The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot

The room fell into stunned silence, his words leaving everyone—guests, media, and family speechless. The reporters were too shocked to ask their next question, momentarily frozen by his announcement and the subtle warning to be kind to Evelyn on their channels. A few quickly threw out another round of questions, but William turned around, and the bodyguards pushed the mass back to their original positions.

Even Elias couldn’t believe what he had just heard. "Ah, it’s real," he murmured, pinching his cheek just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Had the party moved his dad so much that he had decided to forget everything and start fresh with his sister? It seemed like he was trying to, and all Elias’ efforts to bring them together for the past decade finally saw some light tonight. He just hoped his mother wouldn’t try anything, and if she did, he knew how to keep her cornered until Evelyn had fully mended her bond with William.

The announcement had a huge impact on Evelyn, who simply stared at her father’s back. William turned around, and their eyes met, both brimming with the same rush of emotions that had overwhelmed her heart that tonight. He nodded, assuring her that everything would be fine before Elias rushed over and took him to the restroom. They needed to clean his expensive coat stained with eggs.

"He is hoping to start a new Chapter with you," Zevian’s words slowly pulled Evelyn out of her daze. She looked up at him to see a warm, victorious smile spread across his face, and her hand tightened around him as she fought to control her tears.

Evelyn leaned closer, and Zevian pulled her into a hug, guiding her head to rest on his chest. She didn’t care about the rest of the world at that moment, relaxing in his embrace, feeling the moment to be true, to turn into something special.

Zevian was right. William had indirectly declared his wish to mend things with her, to treat her like the daughter she had yearned to be all these years. But now that the harsh truth wasn’t hidden from her, that she had been just a replacement for his real daughter, adopted to fill that void until Annabelle appeared and claimed to be the real one, did she deserve to share a bond with him?

"Let’s finish this first," Avery broke Evelyn’s train of thought. As much as she wanted to let her best friend have her moment, the guests wouldn’t wait long and would continue gossiping. Starting Gracia’s project would be a perfect follow-up to William’s declaration, making everyone regret ever bullying Evelyn, thinking she would never amount to more than just a discarded piece of the Wright family.

Zevian nodded, but he didn’t let go of Evelyn. His hand supported her back, the other holding onto her firmly, assuring her that he was right there if she couldn’t control her emotions. He glanced at William’s table and added, "Let’s wait for his return."

"Alright," Avery agreed and made her way to her team. They quickly reviewed the presentation, making necessary adjustments that had been paused due to the earlier outburst from the protesters.

A new thrill and excitement ran through the employees’ veins, William’s announcement being the major catalyst. If Gracia took over William Constructions, a company not as massive as Reign Empire, but still significant in the province, it would only benefit AWE more. An interior design company backed by two influential construction firms would break all records.

"Now, it’s time to bring our project to life," Avery declared through the mic, garnering everyone’s attention back to the stage. William and Elias had already returned to their seats, with William wearing a new suit sent by Zevian in Evelyn’s name. The couple was called on stage again, cheered and supported proudly by their daughter, who had returned with her grandparents.

Avery passed the remote to Evelyn, always having wanted her to do the honors. "You’re the only one who deserves to do it," she insisted, placing the remote in Evelyn’s hand.

"But—" Evelyn looked troubled, glancing at the remote and then at her friend. Zevian pressed her hand and nodded, making her sigh and agree. But suddenly, an idea sparked in her mind—a dream that, although Gracia had never shared with her, she knew her mother would have been happiest to see come true.

Evelyn leaned closer and whispered something in Avery’s ear, her request lighting up Avery’s eyes. She glanced at William’s table, a smirk spreading across her lips, quite sure this would make Sophia scream and destroy the house in frustration.

Picking up the mic, Avery took a step forward and announced, "We would also like to invite the Chairman of Wright Constructions, Mr. William Wright, and Elias Wright to join us on stage."

