter 126: Keeping Your Distance
Joshua had spent over a decade at Maggie's side, yet he'd never once managed to figure out what went on in her head.
Now, hearing Andrew put it that way, it did make sense. After a moment's consideration, he asked, "So what do you think Maggie's really after with this gala?"
"Who knows?"
Andrew took a sip of his wine. If even Joshua—who'd been raised by Maggie—couldn't read her, how was he supposed to, having never even met her face to face?
Whatever Maggie's endgame was, he'd have to go to the gala and ask her himself.
"Sophia will be there too," he said out of nowhere.
Hearing that name, Joshua visibly froze for a moment, as if some long-buried memory had suddenly resurfaced.
He hadn't seen Sophia since their high school graduation ceremony five years ago.
They'd both stayed in Emerald City for college. Their universities were only separated by a single street. Yet somehow, they'd never run into each other.
He could only keep tabs on her through social media.
Unfortunately, she wasn't the type to overshare her life online. The only posts she made were during holidays—group photos with her family at dinner gatherings.
Was she really going to show up at this gala?
Andrew studied Joshua's expression thoughtfully, understanding something without spelling it out. After a long pause, he spoke again. "It's not just Vertex Innovations Group. Cloud Group received an invitation too."
Maggie harbored deep hostility toward the Smith family. If she was only bringing him to Silverlight City, there was a decent chance she planned to take him out of the picture.
Without him, the Smith Group's bankruptcy would be inevitable.
But Sophia—who'd severed all ties with the Smith family—had also received an invitation. And then there was Michael, who was close to Sophia.
Of the major players in Emerald City, only these three had received invitations from Rainbow Bridge Foundation. The whole thing was getting more suspicious by the minute.
Joshua lowered his gaze, deep in thought. He couldn't figure out what Maggie was plotting either. "Lately she keeps asking me if I can dig up any info on when Emily's coming back to the country. I'm guessing she's got a backup plan beyond just the gala."
After finishing his steak, Andrew set down his knife and fork and drained his wine glass. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
He used to be clueless about how to care for John and Sophia, which had created some tension in their relationships.
Ever since Sophia left Smith Manor and repeatedly refused to come with him, he'd started reflecting on what it meant to be a real brother.
He'd thought he'd lost his chance to change, but then Joshua came back into his life. He wanted to try bringing Joshua back to his side without letting him get hurt in the process.
So whatever Maggie had planned, he'd face it head-on.
The next day, Bruce scheduled lunch with Evelyn during her break at a restaurant across from the private hospital where she worked.
Evelyn was stunned. Her longtime idol in interior design was now sitting right across from her, and they were having lunch alone—it almost looked like a date.
"Take a look and see what you'd like." Bruce handed her the menu.
Evelyn thanked him and took it, flipping through the pages.
Bruce seized the opportunity to study the woman sitting across from him.
She really was beautiful. Her features took after her father Ray—softer and more delicate than Sophia's sharper, more striking looks.
Evelyn glanced up, catching his gaze. Bruce smiled and quickly took a sip of his coffee, feeling a bit flustered.
Staring at someone like that wasn't exactly polite.
After they'd ordered, Evelyn also took a sip of her coffee, trying to mask the unfamiliar nervousness building inside her. She struggled to find a conversation starter.
She wasn't good at talking to men, especially not when that man was Bruce—someone she'd admired for years. Just sitting here calmly drinking coffee was taking all the composure she could muster.
Since Bruce was the one who'd asked her out, he naturally couldn't let things get awkward. He broke the ice. "Sorry for asking you out so suddenly. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
Evelyn shook her head, her smile soft. "Not at all. I'm actually kind of honored. I've been a fan of your work since I turned twenty. Your color schemes are so innovative, and your layouts are unique. Remember that home renovation show you were on? I watched that episode so many times. The way you utilized vertical space in the design—it was incredible!"
She paused, suddenly self-conscious. "Sorry, am I... talking too much?"
"No, no!" Bruce waved his hands quickly, relief washing over him. "Sophia told me you were kind of introverted, so I was worried you might feel uncomfortable. But hearing you say all that actually put me at ease. Feel free to talk as much as you want—just don't think I'm too chatty later."
Evelyn laughed lightly. She had indeed heard Sophia complain about Bruce being a chatterbox. His words swept away much of her nervousness.
Seeing her relax, Bruce figured it was a good time to get to the point.
He eased into it with a casual question. "You're so pretty and talented—I bet you've got plenty of colleagues at the hospital who want to ask you out, right?"
Evelyn's smile faded slightly, her eyes flickering with hesitation. "Actually, it's been pretty frustrating. A lot of guys show interest, but it always feels like they're approaching me with an agenda. They never actually consider my feelings or what I want. I don't think that counts as pursuing someone—it's more like harassment."
Bruce stared at Evelyn in silence for a moment. He was starting to understand what Sophia meant by "Evelyn's kind of reserved." It wasn't that she was quiet—it was that Evelyn was too earnest, almost rigid in her seriousness.
She didn't know how to turn down unwanted male attention. She wasn't good at expressing herself clearly. So when people were overly friendly with her, she didn't know how to navigate the situation, and their enthusiasm just became another source of stress—which she labeled as harassment.
Realizing this, Bruce couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my god, you're adorable!"
Evelyn looked confused. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No, no!"
Bruce waved his hands again, still chuckling. His chest shook with laughter.
"Of course they're approaching you with an agenda—they want to date you! That's literally the whole point. But you're also right—if they're not considering your feelings and just pestering you without reading the room, that's definitely harassment. It's totally normal that you don't like it.
"Look, I'm an interior designer and I deal with these jerks all the time. They think money gives them the right to be disrespectful. They micromanage everything when they don't know what they're talking about, always bragging about their job titles, expecting me to be grateful for their business. I shut that down real quick—tell them off and show them the door. They don't come back.
"You need to do the same. These persistent guys won't get the message if you keep being polite to them. You've got to keep your distance and not give them any encouragement."