The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot

Six Years Ago

Over the next few days, Evelyn buried herself in her studies, searching for internships for her first college summer break. The disastrous date with Zevian had almost slipped from her mind. In contrast, Zevian found his thoughts frequently drifting to Evelyn, more often than he cared to admit. Though he had apologized through Avery, and Evelyn had accepted it, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Avery’s scolding for his rudeness toward her best friend triggered Zevian’s memory. Evelyn was the same girl who had tricked him years ago at Avery’s 13th masquerade birthday party. The image of a young girl in a heavy gown using him to escape a ballroom always brought a smile. Now, fate had given him another chance, which he had promptly ruined.

One afternoon, as Evelyn set up books at her booth for a fundraiser event, she heard footsteps approaching. Without looking up, she continued her task, assuming it was another student.

"Excuse me," a familiar voice rang out, making her frown. "Could you help me find a book?"

Evelyn looked up slowly, her eyes widening in shock to see Zevian standing there. He wore a white loose T-shirt with a red racing graphic print, blue jeans, a red belt, and sneakers, exuding a relaxed yet captivating charm. His tousled hair added to his striking appearance.

What was he doing here at the university? This fundraiser was open to everyone, and she guessed Avery must have invited him. Standing up, she asked, "What book are you looking for?"

Zevian scanned the books on the shelf, and then met her eyes. "Something about strong women who don’t take crap from anyone."

Evelyn blinked, caught off guard. Was he picking on her? Or flirting? His undeniably alluring smile suggested the latter. Composing herself, she asked, "Who’s the author?"

Zevian pretended to think. "Hmm, it must be Evelyn Wright."

Evelyn narrowed her eyes but couldn’t suppress her smile. Deciding to play along, she replied, "Oh, sorry! They’re sold out, Mr. Reign. But she has a new collection for men on how not to be an arrogant prick on their first date. Interested?"

Zevian’s eyes twinkled with amusement. "Absolutely! But I’d love it if the author personally taught me over lunch."

Evelyn smiled, shaking her head. Whoever said this man was cold and aloof needed to witness this scene. She couldn’t deny she was starting to enjoy his company but decided to steer clear of him. "As you can see, the author is quite busy and unavailable right now, Mr. Reign."

"How about dinner then, Miss Wright?"

"I have plans with my friends," Evelyn blurted out almost immediately.

Zevian realized she was drawing lines, but he wasn’t done yet. He had another surprise up his sleeve, one she couldn’t refuse.

"You’re here, Mr. Reign. I was looking for you in the dean’s office." Suddenly, Evelyn’s professor, Dr. Hawthorne, walked in. "Seems like you two have already met," he added, smiling warmly at Evelyn. He turned to Zevian and extended his hand.

Evelyn blinked in confusion as the two men exchanged greetings. Avery, who had just returned from the restroom, wore a cheeky smile as she saw her cousin. "Oh, you really came!" Sensing her best friend’s frown, Avery shrugged, letting their professor break the news.

"Mr. Reign has been looking for interns for their new state museum construction project, Evelyn. A few from your batch will be joining them this summer break," Dr. Hawthorne explained, smiling at Evelyn. "He’s also looking for an assistant, and I personally recommended you."

Evelyn’s eyes widened in surprise. Dr. Hawthorne continued, "He mentioned needing the top and best student for the assistant role, and I didn’t hesitate to praise you. You’re exactly the kind of candidate he’s looking for."

Evelyn blinked, processing this new information. When she remained silent, Dr. Hawthorne looked worried and asked, "Are you not interested, Evelyn?"

"Of course not, Professor," she replied, masking her surprise and irritation. Only a fool would refuse to work with Reign Constructions.

"Great! I’ll get the papers ready then!" Dr. Hawthorne said, excusing himself.

Zevian leaned in closer to Evelyn, his smile widening. "Looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time together, Miss Wright."

Evelyn rolled her eyes and glared at Avery, who looked like the mastermind behind this miss-match. "Blame my unfortunate luck," she muttered, causing the cousins to chuckle.

"He’s really smart," Riya commented with a chuckle as Evelyn finished explaining how Zevian had maneuvered her into accepting the internship offer, leaving her no room to reject. Even Bobby, who had settled down, smiled and gave an approving nod to Zevian.

"And then?" Riya asked excitedly, drinking her juice.

Evelyn finished her drink, a sheepish smile spreading on her lips due to the alcohol’s effect. She had only finished a few sips and was already feeling tipsy. "After I finished my two-month internship, he asked me out, and we started officially dating," she narrated, giggling as she recalled that night.

Under the pretense of a farewell party, Zevian had taken her on a cruise and asked her to be his girlfriend, giving their office affair an official tag. Weeks turned into months of growing together and falling more in love. Even with their busy schedules, they made time for each other, away from prying eyes.

"Did he propose to you later?" Riya asked, loving every bit of their love story. But her question seemed to strike a wrong chord. Evelyn’s smile vanished, and even Zevian’s expression turned somber.

Evelyn downed her entire glass at once, worrying Zevian, who tried to stop her only to be shrugged away. "His family was against our relationship, so we broke up, and he married someone else," she finished in one sentence, making Riya regret asking.

"But you guys are together now! So you should be happy," Riya murmured, trying to cheer them up. Bobby placed a hand on her daughter’s lap, stopping her from saying anything else.

Evelyn scoffed. Together? They were merely brought together by circumstances. And she wasn’t in a position to fall in love with anyone. Her life was getting shredded into pieces every single day, her identity and position snatched away, leaving her in a mess.

"Excuse me. I need to use the restroom," she mumbled, getting up from the bench. Zevian tried to help her, but she shook her head, asking him to wait there.

Sensing his worry, Bobby sent her daughter to accompany Evelyn. Zevian thanked her and stared at the glass in his hand, guilt evident on his face.

"You’re lucky, young man. No one easily gets a second chance at first love," Bobby said, making Zevian look up at her. With a smile, she continued, "Make sure to treat her well this time."

Zevian nodded with a small smile as Bobby excused herself. She was right. Fate had given him another chance, and he needed to use it well, just like he had won her over six years ago.

Sipping his drink, he took out his phone and checked tomorrow’s schedule, waiting for her. But when she didn’t return after several minutes, he went out in search of her, finding the twins panicking and rushing out of the bar.

He went directly to Riya and asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Gr-Grace is missing! She isn’t in the restroom!" Riya, almost in tears, replied in panic. Seeing Zevian’s expression darken, she continued, "I heard some muffled noises inside and went to check, but all the rooms were empty."

Zevian quickly took out his phone, but before he could reach his team, a woman’s shrill scream pierced the air from the beach.

"Someone’s been stabbed and thrown into the water!" she cried, stumbling away from the woman’s body, whose blood mingled with the crashing waves.