Everett initially wanted to explain, but after observing her for a moment, he simply nodded.

"I get it."

A simple response—no probing, no justification, no added complications.

He took a sip of his coffee and, when he set it down, returned to his distant, polite demeanor: "It's getting late. Let me drive you home."

Evelyn reflexively wanted to decline. "No, really, it's fine—I can just call a—"

"Evelyn," Everett interrupted with gentle firmness, "it wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to let a lady find her own way home after running late on my dinner invitation. Please, let me make up for it."

His calm gaze left Evelyn no room to argue.

"...Alright, then. Thank you."

As the car left The Gardens, it was nearing ten o'clock.

Evelyn rented a place on the city outskirts, about seven and a half miles from the school, in a suburban neighborhood. The GPS indicated it would be a forty-minute ride, and while Everett said nothing, he adjusted the temperature for her comfort.

The car was silent, save for the occasional GPS directions. Evelyn leaned back in her seat, watching the city lights fade as tall buildings turned into smaller houses and wide streets narrowed into lanes.

As they turned onto Dexter Avenue, the road became a two-lane street, bustling with food stalls lining the sides, and electric bikes and shared bicycles scattered at the intersections. The Bentley struggled to crawl through the traffic.

Out of the corner of her eye, Evelyn looked at Everett.

With one hand on the wheel, his fingers were tapping in time with the rhythm of the traffic. There was no sign of frustration on his face.

"Maybe you should stop here?" She gestured ahead. "I can walk the rest of the way. It's narrow, and if a bike were to scratch the car..."

She left the latter part unspoken, but the implication was clear—she couldn't afford to compensate for damage to such an expensive car.

Everett glanced at her, a subtle smile in his eyes. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Evelyn was at a loss for words. It wasn't his driving she doubted. But there was no explaining that, so she turned her gaze back out the window.

They navigated through the food street and turned down a couple more alleys before arriving near her apartment.

From a distance, Evelyn immediately noticed the white Maybach, its pristine body gleaming under a streetlamp and drawing frequent glances from passersby.

Leaning against the car was someone smoking. Even from behind, she recognized who it was.

Evelyn's expression instantly turned cold.

What an unwelcome sight.

"Mr. Scott," she took a deep breath, her grip tight on the seatbelt, "this alley makes it hard to turn around. Please drop me here. Thank you for today."

Her words were rushed, as if she was desperate to leave.

Everett remained in place, simply following her gaze.

The person by the Maybach seemed to notice something, stubbing out the cigarette underfoot and striding toward them.

Evelyn's breath caught, and she instinctively reached for the door handle—only to find it locked.

She turned back to meet Everett's steady gaze.

His expression was calm, his voice gentle: "Do you need my help?"

A strange emotion stirred within Evelyn, like someone had given her a supportive nudge, offering her strength.

Yet she still shook her head.

"No, you've done more than enough for me today."

Seeing her determination, Everett didn't push further.

Evelyn opened the door, grabbed her phone from the console, and scrolled through her contacts to make a call.

Outside, Owen Morgan had already arrived.

Seeing Evelyn step out of a luxury car, his gaze turned dark with fury.

"Evelyn, who is he?"

Evelyn tightened her grip on her bag strap, her face a mask of coldness. "It's none of your business, Owen. I've made myself clear—"

Before she could finish, Owen grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward the Bentley.

Evelyn was startled. "Owen! What are you doing?"

Owen ignored her, rapping on the driver's window with his elbow.

"Get out," he growled, arrogance in his eyes. "I want to see who dares to mess with what's mine."

Unable to move him, Evelyn's voice rose in panic. "Stop it! Owen!"

Even though the car's tinted windows revealed nothing of its occupant's expression, Evelyn's mind was blank save for one thought—how would Everett see her now?

Would this gentlemanly man view her with the same disdain her colleagues had?

A deep sadness washed over her, more profound than any previous rumors about her.