The crowd gasped in surprise once again, finding the party becoming more and more exciting, even toward the end. They knew they’d have topics to talk about for months, and they were sure there would be more surprises in the future, considering how things had unraveled tonight, mostly in Evelyn’s favor. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

William’s eyes widened at Avery’s request, all the lights now focused on their table. He was hesitant, troubled by the feeling that he didn’t deserve to be a part of it, part of what Gracia must have wanted him to do, or at least help Evelyn bring to life. But Elias grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the stage. "Come on! Evy asked for it herself, and we should respect her wish."

"Go, Grandpa! Go, Uncle Eli!" Kiana, who was standing on her chair, cheered loudly as the duo passed her table.

William smiled at her and made his way to the stage. Zevian stepped back, standing just behind Evelyn, giving William space to stand beside her. Elias stood on her other side, squealing and celebrating with Avery. Everyone faced the screen, the crowd eagerly anticipating the inauguration.

Evelyn hesitantly passed the remote to William, surprising him again. When he looked at her, she said, "She would be happy if you did it."

Before William could object, Elias pushed Evelyn’s hand toward him, making both of them hold the remote together. "She would be even happier if you did it together," he said with a warm smile.

Taking a step back, Elias gestured for them to press the button together. Avery, standing beside him, patted his head proudly, her heart warmed by his actions. "I raised such a sensible puppy," she murmured before chuckling as Elias scowled and shrugged off her hand. He wasn’t her little puppy anymore, and she needed to start treating him as such, especially on such a big stage.

Evelyn’s heart pounded loudly in her chest, her fingers trembling slightly as she held the remote. This was the first time they had stood this close, his hand holding hers, reminding her of the time when he used to teach her how to write.

William, too, was taken back to those days when he would hold little Evelyn’s hand and guide her as she wrote her alphabet. His heart swelled with a mix of emotions, pride overtaking everything. The little girl he had once taught had grown into such a smart and compassionate woman, and it was shameful how he hadn’t been the supportive father she had always wanted since Gracia’s passing.

The loud cheers from AWE’s staff brought the father-daughter duo out of their thoughts. William slowly raised Evelyn’s hand that held the remote, guiding her just as he had when teaching her how to write. All the lights dimmed and focused on them, especially capturing the moment.

Taking a deep breath, Evelyn pressed the play button on the remote, excitement overtaking her emotions. The screen blinked before virtual curtains slid away, revealing the name of the project.

"Happy Homes," both William and Evelyn murmured together, their eyes falling on the cartoon version of Gracia, drawing a heart around the title. It was cute and beautiful. The cartoon Gracia finished drawing the heart, then stood beside the last letter of the font, arms crossed, smiling confidently.

"It looks just like her," Evelyn murmured, tears brimming in her eyes. The way the cartoon was styled, the appearance, the glasses, the confidence, everything reminded her of Gracia. It was exactly her, and Evelyn missed her so much tonight.

"She must have been here," William echoed her thoughts, fondly looking at the cartoon. His voice was tinged with sadness and immense love, making Evelyn realize that no matter how hard Sophia tried, no one could replace Gracia in his heart. Only if that had been true for her, Annabelle wouldn’t have trapped him so easily.

While excitement and joy filled the banquet hall, outside on an empty road, Sophia’s eyes darkened with anger. She had sent the protesters in hopes of crushing Evelyn again, but it felt as if her own confidence had crumbled instead.

The driver gripped the steering wheel tightly, praying for his life as the woman screamed. He wanted to get out and run, but he was sure she’d chase him down and kill him, as it seemed she wanted to badly kill someone tonight. It was clear in her expression.

"I won’t let you win, Evelyn! Not in this lifetime!" Sophia declared, her hands clenched around her phone. She glared at the screen, watching the headlines and the video of William inaugurating with Evelyn. "You too, Gracia. Even if I have to kill you again," she muttered, making the driver flinch.

Wait, what? Madam Gracia was still alive?!