The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot

"Let’s get out of here, sir," Carson suggested, almost pleading. "Please! I beg you!"

When Benjamin learned that Laila was his daughter-in-law’s illegitimate child, one born before she even became a part of his family, he explicitly ordered that this truth be buried along with Annabelle’s body. He didn’t care if Grace was affected by it and had no intentions of helping her. His family’s reputation came before anyone, and Ronan had come here against his orders.

Luckily, many guests didn’t recognize him, and whoever tried to fail, as Ronan was forced to wear a mask. Grabbing his hand, Carson quickly dragged him toward the entrance. If it reached even a single news channel, that old man wouldn’t hesitate to cut their throats.

Evelyn glanced at how Ronan walked out as if they were complete strangers. Did he also believe that she had murdered Annabelle? Was that why he didn’t step up to help her? He always had, even when she denied guilt. But today, when she needed him the most...

Zevian walked over to Evelyn and held onto her shoulder. He rubbed it gently, trying to help her not lose her ground. She had been so bold a few minutes earlier, and they needed her to remain so, to cast doubt on the fake accusations put on her.

No one had a clear picture of what exactly happened that night, except for the fact that a maid was allegedly hired by Evelyn to murder Annabelle. The maid had confessed to the police, and they were thoroughly investigating her. Until then, Evelyn needed to stay strong and grounded.

Evelyn felt her heartache grow as her eyes locked with William’s. A tear slipped from his eye, something he seemed to have held back for so long.

"I didn’t kill her. Trust me," Evelyn tried to talk to him. "Please..." she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Get out!" William declared, his voice loud but shaking with emotion. "Don’t show me your face again!" he added, clear hatred visible in his eyes. Was there also something like guilt? Maybe regret for ever thinking Evelyn was not what he had believed all these years. But it was shattered now, this time beyond repair.

Even Elias seemed to have accepted it, not defending his sister like he always had, which solidified William’s beliefs even more. He had made the mistake of trying to see Gracie in this woman, and he regretted ever comparing them.

"Didn’t you hear what he said?" Sophia screamed, tears streaming down her face. Pointing at the door, she added, "Get out!"

"Let’s leave," Lucius suggested to Zevian. Even Dravin, who had followed them, felt it was the best decision. The more Evelyn tried to defend herself, the more William’s hatred for her would grow. Dravin feared they might not even be able to face each other, even if Evelyn was proven innocent in court.

"Let’s go," Zevian softly whispered to Evelyn. He held onto her shoulder tightly, slowly turning her away from facing William.

Evelyn sighed and let him guide her out. She closed her eyes to hold back the tears that had formed at the corners. The pain was eerily similar to Gracie’s death, taking her back two decades, and bringing back the hurt of a lonely child, hated by everyone that day. But with Zevian beside her now, it steeled her resolve, keeping her from breaking down like that little girl who had cried and wailed for her father not to blame her.

"How come they haven’t even put her behind bars?" the guests started murmuring among themselves, their voices loud enough to sting William further.

"Though she is still a major suspect since there are no solid proofs for the maid’s claims, they can’t immediately put her behind bars," one of the lawyer guests replied, speaking facts.

"I heard politician Theodore bailed her out."

"Oh, he’s her husband’s uncle, right?"

"And also her best friend’s dad." The guests continued to gossip among themselves even after Evelyn left. This family had dramas far more interesting than soap operas, and no one could guess what to expect next.

———

Evelyn and Zevian watched Annabelle’s funeral together. The police officers had tried to stop them since the autopsy wasn’t done, but William’s assistant pleaded with them to respect the family’s request.

Sophia had gone to the media and stated that they were ready to drop the case if it was only about proving Evelyn’s innocence. And the public had fallen for her act, demanding that the officers stop bothering the poor family.

"He’s burying her right beside her," Evelyn couldn’t help but grumble, tears trickling down her face. A guest close to Zevian had secretly FaceTimed the scene, shattering Evelyn’s heart into pieces.