As Evelyn contemplated what to do about Owen, a sudden ringtone interrupted them—they paused as Owen answered his phone impatiently: "What is it?"

Evelyn could faintly hear phrases like "investor pulled out" and "handle the situation."

"Got it."

Annoyed, Owen kicked the tire and turned back to Evelyn.

Instinctively, she stepped back, but not wanting to seem weak in Everett's presence, she straightened her spine and met Owen's gaze defiantly.

Her look was like a cat with its hackles raised.

Owen's mood soured further at seeing her recoil as if he were something vile.

He reached out, grabbing her chin with force.

"I have business at the company, but I'll be back."

With mock tenderness, he brushed a stray hair from her face, though his words were chilling.

"Evelyn, be smart. I like things to be neat, and I don't want anyone touching what's mine. I've already spread the word—no one messes with me in Manchester, so don't bother trying."

Evelyn pushed him away with all her strength, her eyes reddening, though she stubbornly held back her tears.

From the moment Owen began this harassment, she knew he wasn't genuinely fond of her.

The young heir of the Morgan family, Owen was attractive, with a thriving career and a string of successes in relationships. Yet he had hit a snag with Evelyn, and his pride wouldn't let him admit defeat, driving him to subdue her at all costs.

In his eyes, her appeal lay in her purity—untainted, a blank canvas.

If she were to become tarnished, would he lose interest?

With that thought, Evelyn met Owen's possessive gaze and suddenly smiled.

"Owen, let me be honest. The person who just dropped me off is my fiancé."

Owen's smirk froze.

"My fiancé is easy-going and doesn't want trouble, but if you push me, we'll both regret it."

In the night, Owen's expression was unreadable, but the air around them seemed to still briefly.

A moment later, he scoffed in disdain.

"So you think dodging me was clever? You've just swapped one mistake for another."

He leaned closer, his voice bitter.

"Even if you do have some fiancé, what does that change? I can make him vanish without a trace."

Owen savored her startled expression, glanced at his watch, and finally stepped back.

As he left, he cast a disdainful glance at the Bentley, unmoved throughout the scene, and snorted again.

Unbeknownst to him, Everett remained in the car, observing with a placid gaze, his phone screen still on the call log.

Only after Owen left did Evelyn muster the courage to look back at the vehicle parked by the curb.

The window slowly rolled down, revealing Everett's flawlessly composed profile.

Evelyn bent slightly, feeling embarrassed. "Mr. Scott, I'm really sorry about earlier."

Just thinking of Owen’s erratic behavior gave her a headache.

Everett's voice was calm, unaffected.

"He's no issue for me. But it's late, you should get some rest."

Evelyn silently exhaled in relief, managing a weak smile. "Mr. Scott, you should head home too. Really, thank you for everything today."

Thank you for dinner, for the ride home, for not escalating the situation by stepping out.

"Let's exchange contact information." Everett extended his phone toward her.

"If you ever need assistance, feel free to reach out."

Evelyn hesitated, then instinctively scanned the code to add him.

Once home, her phone lit up.

[Sleep well, goodnight.]

Seeing the message, Evelyn hugged a pillow, burying her face deeply into it.

She needed money—a lot of it.

Her sister's medical expenses were a bottomless pit, and despite years of working tirelessly and saving, it was barely enough to cover the costs.

Additionally, she needed a secure relationship to escape Owen's harassment.

Everett's offer was undeniably tempting.

He promised to resolve all her issues, asking only that she play the role of his nominal wife, dealing with family pressures to marry.

Mutually beneficial, with no debts between them.

In theory, she had everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Yet, for reasons she couldn't articulate, something within her resisted reaching out to him.

Unlike the Morgan family's inherited wealth,

The Scott family in London stood at society's pinnacle.

And Evelyn Howard, with her humble status and ailing sister to support—what right did she have to get involved with someone like Everett Scott, an epitome of grace and privilege?

The phone buzzed again with its familiar vibration.

