"Yes, boss," Liam said carefully. "A living, breathing man. Not a ghost or an illusion. He’s real. And he’s sitting right next to Madam."
Axel rose from his chair and walked to the floor-to-ceiling glass wall.
The city stretched out beneath him like a chessboard. He rested his free hand in his pocket, then asked, "Who is he?"
"Boss, I did not want to pry. Privacy and all that."
"Liam."
"Right, right. Sorry. I heard Madam call the man ’Oscar.’"
The name landed in Axel’s ears like a dropped coin.
Oscar. The same name that had once shown up in Evelyn’s phone with a heart emoji beside it.
The memory stabbed him deeply. He closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled, forcing the thought away.
’Man, be rational. Stop being so melancholic! You need to trust her," Axel sternly told his mind to calm his nerves. ’He is her only friend. Yes, friend!’
"She let him into the car? Just like that?" Axel finally asked, trying to keep his tone calm.
"Well... he did not exactly ask for permission," Liam admitted. "He waved, she laughed, said, ’Oh, that’s Oscar,’ and the door opened. It was very casual."
Silent.
Axel didn’t say anything, but his gaze clearly revealed how worried and jealous he was, even though he worked hard to tell himself that Oscar was only her friend. Nothing more.
Then, Liam cleared his throat.
"Boss, they are having lunch in the Hill area, Tomahawk. Do you want me to follow them inside? I’m in the car now," he explained without being asked.
Axel sighed silently before a dangerous smile flashed on his lips.
It was not an angry smile. It was a small, controlled smile that said he trusted Evelyn’s choices but wouldn’t tolerate risks.
"No tail," he said slowly. "Just make sure she is guarded. Do not let any reporter or paparazzi get within thirty meters of her. If you can’t do that alone, call the others."
"Yes, sir." Liam’s voice was immediate, relieved.
"If anyone gets close, handle it quietly and professionally. Understood?"
"Understood, boss."
He finished the call and paused for a moment, gazing at the city. Pride and a slight sense of possessiveness tugged at him equally.
Then he turned back to his desk before dismissing Dylan to continue his work.
...
While in the luxury restaurant in the Hill area.
Inside one of the velvet-lined VIP rooms, Evelyn and Oscar sat across from each other, waiting for their food.
A bottle of chilled sparkling water sat between them.
"So," Oscar began, adjusting his glasses and flashing a sly grin. "Everything’s going according to plan."
"Really?"
"Yeah," he said proudly. "Your family has become famous now."
"They were already famous," she shot back dryly. "Infamous, maybe. Ugh, I haven’t even checked the internet yet."
She reached for her phone, but Oscar’s hand darted out to stop her.
"Don’t bother," he said, chuckling. "I’ve already done the stalking for you. The news about the board meeting results is everywhere, on every major site, and even on the television news. The world now knows that the great Walters Group has been shaken to its core."
He leaned back, grinning with satisfaction.
"Oh, and Joseph published the official announcement exactly as per your draft. A masterpiece, if I may say so."
Evelyn rolls her eyes.
"Come on, that’s only a simple draft. I wanted to humiliate them more, but I held back from being rude and sounding angry. Although William Walters deserves it, but no, I won’t fall to William Walters’ evilness."
Evelyn quietly sipped her water, the glass cool against her lips as she silently listened to Oscar’s following report about the media chaos out there.
Now and then, a small smile crept in, especially when Oscar’s voice turned sarcastic as he cursed William Walters and his ever-graceful mistress, Lana Scott.
Oscar wasn’t just her partner-in-crime. He was also her favorite chaos machine.
"Wait... let’s check what’s trending right now," he said suddenly, pulling out his tablet from his bag. His grin widened as the screen lit up.
"Ha! Look at this! Walters Group has taken over the top headlines. They even knocked that bastard Lewis Harrison off the number-one spot."
The name made Evelyn’s faint smile vanish.
"Can you not mention that man?"
She rubbed her temple, looking distressed.
"Every time I hear his name, my brain flashes back to his half-naked, sweaty, disgusting body. It’s like a curse."
Oscar burst out laughing.
"I’m serious!" she snapped, though her tone was half exasperated, half amused. "I feel like I’ve been traumatized. I close my eyes, and boom...there he is, all... hairy and tragic."
She shuddered dramatically before downing the rest of her drink in one gulp.
"Sorry, sorry," Oscar said between chuckles, raising both hands in surrender. "I didn’t realize the ghost of Shirtless Harrison still haunted you."
"Ghost?" she hissed. "More like a walking nightmare."
Oscar grinned.
"Okay. Enough. Let’s change the topic before I lose my appetite." Evelyn took a deep sigh. "Tell me...why did you fake that reporter and paparazzi ambush me?"
Instead of answering, he smirked.
"Can’t you guess?"
Evelyn narrowed her eyes.
"Oscar," she said, her tone warning. "If I have to guess one more of your genius schemes, I’m billing you for emotional damage. Just tell me."
"This," he began calmly, "is your moment to deliver a BANG! A headline that will become trending for a week: ’The Return of the Walter Group Heiress!’"
"W-What? You faked a media ambush... to give me a dramatic entrance?"
"Exactly!" he said, beaming like a proud director.
She stared at him for several long seconds with her deadpan expression.
"Why?" he asked nervously, his grin faltering. "You don’t believe me? Or you don’t like it?"
Evelyn sighed and leaned back, her eyes still fixed on him.
"Tell me the REAL reason, Oscar."
"You don’t like the spotlight?" he asked, with his eyebrow slightly raised.
"Oh, please." Her lips twitched into a knowing smile. "I do like your idea. But I also know you... There’s always a secondary plan under your plan, right?"
Oscar chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Well... fine. You got me."