The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot

"What?" Rosalind gasped in disbelief, having never heard such rumors about the Wright family. The worst they knew was how Gracia died, followed by Sophia taking her place a few years later. The recent birth-switch scandal had been the only other bad incident people knew about this family.

Penelope nodded with a sigh. "They were out on a family visit but crashed into a truck. Though reports claim it was because of the crafty road and heavy rain, many speculate someone planned to murder the family."

"What happened after that?" Rosalind asked curiously, her eyes shifting to William’s table and then back to her daughter-in-law on the stage.

"Gracia was badly hurt and had some memory recessions. She didn’t come out for almost a year. But once Evelyn grew up, the little girl brought life back to her. Gracia was able to quickly heal from whatever the doctors were trying to hide from the world," Penelope explained, recalling how no one was allowed to see Gracia after the accident for a few months. She had, through connections, visited her friend, but Gracia had been silent and lost as if she didn’t have any reason to live anymore, and it had hurt Penelope deeply.

"Poor thing. She’s grown up going through so much," Rosalind said, feeling for Evelyn. Things had always been difficult for her since birth, and hopefully, her son and Kiana would be able to bring the happiness she deserved back into her life.

Penelope nodded in agreement, smiling at the kids on the stage. "Elias was her major escape, even in the mess. That boy never treated her like a stepsister, and it’s rare to find such a relationship these days," she added, watching as Avery and Evelyn teased the teenager.

Rosalind hummed in agreement. Smiling warmly toward the stage, she replied, "True. It must have been hard for him to always pick a side between his parents and her."

While the elders engaged in their conversation, on the stage, Evelyn felt this was the best day of her life. Everyone she had ever wanted by her side was here tonight—her husband, who understood her without the need for words; the father she had always wished to call her his daughter publicly; her best friend and brother, who, though annoying at times, would always be there for her. And then there was Kiana, the best and most favorite gift she had received this year.

"Mommy! Let’s take a selfie!" Kiana happily tugged at Evelyn’s hand, dragging her toward her daddy. She then opened her arms to Zevian, who smiled and lifted her.

"Yes, let’s take a selfie together," Avery grinned in joy. Taking out her phone, she stood beside Evelyn and raised her hand, but the little girl shook her head, slightly pushing her aunt away from the group.

"It’s a family pic," little Kiana grumbled with a pout. Her words made Zevian and Evelyn stifle their laughs as they saw Avery’s mouth widen in shock.

"You little devil!" Avery grumbled, feeling everyone laughing at her misery. "Is this how you treat your master?"

"What master? I already quit the job long ago," Kiana replied with a pout. She turned to her mommy and asked her to take out the phone, making Avery huff in frustration. Now that she had fully made Evelyn fall for her daddy, Kiana declared she didn’t need her help anymore and wasn’t interested in being her cupid assistant. The little girl had indirectly asked her to stop being nosey, leaving Avery utterly disappointed.

"What else should I expect from a devil’s daughter?" Avery murmured, shaking her head. "I’ll remember this, Kiana," she declared to the little girl before making her way toward the staff.

Evelyn and Elias burst into laughter, while Kiana simply pretended the conversation never took place. Seeing a perfect opportunity, she innocently asked, "Uncle Eli, can you take pictures of us?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Sure, Kia," Elias replied with a smile. Taking out his phone, he clicked a few pictures of the family, with Kiana leading her parents in making cute poses.

The rest of the party went smoothly, with many guests leaving as the clock ticked past ten. A few stayed for the midnight after-party, but Avery and Evelyn decided to leave. They were too tired, and the staff assured them they would handle the rest of the event properly.

"Come this weekend, and we can all have dinner together," Penelope said to Evelyn as they waited for their cars. Evelyn nodded with a smile, and the elder woman hugged her before leaving the venue with Theodore.

Jonathan and Rosalind also left after bidding farewell to the couple and their niece. The chauffeur quickly brought the car to the entrance. "You must be tired. Rest well," Rosalind said, hugging Evelyn. Patting Kiana’s head, who was fast asleep in Zevian’s arms, she got into the car with her husband.

Evelyn and Avery waved at Rosalind before sighing out loud. Elias and William had already left, and they could finally go home and rest.