Evelyn Howard picked it up to find a notification from the clinic reminding her about unpaid bills. She stared at the figures for a while before pressing the phone to her chest and closing her eyes.

The next morning, Evelyn was jolted awake by her alarm. Rubbing her eyes, she reached for her phone and instinctively opened Twitter. As she refreshed her feed, her eyes widened in disbelief.

The trending list was inexplicably empty. Any mention of her was wiped clean from the public space. She tried searching with several keywords but came up empty. Even yesterday's post, which had been retweeted over ten thousand times, now displayed "Content Deleted" when she clicked on it.

Evelyn sat on her bed, stunned for a while. Could Owen Morgan have removed the posts? Unlikely, since he had been the one to create the buzz in the first place. Nothing in his demeanor suggested he would suddenly help clear her reputation.

Could it be... Everett Scott?

Evelyn thought of the man from the car last night, and her grip on the phone tightened. Why would he help her? After all, she had already turned down his proposal. Logically, he should have backed off and kept his distance.

What was his reason for going to such lengths for her?

Though Evelyn couldn't fathom his motives, her fingers were already typing a message of gratitude to Everett.

"Mr. Scott, I appreciate you handling the trending topic."

She believed in acknowledging kindness, no matter the reason behind it.

His reply came swiftly.

"No need to thank me, Ms. Howard. I did it for Clover's sake."

His response gave Evelyn pause. Did he mean he was looking out for Clover, so she wouldn't feel burdened? How could he be so generous? His kindness only intensified her feelings of inadequacy over her small, guilty desires.

Evelyn's phone rang again, the caller ID showing a colleague’s number. She answered to hear Margo Andrews’ urgent voice: "Evelyn, something big has happened!"

Evelyn felt her heart skip a beat. "What happened?"

"I can't explain over the phone; you need to come to the school."

"Alright, I’ll be there right away."

After hanging up, Evelyn took a deep breath and got ready. As long as she wasn’t losing her job, there was a chance to fix things.

Arriving at school, Evelyn pushed the door open to see Margo at her workstation. They had started at the school together and shared a cordial relationship previously. But since Margo expressed jealousy over Owen’s interest in Evelyn, she'd kept her distance.

"Well, look who’s here, our celebrity teacher," Margo drawled as Evelyn entered, a cold smile on her face as she casually tossed Evelyn's lesson plans into the trash.

Though Evelyn had grown accustomed to people’s changing attitudes lately, she couldn't help but be surprised by Margo's sudden shift in behavior.

Suppressing her irritation, Evelyn asked calmly, "What are you doing, Margo?"

With a flick of her hair, Margo smiled sweetly, replying, "The department head reassigned your classes to me, along with this prime desk by the window."

She lazily spun her chair, settling deeper into her smug satisfaction.

"Don’t worry, I didn’t touch your lesson plans. Who knows what secrets might be hidden inside? Wouldn’t want to risk corrupting the students, right?"

Ignoring her sarcasm, Evelyn focused on what mattered. "Did you say the head reassigned my classes?"

"You didn’t know?" Margo feigned shock, covering her mouth in exaggerated surprise. "Well, you've been so busy, you must have missed the announcement."

Evelyn watched her, trying to quell her rising frustration. "Let's stick to the facts."

Margo's grin widened at Evelyn’s calm demeanor.

"The results of this year’s performance ratings were announced. I got a promotion, and you, well—" she drew out the words, a mocking shrug punctuating her statement, "better luck next time."

Evelyn suddenly felt she barely knew her, wondering how people could change so quickly.

"Don’t tell me you think I stole your promotion? Ratings are supposed to reflect merit. You're too busy chasing wealthy suitors to focus on teaching, so who do you have to blame?"

Evelyn stayed silent.

"Did I hit a nerve?" Margo’s voice grew louder, fueled by Evelyn’s stoic response. "You bragged about being pursued by someone affluent daily. Now it’s backfired, you play the victim? Hypocrite!"

