The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot

Evelyn kept looking at the watch, anxiously tapping her fingers on the table. It was close to 7 PM, and they would be starting soon.

"Alright," Zevian said as he ended the call with Avery, who had stayed back with the kids.

Rosalind and Penelope were bringing Gracia soon. Even Theodore had made time to come along with Jonathan to support them, but she still couldn’t help but feel anxious. She had been waiting for this moment for as long as she could remember, and now that it was here, she couldn’t keep calm.

Zevian walked back to her and stood in front of her chair. "They will be here soon. Damien is bringing them," he informed, and Evelyn nodded in response.

Zevian leaned forward and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Caressing her cheek, he assured, "Stop worrying about it."

Evelyn sighed in response. She moved closer and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Zevian patted her head, his touch gentle and soothing. They stayed for a moment before hearing the press buzz outside the hall.

Zevian broke the hug. Bending down, he kissed her forehead and murmured, "I will go check with Lucius."

Evelyn nodded with a smile, feeling a bit more at ease, and watched as Zevian walked down the stage, heading to the control room.

A few minutes later, all the press settled in, and Gracia had also arrived with Damien. They all settled on the stage. While Gracia sat in the middle, Theodore and Jonathan sat on their left, and Evelyn and Zevian took chairs to their right. Damien, along with Rosalind and Penelope, stayed down the stage. Elias had insisted on coming with them, but Damien forced him to stay behind, knowing it was a terrible idea.

"Firstly, I would like to thank you all for waiting patiently all these days," Theodore took charge and continued, "Ever since that birthday night, many have been speculating and making theories about Gracia’s comeback. And tonight, everything will be answered by her."

He turned to Gracia beside him. Evelyn held Gracia’s hand below the table and smiled at her. Gracia nodded and took a deep breath. Looking at the reporters settled with their laptops, she started, "Thank you for being here at such short notice."

She paused and continued, "Twenty years ago, I was kidnapped and migrated to a different country. I was locked up in an asylum." Murmurs and gasps filled the room. Many were speculating that she must have been in a terrible accident leading to the loss of her memories. But this seemed juicer than they were expecting.

"Was it the same person who kidnapped your daughter twenty years ago, Mrs. Wright? You were shot dead while saving her."

"Was your death fabricated, Mrs. Wright?"

"Who was behind it, Mrs. Wright?"

The reporters started throwing questions non-stop. Theodore raised his hand, pausing them all. "Let her finish. We will answer your questions later."

He looked at Gracia and nodded, letting her continue.

"The motive of the person was to get control of the Wright family. After faking my death and locking me up, they left no stakes in torturing my daughter," Gracia continued in a low voice. "They brought a fake birth swap story to throw her out. And Annabelle, who you all believed to be my real daughter, was an artist hired to play the role and kick Evelyn out."

The reporters typed rapidly on their laptops, and the cameras clicked for major shots.

"And once she was out, they killed many innocents to bury these sins and to make sure no one reached me." Gracia took a deep breath, her every word making the reporters gasp in shock. Who could be this greedy?

Gracia looked at Evelyn and continued, "Luckily, my daughter realized I was still alive. With her husband and his friend’s help, they brought me back from that hell."

"So who was the person behind all of it?" one of the reporters asked as soon as Gracia finished. Many had already speculated who it could be, but they still wanted an official confirmation.

Gracia looked at them all and declared, "It’s Sophia."

The reaction was immediate, with many glancing at each other. Of course! Considering how sweet and noble Sophia always acted, they had failed to see through her mask.

Gracia got up from her chair and continued, "And she escaped before we could bring her crimes to light. So, I request you and everyone watching to help us in finding her."

She bowed lightly. Lucius’s men quickly got up on the stage to escort her out. Evelyn held onto her mom while Zevian helped both of them toward the exit.

"We will be answering all your questions. Please stay behind," Lucius addressed the media who were quick to run behind Gracia. "We will also be sharing evidence. So be patient."

Theodore and Jonathan stayed behind to take the questions. Lucius also shared the evidence, the police warrant, and the rewards they would be giving if anyone caught her, while the ladies were taken out of the hall.

By the time they reached the Reign mansion, the gates were already covered by a buzz of paparazzi, media vans, and cameras wanting to take more pictures of Gracia alone. The security smoothly let the cars inside, keeping all the media outlets outside.

Evelyn walked Gracia inside, and Penelope helped her settle on the couch. The butler quickly came with the maids, serving water to everyone. Avery and Elias rushed down the stairs at their arrival.

"You did a great job, Aunty," Avery murmured, sitting beside Gracia and hugging her tightly. Gracia smiled and patted her back. She glanced at Elias, who still looked upset, and took out her hand. Elias held it hesitantly.

Evelyn moved away, giving space for Elias to sit beside their mother. Gracia turned to him and murmured, "Everyone might have already said it, but let me remind you again." Holding his hands, she continued, "Don’t blame yourself or be guilty of your mother’s actions. It’s not your fault."

"I still owe you an apology," Elias murmured, his eyes lowered.

Gracia shook her head. "And I owe you a thank you. If not for you, I would have been killed and thrown into the ocean long ago," she murmured, recalling the night when Damien and Zevian had rescued her from that ship.

Elias smiled in response. The atmosphere lightened, making everyone relieved that things were finally settled to some extent.

