In the dark balcony

"Your daughter has grown to be a beautiful lady, Cressida," Esme praised one of her friends who were surrounding her and Evan.

Evan noticed the suggestive look his mother gave him. His face didn't show any hint of interest. He didn't want to attend the party, but he also didn't want to dishearten his mother. After all, it was a grand party she hosted in one of their hotels.

"What happened to Evan was a shock. I'm sorry about it, Esme."

Esme's lips curled down, not pleased that her son's failed engagement was brought up. What happened a week ago was still a headache to her, and she didn't want to talk about it.

"It was indeed a shock, but I understand the child. She is young and fickle. She must not be ready for marriage, and we respect that."

While Esme talked with the older ladies, Evan discreetly slipped away from the group.

Some ladies blocked his way to greet him while others kept their distance, intimidated.

Evan didn't take long with the ladies and only exchanged pleasantries. He went to the table where most of his young male acquaintances were. He grabbed a drink.

"Has Mrs. Mori chosen your next bride, Evan?"

Most of the men at the table chuckled while the others smiled. Evan just shook his head.

"It's obvious that this party is meant for you to mingle with the ladies so you can find your perfect bride."

Perfect bride. The words were ridiculous to Evan. Such a perfect bride didn't exist because, in the first place, he didn't want marriage. He didn't want a wife.

"Thankfully, my mom doesn't care much about me, so I don't have someone nagging me to get married."

"Oh, by the way, Evan, I heard Ryle is back. Have you seen him?"

"No," came Evan's short reply.

Sipping on his wine, his eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of honey blonde hair. The woman was in a far corner, talking to Luke Bailey, someone he knew from his business circle.

Just a couple of seconds later, Evan's eyes narrowed.

Despite the wig and the heavy makeup, Evan recognized Allie from the side view of her face and the way she smirked wickedly at Luke. It was obvious that the wicked woman was enjoying a private joke or having funny thoughts that she chose to keep to herself.

Why is she here? The question popped into Evan's mind, wondering what business the woman had there.

Another job? He knew Redlip offered a variety of services.

Meanwhile, Allie was satisfied with the information she was getting from Luke. Indeed, the man knew almost every girl at the party. She was smooth with her questions, only hinting at her curiosity and not arousing suspicion. Luke made fishing for information easy. He was outspoken and wanted to impress Allie.

Once Allie sensed that Luke was beginning to ask more about her, she knew it was time to leave. She couldn't leave many traces, and she didn't intend to see the man again anyway.

She excused herself, saying she would find her friend. It was half-truth since she hadn't seen Chloe since Ron went after her.

She walked away, looking around. But she didn't see her friend. She thought of calling her later, thinking that Chloe must be with her husband at the moment.

With a glass of wine she had picked up along the way, Allie went to the balcony of the hotel, where it was dimly lit and had no people around.

She wanted to take a breath for a moment and continue looking for wife prospects after finishing her drink. At the moment, she had two strong candidates, but she wasn't sure if Evan would like them.

"What are you doing here hiding in the dark?"

The voice was low and dark, barely sounding like a question.

Allie immediately turned her head when she heard the voice from behind. Everyone was busy inside, chattering and laughing. She didn't expect someone would go onto the dark balcony like what she did.

But what was more unexpected was that it wasn't just a random person but Evan Mori.

Evan stared at the woman in front of him. Although almost unrecognizable as Allison Gray, he could still see the green-eyed woman beneath the façade. The way she shot him a deadly glare was more than enough proof of who she was.

"You look…" his gaze swept her swiftly from head to toe, his eyes mischievous, "stunning, Miss Gray."

Evan's taunting tone made Allie's eyes squint.

"Another side hustle of yours?"

"That's none of your business, Mr. Mori."

"You seem so busy. May I remind you that you only have a few days left to present wife prospects to me."

"I didn't forget that, don't worry."

He smiled devilishly, as if he was enjoying infuriating her. It annoyed Allie more. Was there not a single interesting thing at the party that he was seeking entertainment from her?