Just as Evelyn was about to respond, the department head called her to his office.

The head was blunt, mentioning complaints about her teaching attitude and advising her to rectify it. Evelyn, seeking clarity, pressed for specifics, but he remained vague, suggesting she reflect on her conduct.

Reflect on what, exactly?

Having worked there for three years with stellar evaluations, twice awarded 'Most Liked by Students,’ and consistently leading her class to top three in Math, Evelyn knew her teaching was not the issue.

Leaving the head’s office, she stood in the hallway, letting the cold air quell her anger. Upon returning to the office, she paused outside the door, overhearing laughter from within.

Margo's voice was unmistakably the loudest.

"I used to defend her against those rumors about flirting with students' parents, but yesterday I saw it with my own eyes. She just flung herself into that parent’s arms. How desperate can she be?"

Evelyn stood, her hand hovering over the doorknob, listening.

Another colleague chimed in, "Be careful, she might sue for defamation."

"Defamation? Everything I said was witnessed by plenty. Just ask Margo," she taunted.

Margo remained silent.

"Really? Which parent?" someone questioned.

"That kid Clover's uncle. Handsome, obviously wealthy. He's not interested in her; it's just her acting like a lovestruck fool."

Margo lowered her voice just enough for the eavesdropping Evelyn to hear.

"She’s dreaming of being his girlfriend, without realizing how out of her league she is."

Laughter erupted.

Evelyn took a deep breath and entered the office.

The laughter ceased abruptly.

Margo glanced up with a smirk still frozen on her lips.

Just as Evelyn was about to speak—

"You're lying!" a young voice rang out.

Evelyn turned to see Clover Scott standing at the doorway, her face a mix of anger and tears, her doe-like eyes wide with indignation.

Ignoring Evelyn, Clover barged into the office, standing protectively before her favorite teacher like a fierce little kitten.

"Miss Evelyn hasn’t done anything wrong! You can’t just make things up!"

Margo was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"My, my, Clover, you sure know a lot of big words for such a little girl. Who taught you that?"

She shot Evelyn a mocking glance.

Clover’s face reddened with emotion, her chin raised defiantly. "You’re the bad guys!"

Another colleague, seeing the scene, attempted to intervene, gently tugging Clover’s sleeve. "Clover, this isn’t something for kids to be involved in. Go back to class."

Clover shook them off. "Not leaving until you stop saying bad things about Miss Evelyn!"

Margo snorted, leaning back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Miss Evelyn sure knows how to win people over. Even got the kids wrapped around her finger."

Clover trembled with rage, tears brimming but refusing to fall.

Evelyn stepped forward, cradling the young girl.

"Enough, Margo." Her voice carried a rare chill.

"If you want to keep your job, watch your mouth in front of students."

Margo rolled her eyes, pointedly turning away.

Kneeling, Evelyn gently wiped Clover’s tears, softening her tone. "Listen, Clover, if we get upset over a few mean words, aren’t we just giving them exactly what they want? You’re too smart for that, right?"

Clover sniffled, nodding vigorously.

A colleague stepped in to ease the tension. "Let’s all calm down, okay?"

"This isn’t the place for a spectacle."

Margo chuckled, pretending to immerse herself in lesson planning.

Clover’s anger eventually ebbed, but her resolve remained.

"Why do they say such things when they don’t even know you, Miss Evelyn?"

The March breeze seeped through the hallway, its chill contrasting with the warmth in Clover’s words, words that unexpectedly stung Evelyn’s nose.

Evelyn ruffled the young girl's hair. "Because they don’t understand me, and that’s why they speak wrongly. But you stood up for me because you do understand, and that’s incredibly brave of you. Thank you, Clover."

Clover’s eyes sparkled with pride.

"Does that make me a brave child?"

"Absolutely." Evelyn affirmed with sincerity, "You’re the bravest little warrior."

Clover beamed, throwing her arms around Evelyn, burying her face in her warmth.

"Don’t worry, Miss Evelyn. I’ll find someone to stand up for you!"