Damien turned to Zevian and said, "Let’s talk in the study. There are some last-minute tasks, and I need your help." There were some things he needed to take care of before leaving tonight. Considering he wouldn’t be back anytime soon, he needed Zevian to look after them.

Zevian nodded, and they walked toward Jonathan’s study room. Avery looked at Damien, wondering if it was the right time to decline his offer. She decided to wait until dinner.

Rosalind and Penelope took Gracia to the kitchen, hoping to cook themselves for the family. It would be a distraction, and Evelyn let them take care of their friend. She talked with Elias and Avery about Kiana and Yael.

"They are asleep," Avery replied. "But they fight a lot," she grumbled, sharing how the kids were at each other’s throats, draining the life out of her.

Evelyn smiled, hearing her complaints. She glanced at Elias who also shared the same expression, shaking his head at those horrific memories. They had turned the entire mansion upside down with their war and it was hard to put them to sleep. But they were disturbed by a commotion at the entrance.

Evelyn turned around to see her father, William, walking inside, his men stopping their security team from blocking him. His expression was one of frustration, his eyes moving from Evelyn to Elias.

The trio all got up from the couch. Avery turned to the maids nearby, asking them to get Gracia and Zevian immediately. The maids nodded, quickly dispersing in opposite directions.

William stormed toward them, and Evelyn gestured for their security to leave as he crossed the hall in a few large strides and stopped in front of them. He grabbed Elias by his collar and demanded, "Where is your mother? Where is she hiding?"

His action shocked Evelyn and Avery, who quickly stepped in to stop him. "Leave him!" Evelyn shouted at her father. She tried to free Elias, but William was gripping him hard, and she could feel his anger in his strength.

"Tell me!" William glowered at Elias. Though he was upset that he got to know all this through the media, he was even more frustrated that he had let Sophia use him to separate his family. "Tell me, you son of a bitch!" he bellowed, his voice booming through the hall. He grabbed Elias’s neck, shaking him to answer immediately. Elias was visibly shaken, as this was the first time his once-beloved father had cursed at him.

"Leave him!" Evelyn grumbled as she felt him almost choking Elias. In her panic, she used all her strength and pushed William back.

William stumbled behind at her force. Luckily, one of his men quickly held him, saving him from hitting the ground.

"What’s happening here?" Gracia quickly entered, looking between Evelyn and William. Rosalind and Penelope also glanced worriedly, feeling the tension thick in the air.

Zevian and Damien rushed in at the maid’s news. Zevian walked over to Elias’s side. "Are you alright, Eli?" Evelyn asked, checking if he was fine.

William looked at Evelyn in shock, surprised to see her still taking a stand for Elias, the son of the woman who had ruined her life.

"Why are you still looking after him, Evelyn?" William questioned her. When she turned around, he continued, "His mother ruined your life. She separated you from me, made me resent you all these years. Moreover," he turned to Gracia, "She had been torturing Gracie all these years. She would have killed her."

"And how is it Eli’s fault?" Evelyn questioned back, her eyes cold and distant as they had been for the past few months. When William didn’t respond, she continued, "If there’s anyone to be blamed for all this ruckus, it’s you."

William stared at her in confusion. "Me?" he asked.

"Yes!" Evelyn nodded. "You brought her into our lives. You believed all her lies and hated me for Mom’s death. You let her control me however she wanted all these years." Holding back her tears, she continued, "You were even ready to marry me off to an old man. Did you forget all of it?"

Everyone stayed silent, letting Evelyn vent her heart out. She had endured for long under Sophia, and indirectly, William was responsible for it.

"I..." William was at a loss for words.

"Yes, it’s you! It’s your fault, Mr. Wright!" Evelyn grumbled, tears spilling out of her eyes. "You blamed me all these years, hating me for Mom’s demise, and I won’t let you take Eli as your next victim. Do not try to blame him to cover your mistakes and feel better. It’s entirely your fault, and you should live with that guilt."

Gracia sighed heavily, realizing their relationship had wrecked beyond repair. Even if she tried to bring them together, it felt as though Evelyn would only be hurt more.

Taking a step forward, Gracia addressed William, "She is right, William." When he turned to her, she continued, "If you had at least once believed Evelyn and stood up for her, Sophia wouldn’t have had the courage to go this far." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Silence followed after their confrontation. "I am sorry," William finally murmured, his head hanging low in shame. They were right. Even if Evelyn had shown him the proofs, he would have still believed Sophia. He had been wrapped around her finger all these years.

Gracia sighed and replied, "If you are truly sorry, help us find her. Let’s put an end to this quickly. Maybe once she is punished, we may be able to start over again."

William looked at her, her words giving him a sense of hope. He nodded and, looking at his daughter one last time, walked out of the house.

Gracia sighed and looked at her kids. She walked over and pulled Evelyn into a hug. Evelyn melted in her embrace, tears barely holding back.

"Come here," Gracia murmured to Elias, opening her arm. Elias hesitantly walked over before she pulled him into the hug too.

"Everything is gonna be fine soon," she tried to assure them, though deep inside, she was still unsure if that would be the case. The sibling duo nodded, the warmth of her embrace soothing their nerves.

Everyone else watched the trio with sadness in their eyes, hoping for it to end soon and help them move on. They all had been through enough struggles and deserved a little joy in their lives.