"I’m going to stay at Dad’s mansion tonight," Avery declared, feeling it was time to move out of Zevian’s house. Though the couple wouldn’t mind if she stayed there forever, it would be a hassle to travel to her company since they were located on opposite ends of the city.

"Come with us for tonight," Evelyn requested, clinging to her friend’s arm. "You can move out tomorrow," she said, feeling they both needed some private time to celebrate, away from the media and everyone else.

Avery thought for a moment and agreed with a smile. "Alright. Let’s have some wine alone," she said with a grin, clinging to Evelyn’s arm tightly.

While the best friends chatted, Zevian called for the cars. He gently patted Kiana’s back in his arms, her little snores indicating how tired she was. Soon, two cars pulled up in front of them, and Evelyn hesitated for a moment, feeling she needed to go somewhere before going home.

"Let’s go," Avery said, pulling open the front seat door. When Evelyn stood by the backseat door, lost in thought, she looked at Zevian in confusion.

Zevian frowned for a moment, but it didn’t take him long to understand what was going through her mind. Taking a step forward, he placed a comforting arm on Evelyn’s back and quietly asked, "Do you want to see her?"

Evelyn’s eyes widened in shock as she met his gaze. It was amusing how he could read her thoughts so easily. Slowly, she nodded, and Avery realized they were talking about visiting Gracia.

"Let me take her," Avery interrupted, stepping forward. Carefully picking up Kiana from Zevian’s arms, she smiled and added, "I’ll wait for you at home."

Evelyn nodded gratefully. Avery hopped into the back seat, and John slowly drove the car away from the hotel. Another car stopped in front of them, and Zevian led Evelyn inside, holding her hand firmly, promising that he would always be there for her.

It took almost an hour to drive to the decades-old Wright mansion, where Gracia rested in peace along with Charlotte and her husband. It was an estate William’s grandfather had built, and it later became a resting place for the family’s deceased members.

Evelyn took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. The cold breeze greeted her, and Zevian instantly held her close as they made their way into the old garden, which was dark but lit with a few streetlights. As they neared the cemetery, they saw two more people standing in front of Gracia’s headstone.

Elias, the first to notice them, smiled slightly and greeted them, "Oh, you came too." Halfway home, William had suddenly asked their driver to take a detour, and they had been standing there for a few minutes now.

William turned around and greeted Evelyn with a nod. Zevian slowly let go of his wife’s shoulder, taking a step back. Elias also retracted, walking away with his brother-in-law, leaving the father-daughter duo alone.

Silence filled the air for a few minutes, both of them reminiscing about old times and missing her dearly. Evelyn had so much to say, but with William beside her, she hesitated. Though he had promised to mend things with her, it would take time for the decades of awkwardness between them to disappear.

"She would have been so proud of you," William began, his voice choking with emotion. "And also disappointed in me," he added, a sad smile spreading across his lips.

Evelyn understood what he was trying to say, but her heart clenched with the question she had been holding deep inside. Only he could answer it, and she couldn’t stop herself from being courageous this time.

"Why did you adopt me?"

William was slightly taken aback by her question but sighed softly. He could understand her reasons and decided to finally open up to her, "It wasn’t to save our family’s reputation like you what you believe. Just because Annabelle turned out to be our real daughter, I would have never kicked you out. Gracia wouldn’t have liked it."

"No, I am not talking about it," Evelyn cut him off, shaking her head. It seemed like he was misunderstanding the recent adopting drama Sophia pulled through him to keep her within the family and continue tormenting her until the company was completely hers.

When William turned around and frowned at her, Evelyn looked up at him. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Why did you adopt me after your real daughter’s death? Was it just to cover up? Or to help her cope with the loss?"

William’s eyes widened in shock, never expecting her to get to know about it. "Who told you?"

"So it is true," Evelyn murmured, her eyes lowered to the ground. There was this false hope that this might be Sophia’s another trick, but she was really never their daughter. Never her mother’s little bunny. But William’s next words shocked her.

"No, it is not!" William retorted, taking a step forward. When Evelyn looked up at him, he continued, "You were our real daughter. You have always been!"