Chapter 13

The car door slammed shut.

Evelyn Laurent sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her face icy.

"I don't acknowledge this engagement." She stared straight ahead, her voice sharp as frost. "I don't need a fiancé."

Ethan Sullivan's long fingers rested on the steering wheel. He chuckled softly.

"Your mother seemed to think otherwise just now."

Evelyn whirled to face him.

Her amber eyes burned with scorn.

"Didn't Mr. Sullivan declare he didn't need a fiancée?" Her red lips curved mockingly. "How easily 'your mother' rolls off your tongue now."

Ethan started the car with deliberate calm.

"Family arrangements take time to undo." His tone was mild, but his gaze remained glacial. "This isn't the moment."

The temperature in the car plummeted.

Evelyn studied him through narrowed eyes.

Unfazed, Ethan withdrew a document from his inner jacket pocket and handed it to her.

"Read this."

Evelyn flipped through the pages, fingertips brushing the paper.

The terms were clear—Ethan needed a decoy while searching for someone long missing. One million monthly, ten billion upon termination.

She scoffed and signed without hesitation.

"Deal."

Surprise flickered in Ethan's eyes.

"No questions?"

Evelyn tossed the contract back.

"Mutual benefit." She adjusted her cuffs carelessly. "Saves me from other arranged matches."

The car descended into The Grand Hyatt's underground garage.

Meanwhile, at the service entrance.

"Stay sharp!" Mr. Liu snapped impatiently. "You're lucky to get in at all."

Vincent Lowell bowed obsequiously. "We won't cause any trouble, sir."

Behind him, Brandon kicked aside a mop in disgust.

"Dad, we're really doing janitor work?"

"Quiet!" Vincent hissed. "Tonight's crowd is elite. One connection could change everything!"

Sophia Lowell touched up her lipstick, pulse racing.

This was high society!

The elevator doors slid shut.

Margaret Hill gasped suddenly.

"I thought I saw—"

"Impossible." Brandon snorted. "No way Evelyn Laurent would be here."

Vincent shook his head firmly. "That country bumpkin couldn't even get past the front gates."

But Sophia stared at the closing elevator, pensive.

That man... he looked familiar.

In the VIP corridor, crystal chandeliers bathed the hallway in light.

Evelyn's heels clicked sharply against marble.

"Clever play, Mr. Sullivan." Her voice cut the silence. "Avoiding marriage while pacifying the elders."

Ethan paused mid-step.

"Likewise." He turned slightly. "Miss Laurent gets her peace too, no?"

They exchanged smiles—each hiding calculations.

The ballroom loomed ahead.

Suddenly, Evelyn tensed.

She glanced back. The hallway stood empty.

"Something wrong?" Ethan asked.

"Nothing." She faced forward again. "Just my imagination."

Around the corner, in a service closet, Sophia clamped a hand over her mouth, heart pounding.

It was Evelyn!

And that man beside her—the head of Sullivan Group!