Yes, Annabelle deserved a good farewell, but not as the Wrights’ real heiress! Not as Gracie’s daughter who was long dead, when she was only one year old!

"How could Eli let this happen?" Avery grumbled, her eyes fixed on Elias standing beside William on the large TV screen. She had heard from Rita that he was nowhere to be seen during their earlier visit, making it all the more suspicious.

"Maybe he got tired of believing me without proof," Evelyn murmured, doubting herself. Elias had always taken her side, but this was a bigger situation, a crime where he seemed to have heard from the maid herself that he was disappointed in her. After all, no one would take your side if you killed someone.

"But still..." Avery stopped when Zevian shook his head. Evelyn was already hurt, and it would only worsen if they kept talking about it.

The trio silently watched the funeral on the screen. Evelyn’s heart clenched when William finally broke down. He knelt in front of the glass box as the pastors prepared to bury Annabelle. Tears trickled down her face, the ache deepening for him. He was still her father, nonetheless, and it hurt to see him deceived by everyone, to cry for someone who wasn’t the person he thought her to be.

"Let’s skip it!" Avery suggested, taking the remote. She turned off the screen, disconnecting Zevian’s mobile.

Zevian passed a few tissues to Evelyn. She took them and wiped her face, covering her eyes for a while to control her overwhelming emotions. Once she calmed down a bit, Zevian passed her a glass of water.

Avery observed the couple with a small smile on her lips. They both hadn’t been present for Gracie’s funeral, an incident that had trapped Evelyn in a dark pit she could never get out of. But luckily, she had them now, specifically her cousin, who stood beside her, stronger than the greatest wall in the world.

Just then, Kiana, who had heard her Mommy was back, rushed back from the Reign mansion. She looked around the house to find them sitting in the resting area, watching TV.

"Mommy!" Kiana screamed at the top of her lungs. Getting out of Rosalind’s arms, she rushed toward Evelyn, eager to see her, to make sure she was safe.

Evelyn got up from the couch at her voice. She moved forward and instantly squatted down to hug her little bear. She had missed her so much, most importantly wanting to see her at least once to regain her courage.

"Thank heavens!" Kiana murmured, hugging her Mommy tightly.

Evelyn had no idea why, but tears slowly trickled down her cheeks. They soon turned into small sobs, her strong dam of emotions flooding out. She clung to the little girl tightly, crying in her arms as if Kiana were her mother and she was her little daughter.

Kiana’s eyes widened in surprise, feeling her Mommy cry. She looked up at Zevian standing behind them. When he nodded, the little girl understood what she needed to do.

Lifting her small hand, Kiana slowly began patting Evelyn’s head. Her other hand rubbed her back gently, following exactly what Evelyn did whenever she cried out loud.

"Brave girls don’t cry for silly things," Kiana repeated what Evelyn had once told her. "Stop crying, baby. Pwease...."

Evelyn chuckled softly as Kiana continued to play her Mommy role. Sniffling, she nodded and broke the hug. Kiana, with a worried face, cupped her cheek, wiping away Evelyn’s tears with her little thumbs.

"My baby is strong!" Kiana declared, tip-toeing to kiss Evelyn’s forehead.

Rosalind and Avery broke into tears at how mature their little devil looked right now, while Zevian smiled brightly, proud of his daughter. Rita, who had been standing close all this time, also broke into a smile, already liking the little girl.

But the small ray of happiness didn’t last long. It burst into worry as Lucius rushed inside, followed by Damien and his assistant.

"We have a problem!" Lucius declared, turning to the TV. Avery quickly followed his cue and turned it on, switching to a news channel. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

[Breaking News: The maid who allegedly killed Annabelle committed suicide in jail. Rumors suggest that she fell from the top floor. Did she really fall? Or was it Evelyn’s plan to get rid of her?]

The reporter continued to speculate various reasons, making it clear that Evelyn was being pushed deeper into the mud. No one could save her! Unless Annabelle miraculously appeared alive and had something to say about it.