Without waiting for a response, Clover scurried away.

Back in her classroom, she discreetly retrieved her smartwatch, sending a voice message to the top contact on her list.

"Uncle Everett! Come quick! Some meanies are picking on Miss Evelyn!"

Just before the school day ended, Evelyn Howard got an unexpected call to a meeting. As she entered the room, she immediately felt something was off. Her colleagues shot her occasional glances, filled with a sense of anticipation, like they were waiting for a storm to hit.

Evelyn sat near the door, placing her lesson plans on her lap, eyes down to avoid meeting anyone's gaze. At the head of the table, Ms. Bennett wore a stern expression, all business. Once everyone was seated, she cleared her throat and surveyed the room, her eyes finally resting on Evelyn.

"We've convened this meeting to address an issue that needs to be handled openly," Ms. Bennettbegan, pausing for effect. "Evelyn, this afternoon, were you involved in an incident with a student in the office, causing them to cry?"

Evelyn looked up, her voice calm yet steady, "I wasn't."

Ms. Bennettfrowned. "There have been complaints that your personal matters are affecting your teaching, and that there was a conflict with a colleague in front of students. Even as a private institution, Westfield International School holds student welfare as paramount. Such behavior isn’t acceptable."

Evelyn got it instantly—someone had complained about her. She laid her lesson plans aside but kept her cool. "Actually, today in the office, some colleagues were gossiping about me. Clover Scott, a student, overheard and stood up for me. There was no disturbance in the teaching environment."

"Are you still denying it?" a sharp voice interrupted. It was Penny Silva. "Evelyn, don’t you feel guilty saying that? Cozying up to Clover's family, acting all friendly with her at the classroom door. What about the other students seeing your favoritism?"

"Enough!" Evelyn stood up, her gaze icy. "You all were gossiping in the office, and a seven-year-old heard your nasty comments—and you dare blame me?"

"Evelyn Howard, I've let things slide before, but my patience isn't infinite. Do you even know why I comforted Clover, or why she was upset?"

Penny was startled by Evelyn's anger, momentarily speechless. The room was thick with awkwardness—people busied themselves with their notebooks or found the ceiling suddenly interesting.

Regaining her composure, Penny retorted, "We’re discussing your bias toward students, Evelyn. Why bring up other issues? Isn’t it true what we’re saying about your actions? Are you completely unaware of what you’ve done?"

"I truly have no idea," Evelyn replied with a wry smile. "Could you enlighten me on these supposed actions?"

Frustrated by Evelyn's attitude, Penny crossed her arms with a smirk, "The internet’s full of rumors about you. The school hasn’t acted yet, so you’re lucky. And you still ask what you've done?"

Evelyn clenched her fists, meeting Penny’s gaze with determination. "If you keep spreading lies, I’ll take you down with my words."

Penny instinctively shrank back, then, realizing her embarrassment, her voice turned sharper, "Oh, now you’re threatening me? Everyone heard that, right? Some people are unhappy about my potential promotion—now they’re threatening me to disrupt my teaching. How can I work peacefully?"

A voice interjected, aiming to calm the situation. "Evelyn, maybe that wasn’t the best move. Perhaps a written apology to Penny would be wise."

"Yeah, just apologize. We’re all colleagues; let’s not waste time."

"Escalating this won’t do you any good."

Evelyn looked at them, feeling an overwhelming sense of irony. They all knew the truth, the real story behind the rumors, and Penny’s deceit. Yet none cared; they just wanted to be on the perceived "right" side.

In that moment, Evelyn found it utterly absurd. She slowly rose, her gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Why should I apologize?" Her voice was soft, yet it commanded attention. "Because you got caught gossiping? Or because I defended myself in front of a child?"

She turned back to Penny. "Penny Silva, do you truly think you’ve reached your position without any dirty tricks? Don’t treat everyone else like fools."

Penny's face turned bright red in sudden embarrassment.

