Chapter 69: Can't Fall for Another Man

Avery ignores Evan and takes a sip of the soup on the table to purge the bitterness. Then she wipes her mouth with a napkin, forks a piece of steak and feeds it to Evan. He eats it without hesitation, pleased that Avery is feeding him again. Avery immediately drops her fork, picks up her phone and takes a photo of Evan.

Evan quickly tries to seize the phone, but Avery stands up and hides it behind her back. The steak is flavored with cracked black pepper and Avery intentionally rubbed it against Evan's lips when she fed him. A speck of pepper sits awkwardly on his lip in the photo. 

Avery promised to take 72 photos of Evan. She's decided that if she has to play his game, she'll make every photo fantastically embarrassing. She knows Evan wants them posted online, and she hopes that the pictures will damage his reputation. At the very least, she's eager for all of the wealthy girls who fawn over him to see the difference between their dream-man and reality.

Avery knows her tricks won't evade Evan's attention forever. Evan licks the pepper from his lip and gazes at her. She checks her phone—even with the pepper on his lip, he still looks dignified. He stands up tall and straight, pushes his chair away and wraps one arm around her waist. Calmly, he escorts her from the restaurant.

Back at the Howel house, David waits in the living room. A piece of black cloth covers a square shape on the table. Upon closer inspection, Avery can see that the small box is shaking slightly.

"Mr. Howel," David greets Evan and looks significantly at the box covered in cloth.

"Please escort Mrs. Howel back to her bedroom," Evan orders.

The servants take Avery away and Evan and David walk to Evan's private study. David places the box on the desk and takes the black cloth off, revealing a metal cage filled with wood shavings.

Two white mice scurry back and forth in the cage, terrified by the motion of their cage and the sudden brightness. Though they run frantically, they stay side by side as if they can't bear to be separated.

"I've fed Dr.Meyer's contraceptive pills to these mice," David explains, "The unidentified ingredient hasn't caused them any sort of harm. Rather the effect is quite odd. One is a male and one is a female, and the ingredient seems to have made them closer."

Evan glares at the mice as if they are to blame for the ingredient in Charles' pills.

"Based on the initial blood work, it seems that the ingredient has stimulated several hormones," David says, "If you want more detailed information, I'm afraid I'll have to send the samples out to a laboratory with more advanced equipment."

"Can you explain to me in simple English?" Evan asks with irritation.

"Umm, the hormones stimulated would cause the mice to experience certain urges more strongly," David says awkwardly, "In humans, these urges would be the same, but might be interpreted as more um, amorous feelings."

Evan glares icily at the cage and fiddles with the lighter in his hand.

"I want the most accurate report possible," he says, "You have seven days."

Evan knows that his grandfather and Charles' grandfather made a pact to ensure harmony between the families. He knows he can't act against Charles without substantial evidence against the other man. In addition to the pact, Charles is his grandfather's personal doctor and the old man seems to genuinely like him. However, Evan can't help but feel that Charles is really asking for it

Evan is so enraged he feels capable of murder. If Charles were in the room, Evan would throttle him. Though the desk separates David and Evan, David can't help but feel Evan's burning rage. The doctor inadvertently takes a step backward.

"Okay," he says, grabbing the cage and rushing from the room.

Avery curls up on the sofa in her bedroom and texts Charles about the disaster at the hotel.

"That man is Dean Meyer's old friend. He's a trustworthy person. Why does he have anything to do with Leonie?" Charles texts.

Charles is frustrated and upset. He didn't expect Leonie to meddle with the sale, and he has no idea how Leonie got to know his father's friend. He feels disappointed in himself for underestimating her, and he wishes he'd checked the details more carefully before telling Avery about the opportunity.

"Tell me honestly," Avery texts, "Did you know that Leonie was behind all of this?

"Of course not," Charles replies, "That man represents an independent company. He doesn't have a boss and rarely accepts business partners. It's my fault though. I should have asked more questions and been more careful."

"It's not your fault," Avery texts.

"I know it's too little too late, but I want to apologize and make it up to you," Charles writes, "Money is not a problem for me. Can I offer you a loan?"

"You've already helped me in many ways," Avery replies, "This time I'll figure something out on my own."

Charles reads Avery's message. He anticipated her stubbornness and pride, but he's frustrated by her refusal. Though he admires her independence, he wants to be able to help her.

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Thunder rumbles ominously in the distance, and a flash of lightning suddenly illuminates the room. A dark shadow appears over the sofa, and Avery turned around startled to see Evan towering over her.

"Christ, is he always so sneaky when he enters a room?" she thinks.

"Who are you texting?" Evan asks.

He looks absolutely livid. He's just found out about the pills, and now he walks in on Avery messaging someone. He immediately suspects it's Charles.

"Does she have any idea that he's drugging her?" Evan wonders.

He feels his rage building in his chest, and he imagines all the different ways he could have Charles killed.

"I asked you a question: who are you texting?" Evan repeats.

Evan feels his blood boiling out of control and he leans down and snatches her phone. Avery pales and reaches for the phone.

"No! Don't look at my phone!" she screams.

Evan ignores her and raises the phone to eye level.

"You're violating my privacy. Give it back!" she protests.

He looks at her recent messages, but there's nothing there.

"Do you delete the messages?" he asks.

"I was browsing the internet," she says, "I wasn't talking to anyone."

In the past, she would have admitted to texting Charles just to upset Evan. She knows he's especially sensitive about her interactions with Charles. However, she doesn't want to wind him up as she's planning her escape—she doesn't need to draw any additional attention to herself. She knows that the more she enrages him, the more obsessed he becomes with subduing her. She bites her tongue and tries to control her temper.

"I don't believe you," Evan says with a snarl.

He grabs Avery from the sofa and roughly throws her onto the bed. Avery looks up at the demon standing over her, and trembles with rage and fear. Evan becomes terrifyingly angry every time Charles appears in their lives, and she can only guess at how he'll enact his rage on her.

Avery clutches the sheet tightly and stared helplessly at her phone in his hands. She reminds herself once again that she can't afford any more trouble with Evan before she leaves. She swallows her anger and tries to arrange her face in a calm expression, but Evan takes her silence as guilt and becomes even angrier.

He grabs her jaw with his hand, "Is he the reason you're trying to divorce me?"

"No!" Avery whispers.

She knows that Evan becomes extra possessive where Charles is concerned, and she wants him to calm down. She gazes calmly into his eyes.

"It's not about him," she says.

"Then who is this about?"

Though Evan often goes into rages, Avery has never seen him so wild with anger before. She wonders what has gotten into him, and she tries to calm him.

"It's about me," she said in a low voice.

"Is she still protecting Charles?" Evan thinks, enraged.

Evan looks at her like a wolf. His eyes seem to glint yellow in the dim room, and she can't shake the impression that he's hungry for blood. He knows he could forgive her almost anything—he could even bear it if she didn't love him. But he refuses to allow her to fall for another man.

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