The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot

"Laila?" Avery’s brow furrowed as she played along with Evelyn’s ruse. Evelyn had already told her the recently discovered truth that Annabelle might have been hired by her stepmother. "Isn’t her name Annabelle?" she added, her gaze shifting between Annabelle and Director Niah.

"Seems like you’ve got secrets to hide too, Annabelle," Avery continued, her tone seeding doubt in the minds of everyone present. Even Director Niah’s brows creased, making a mental note to dig into this girl’s past. The company had weathered enough scandals; he couldn’t afford another one bubbling to the surface.

"La-Laila is just my nickname," Annabelle stammered, her expression shifting to one of distress. In a soft, shaky voice, she added, "Evy’s real mother used to call me that."

And there it was again—the traumatized victim card. Evelyn thought and had to give her credit; Annabelle was quite the actress.

"Stop using it, Evelyn. We’ve warned you so many times that she gets triggered by it," Sophia interjected, trying to keep her composure intact. She was too close to victory to let it slip through her fingers now.

Evelyn merely shrugged, knowing she had successfully planted the seeds of suspicion. This would force the board members from making any hasty decisions, especially when they weren’t ready to entrust the company to a mere 17-year-old boy or the sweet, just-discovered Wright’s daughter. If anyone could win their trust, it was Evelyn—and she would start pitching to them once the DNA results were confirmed.

The doctors finished briefing their parts and quickly left the mansion. Elias accompanied Evelyn and Avery to William’s room. As soon as they were alone, Sophia’s polite smile twisted into a sneer, and she grabbed Annabelle’s arm, dragging her upstairs.

"Miss Evelyn," a maid greeted as they passed her in the corridor—someone who had been working here for as long as Evelyn could remember.

"Darah," Evelyn acknowledged her with a small smile. As they continued walking, Evelyn leaned in slightly and whispered, "I’ll be needing your help again."

Darah’s eyes widened, but she quickly nodded, ready to pull out some dangerous cards again. She had promised Evelyn’s grandmother that she would protect this little girl, and this was how she kept her word—by doing whatever Evelyn asked, no matter the risk.

When they reached William’s room, a nurse stood on guard, instructed to not to leave the room especially while Evelyn was there. But Elias broke her resolve, "Get out. We need some privacy."

"But—"

John stepped forward, his mere presence intimidating the nurse into silence. She quickly scurried out, and John followed, locking the door behind them to ensure no one could interrupt his lady boss’s mission.

Evelyn walked over to William’s bed, her heart tightening as she saw how pale he looked, breathing through the oxygen mask. The doctors insisted that stress had caused this, but she couldn’t fully believe it. This man was tough—he hadn’t flinched when his wife died, managing the company with unwavering control, and these past couple of months scandals about her would never faze him.

"Avy, Eli, take pictures of every single slip, tablet strip, and dose given to him," Evelyn ordered, her voice steady and commanding. They nodded and got to work immediately, documenting every detail.

"I need Annabelle’s samples again," Evelyn requested, turning to Darah.

Darah hesitated for a moment before nodding. "She has a spa massage and bath scheduled for the evening, Miss. I’ll try to collect them then." Annabelle had been extremely cautious lately, barely letting anyone enter her room, and even Sophia was supporting her, so it would be risky but Darah would take it for Evelyn.

"Thank you," Evelyn murmured with a small smile. Staying here until late wasn’t wise, especially now that Sophia was aware she was digging into her secrets. She just needed to keep the pressure on and wait for Sophia to make a mistake, a loophole they could use to trap her for good.

"What will you get from there?" Elias grumbled as Avery bent down at William’s bedside. She retrieved the dustbin and began emptying it.

"Should we take these?" Avery asked, holding up small bottles of doses and used syringes. Evelyn nodded, smiling at her best friend’s detective skills.

Once they had gathered enough evidence, carefully hidden in Avery’s bag, Evelyn moved to her father’s side, taking a seat beside his bed. Elias joined her, placing a hand over William’s as they silently stared at him.

William had never shown them the affection they longed for, but he had still provided them with a decent life, working tirelessly to secure their future—a future filled with wealth and luxury, whether they wanted it or not. He wasn’t the type to express his love openly, but he had always been there when they needed him, at least for Elias.

"I know you still love Mom, but this isn’t the right time to join her. There’s a lot left for you to see, so steel your heart and wake up, old man," Evelyn whispered, her voice soft yet firm.

"Let’s get his hair sample before anyone comes in," Avery suggested, her eyes darting nervously around the room. They had been in here for a few minutes already, and Sophia could burst in at any moment.

Elias nodded, helping his sister collect the sample. Evelyn had already confided in him about their investigation into Annabelle’s past, but she kept her suspicions about Sophia to herself. He just hoped Evelyn could untangle this mess soon and claim what was rightfully hers.

"We should collect some blood too," Evelyn suggested, and Darah, who had previously worked as a nurse, quickly moved to William’s bedside.

"Pass me an injection, please," Darah asked, and Avery handed her one from the boxes beside the monitor.

Darah carefully drew blood from William’s vein, filling a small tube before sealing it in a plastic zipper bag and passing it to Evelyn.

"I owe you big time, Darah," Evelyn said, hugging the maid who had taken care of her all these years.

Darah smiled and clasped Evelyn’s hand. "I’ll personally deliver Annabelle’s samples to you after my shift, Miss. Let’s hope luck is on our side this time."

Evelyn nodded with a determined smile, and they all walked out. The nurse, who had been arguing with John outside, frowned as the group emerged from the room. Her eyes scanned them suspiciously, but she found nothing out of place.

"Get the car ready, John," Avery ordered, and John nodded before heading down the corridor.

Evelyn pulled Elias into a tight hug and said, "I might get busy for a few days. Take care of yourself, and call me if anything happens."

Elias nodded, returning the hug. "You take care too. Be careful, and call me if anything happens to you."

Evelyn smiled at his mirrored words, ruffling his hair before walking out of the mansion with Avery by her side.

Upstairs, in Sophia’s room, Annabelle sat uneasily in a chair while Sophia lit a cigar, her irritation evident with every puff of smoke she exhaled. Evelyn’s words still echoed in her mind, gnawing at her nerves.

"I-I think Zevian Reign is helping her," Annabelle ventured, her voice barely a whisper after enduring Sophia’s earlier lash out. "We should separate them before he digs more and ruins your plans."

Sophia’s nostrils flared as she took another drag from her cigar. As much as she despised hearing Annabelle’s voice, the foolish woman was speaking facts. Her gaze drifted to the window, watching as John held the car door open for Evelyn.

"I don’t know what spell she has cast on him, but he seems to adore her so much. Their dance at the party shows it." Annabelle added, recalling the sensational video that had garnered so much attention.

Sophia’s eyes followed Evelyn’s car as it disappeared out of the mansion. Slowly, a wicked smile curled her lips, a brilliant idea taking shape. "Let’s see if he’ll still adore her after finding her sleeping next to her ex-fiancé."

Annabelle frowned, trying to grasp the meaning of Sophia’s words. "What do you mean?"

Sophia pressed the dying embers of her cigar into the ashtray, her smirk deepening. "Evelyn will soon have quite a night with Vincent Blake."

"No one will be able to save her this time, not even the prayers of her dead mother," Sophia murmured, a sinister cackle escaping her lips.