The principal, Aurora Bennett, suddenly banged the table to restore order. "What’s all this racket? You’re educators, act like it!"

Her stern gaze landed on Evelyn. "Ms. Howard, ultimately, your actions have caused widespread dissatisfaction. Let’s not drag this out, just apologize and make peace so we can all work in harmony."

Evelyn met his eyes. "Principal, do you honestly believe this is my fault?"

Ms. Bennett expression was unreadable for a moment. Then, she sighed and said, "Evelyn, with your current attitude, you’re not suitable to continue teaching. If you refuse to apologize, I have no choice but to place you on temporary leave."

She averted her gaze, "Westfield values hard work and fair reward. While you’re on leave, your salary will naturally be on hold."

Evelyn gripped her hands tighter, feeling the gravity of her situation. The truth was, her suspension was just a convenient way for the school to avoid crossing Owen Morgan, a major shareholder linked to the private institution.

But what could she do? Her sister was still in the hospital, and the medical bills piled up astronomically each month. She couldn't afford to lose her job.

Taking a deep breath, she was about to speak when—

"Who’s talking about suspending Ms. Howard?"

The door to the meeting room swung open, and everyone turned to look.

Principal Lee stood there, and the room fell silent in surprise as he entered. "Principal Lee? What brings you here?" Ms. Bennet tstammered, caught off guard.

Ignoring her, Principal Lee walked into the room and placed some documents on the table. "Ms. Bennet, before you discuss suspending Ms. Howard, you might want to look at this."

A flicker of panic crossed Ms. Bennet’s face. "Principal, what is this..."

He fixed her with a sharp look. "It’s the surveillance footage from the office this afternoon. Ms. Bennet, did you verify the situation when you received a complaint?"

"You didn’t," Mr. Lee answered for her. "You immediately called a meeting to address Evelyn."

He closed the folder, his voice turning cold. "Ms. Bennett, have you forgotten Westfield’s guiding principles? Prejudice and injustice in decision-making—looks like I need to reevaluate your position as head of the grade."

Ms. Bennettopened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. Normally, Mr. Lee was too busy to get involved with school matters. Why was he suddenly here, supporting Evelyn Howard?

Dismissing her, Principal Lee turned to Penny. "Penny Silva, in your four years here, your teaching capabilities have been average at best, but you seem adept at office politics. Starting today, your promotion is on hold, and you’re disqualified from any awards this semester. If I hear about your gossiping again, you’re out."

Penny’s face turned ashen, her confidence thoroughly deflated. "Principal, I..."

He cut her off with a wave of his hand, his gaze stern. "I’m not interested in your excuses. Apologize to Ms. Howard now."

Reluctantly, Penny’s voice, now barely above a whisper, offered, "Ms. Howard, I apologize..."

Ms. Bennettalso bowed her head, swallowing her pride. "Ms. Howard, I didn’t verify the details... I'm sorry."

Evelyn stood there, having waited a long time to hear these words. Yet, as they reached her ears, there was no sense of triumph, only an inexplicable weariness.

Seeing Evelyn's silence, Principal Lee dismissed the meeting. "Alright, that's enough. Meeting adjourned."

Afterward, the others trickled out of the room, casting careful glances as they passed. Principal Lee approached Evelyn with a kind smile, "Ms. Howard, I apologize for the trouble you went through today."

"No need, thank you," Evelyn replied, genuine gratitude in her voice.

Principal Lee waved off her thanks. "No need to thank me. I was just following instructions. Someone is still waiting for you outside."

Following instructions? Evelyn felt a flutter of suspicion but managed a nod of thanks, quickly leaving the administration building.

As she reached the front doors, her pace slowed. By a pillar stood a man, clad in a black coat, the fading light of evening casting a soft glow over his silhouette.

He appeared lost in thought, yet there was a palpable presence as he waited. At the sound of her footsteps, he looked up, and their eyes met.

Her heart skipped a beat. It was him—Everett Scott.