The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot

"Thank you so much, Avy!" Evelyn turned around and pounced on Avery, making her chuckle. Avery hugged her best friend tightly, glad Evelyn liked this little surprise and the token of gratitude on behalf of the entire AWE team.

"Though I was the mastermind, Eli and your hubby deserve equal credit," Avery replied, breaking the hug. They both turned to the screen, where the video ended, announcing a happy collaboration between Reign Constructions and AWE, mentioning that it would start very soon and they all needed to look forward to it.

Evelyn smiled warmly, seeing Zevian’s name on the presentation. Gracia would have wanted the same, the guy her little bunny fell for respecting and supporting her dreams. Evelyn was glad she had found a gem among the hundreds of stones, one she thought she had lost forever a few years ago.

"Thank you," Evelyn said to Zevian with a smile. He pulled her close, hugging her waist, and she leaned against his shoulder as everyone enjoyed the presentation, which was soon coming to an end after sharing the necessary details.

"You know how hard it was to pretend I had no clue what you were doing behind my back all this time?" Elias grumbled, standing beside Evelyn, who smiled at him. "And I had to keep my mouth shut just to make sure your plans didn’t reach ears that didn’t deserve to hear them," he added, pulling his sister into a warm, protective side hug.

"Yeah!" Avery joined in. "There was a time he came to visit AWE, and you came early from your site visit. We had to turn him into a delivery box, wrapping him up in bubble wrap and forcing this huge giant to fit into the box," she added, laughing loudly.

"She was planning to throw me out the window," Elias chimed in, recalling the horrible memory. After that, he had never pestered Avery to visit AWE again, and he pretended like it didn’t exist at all, just so their mom wouldn’t suspect anything or catch on to the secret.

Evelyn tried to recall that day, breaking into laughter when Avery continued to explain how she had rolled the poor guy up in bubble wrap, turning him into a "man-mummy." Her eyes caught William’s smile as he listened to their banter, and her heart finally relaxed. He was happy, and she didn’t give a damn about what others thought.

"Alright, let’s take some pictures!" one of the staff members said, breaking the family’s chat. Immediately, a few people walked over and lined up on the stage. The ’Happy Homes’ template was put back on the screen, allowing the media and guests to capture good pictures of the event.

Avery and Elias exchanged a nod, mentally agreeing on what they needed to do without any words.

"Come on, Dad!" Elias pushed William to the center while Avery pushed Evelyn to the other side, placing the two of them together in the center.

Evelyn looked at Zevian behind her, unsure if this was the right move, as he was the main boss of the project and deserved all the attention. Zevian simply nodded reassuringly, understanding her worries. With a smile, he went to stand beside Avery, who immediately clung to his arm and posed for the picture.

"Now, please make a few poses," the photographer requested, signaling for a thumbs-up and something cheerful that would look great on the main page.

William raised his hand and made a half-heart shape, thinking the photographer wanted a modern, trendy pose. He had seen how energetic and creative young people were online and decided to join in, considering everyone in the group was young and intelligent.

"Dad! He meant a thumbs-up." Elias chuckled softly, making William’s brows crease ever so slightly.

Evelyn smiled at William’s lightly blushing face, embarrassment evident in his expression. Not wanting to disappoint him, she raised her left hand and made a half-heart, joining his. "She would love this pose," she murmured, referring to Gracia.

William chuckled softly, recalling the good old times when his wife had always nagged him to pose better. They would often argue, and little Evelyn would end up taking the pictures herself, accustomed to their constant bickering.

Nodding, William faced the camera. Evelyn smiled and turned to the camera as well, their small moment making the guests realize that the rumors they had heard about the two were nothing more than nasty, baseless gossip. The father-daughter duo didn’t look like they were on bad terms at all, leaving many feeling foolish for believing such delusions.

Once the AWE staff rushed onto the stage, someone popped open a bottle of wine they had been holding to celebrate, while others released party poppers in joy. Laughter and cheers filled the stage, the moments candidly captured by the media, guests, and photographers.

William let the younger generation enjoy themselves as he stepped down from the stage, making his way toward his table. Surprisingly, Jonathan and Theodore approached him to congratulate him, and the trio quickly got into a conversation about politics. Meanwhile, Kiana ran toward the stage, eager to be part of the celebration.

"Careful," Rosalind grumbled, shaking her head as the little girl ignored her. She and Penelope, sitting beside her, exchanged a laugh and a smile, enjoying watching their kids celebrate on stage.

"She would have been the happiest tonight," Penelope mused, recalling her friend Gracia. Though Gracia had come from a humble background, her talent and beauty had charmed many, including William. Charlotte had never cared much about status or family background and had accepted Gracia as her daughter-in-law even before her son had married her. They had been such a happy family until Gracia left too soon.

"Were you close to Sophia too?" Rosalind asked, curious about how Sophia had become a part of Wright family.

"Nah, that witch came much later," Penelope replied with clear disdain. "Gracia found her by accident, fell for her sob story about her poor background, and turned her into her personal assistant."

Rosalind nodded, leaning in to hear more about her daughter-in-law’s family.

"I think Sophia was a bad omen for them," Penelope continued, her brows furrowed. "A month after she arrived, they had that disastrous accident, and Gracia almost lost Evelyn."