The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot

Sophia, her eyes still fixed on the dice, slowly came out of her daze. Evelyn now stood before the screen, and the weight of what had happened began to settle. Her first reaction was to look at William. Though he looked just as shocked as she felt, there was a softness in his eyes, a warmth she had only ever seen him show for his beloved wife, Gracia. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

No... this must all be a bad dream. A nightmare she needed to wake up from.

"Were you lying this whole time?" Vincent asked Annabelle, his voice a low growl and tinged with anger.

Annabelle clenched her teeth and shot a glare at Sophia. Her stupid mother had been so confident about Grace in front of her friends at parties a few months ago that Annabelle had thought it was true, spinning tales of her own to impress Vincent. Now, those interactions they had earlier when they arrived flashed through her mind, making her inwardly curse herself for adding more nonsense to the shit.

’Why didn’t you tell me, Evelyn?’ Annabelle thought bitterly as she looked toward the stage. Just because they had cleared some issues didn’t make them friends, and she knew it was foolish to expect her to even share such secrets with her. It felt like Evelyn was paying her back, slapping her for all the bad treatment over the last few months. And this blow? It was harsh, cruel, and totally unexpected.

"Oh, it looks lovely!" Avery couldn’t help but praise as the new logo video played on the screen. Even though she had seen it countless times, it never ceased to amaze her. Her team deserved a raise for the thoughtful design.

For those who were still in shock, the logo was like a cold slap to the face. The W they had all assumed stood for William in AWE Interiors turned out to be two V’s cleverly merged into one. It was Avery and Evelyn’s initial letters, a fact made abundantly clear by the video. They were paired from the polar ends, and put together in a beautifully calligraphic font. The logo stood out from many other ones, a trademark anyone could easily remember at first glance.

Cheers and applause erupted as the presentation came to an end. Since Evelyn preferred not to say anything as she had already done it for her staff this morning, Avery took the lead, announcing, "We’ve arranged some fun activities for you all! Feel free to explore before heading to the fountain garden for dinner."

As soon as Avery finished speaking, many of the guests, especially the women who had been bad-mouthing Evelyn, quickly rose from their seats, eager to escape without having to face her.

Meanwhile, the investors, influencers, and government officials flocked toward Grace, eager to strike up conversations and perhaps even secure a business partnership. They were all well aware that Avery only took clients Grace approved, and now, they were ready to shamelessly praise her, despite mocking her a few months ago. Business was business, after all.

"I need to speak with him first," Evelyn murmured to Avery as they descended from the stage. Understanding her friend’s request, Avery nodded and excused herself, leading them toward the Wright family’s table.

"We never knew you were best friends with your stepdaughter, Sophia," one woman snickered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah! They even went to the same high school," another chimed in, fueling Sophia’s already growing frustration.

Sophia clenched her fists as she remembered how she had brushed off Grace’s growing popularity, assuming it was just gossip. When Grace turned out to be low-key, Sophia seized the opportunity to boost her reputation. Little did she know, the snake she had been trying to keep at bay all these years had planned to bite her in such an amazing way.

Elias and Annabelle bit back their laughter as they watched their mother’s face redden with shame. When Avery and Evelyn approached, the women surrounding Sophia stayed, anticipating some drama.

Evelyn barely paid attention to the snide comments aimed at Sophia. Her focus was entirely on William, who sat silently at the table. She could only hope she hadn’t offended him too deeply—not just by hiding her identity but also by using Grace’s name.

Before she could say a word, however, Sophia abruptly stood up and walked toward her. Avery, standing beside Evelyn, smirked. Finally, Sophia’s true colors were showing, her face twisted with anger instead of the sweet mask she usually wore.

With her arms crossed, Avery’s smug voice cut through the tension. "Enjoy the surprise, Aunt Sophie?"

Sophia’s eyes darted from Avery to Evelyn, her anger barely contained. Without warning, she raised her hand and struck Evelyn across the face. The slap echoed through the room.

Pak!

The sudden blow caught Evelyn off guard, too focused on William to see it coming. The room fell silent, gasps of shock rippling through the crowd. Zevian, who had been speaking with his mother, turned at the sound, his expression darkening at the sight of Sophia’s audacity. On the other side of the room, Ronan, busy on a phone call, ended it immediately upon seeing the commotion and rushed over.

"What the hell, Mom?" Elias growled, stepping forward to stand between Evelyn and his mother. "How dare you hit her after everything you’ve done? You don’t even have the right to stand in front of her."

Sophia, unshaken by her son’s words, spat back, "And what right does she have to disrespect my friend like this?" Her voice was venomous, confusing those around her. Tears began to stream down her face, as if she were the victim here, her expression one of grief and disappointment.

"Seriously, Evelyn?" she said, turning back to her. Her eyes glinted with cruel amusement, as though taunting Evelyn for thinking she could ever win.

"Gracia loved you like her own daughter! She sacrificed her life to protect you, and this is how you repay her? You hate William for being cold to you all these years, but this—this is how you avenge him? Just because you use Gracie’s name doesn’t mean you can ever replace her or erase her mark in the construction industry."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Avery snapped, cutting Sophia off.

"Nonsense?" Sophia laughed bitterly, wiping away her tears. "Then tell me, why did she present herself as Grace to the world? Sure, maybe she wanted to keep a low profile, but there are hundreds of other names. Why Grace?"

"That’s because—" Avery stammered, caught off guard. She didn’t know how to explain it herself, which only gave Sophia an upper hand.

"Yes, that’s because she wanted to mock him!" Sophia declared triumphantly. "To hurt him every time he saw her, pretending to be Gracia, the greatest architect of our time. My dear friend, Gracie..."

Avery stood speechless. Sophia’s words were absurd, yet there was a hint of truth that made her falter. Yes, her friend had taken on the name Grace to honor her late mother and continue her legacy, but there was more to the story. Something William had needed to know all these years.

Zevian, now by Evelyn’s side, looked at her, hoping she would stand up for herself. But Evelyn remained silent, staring at the floor. The mention of Gracia’s death had triggered her trauma, a wound too deep to easily heal.

"Let’s go," Zevian whispered, wrapping his arm protectively around her.

Avery silently agreed, but before they could leave, William stood up from his seat.

"Apologize to her."

Sophia whipped around, her eyes locking with William’s. For a moment, she thought he was talking to Evelyn, demanding her to apologize, just as he always had. She tried to hide her satisfied smile as she approached him, placing a hand on his arm.

"There’s no need, honey," she murmured. "Let’s just leave."

But to her shock, William shrugged off her hand. "I was telling you to apologize to her," he repeated, his voice louder this time.

"What?" Sophia frowned in disbelief. William, her blind husband was ordering her to apologize? To Evelyn?!

"Apologize to Bunny right now," William demanded again, his eyes darker with anger.

Sophia’s mouth fell open, her face paling. Everyone around them stared in stunned silence, including Evelyn. She looked up at William, her eyes wide and tear-filled. He had called her Bunny—the nickname he and Gracia used to call her, her favorite childhood memory.