"I need to speak to you, in private," he said, looking directly at Eva.
Eva glanced up at Ryan before saying, "You can say whatever you want to say in front of Ryan."
Dante's eyes darkened even further.
Who was Ryan and why was he so important to her? He looked at their hands, which were linked together. His stomach churned with something he wasn't pleased with.
Was Ryan her boyfriend? A lover? But she had a husband who was Nathan? Were they romantically involved with each other? How did he even find her all of a sudden? And why did it have to be now that he was here, about to propose what he had?
Dante resisted the urge to pull his hair in frustration. This was his second encounter with this woman and she was already giving him trouble.
"Aren't you going to talk anymore?" Eva asked.
Dante, with gritted teeth, parted his lips to speak, "I want to offer you a marriage contract."
Both Ryan and Eva shared a look, wondering if they possibly heard the same thing they thought they heard, or perhaps, Dante was joking.
However, when Dante didn't smile or play it off as a joke, they got to realize that he wasn't joking at all.
"What?" Ryan asked.
Dante reached into his back which was with him the entire time and brought out a document. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but at that moment, a new picture of him had been uploaded on the internet, and this time, the person went as far as to photoshop him lying in bed with a man.
After Rico had suggested the idea of making Evangeline his contracted wife, he'd decided to wave it away until yesterday, when a picture of him had been uploaded, and more with every hour.
It was starting to irritate him.
"This is a marriage contract I've drafted. If you want anything changed, you can let me know," he stretched his hands towards her. Eva gave him a pointed look before she took it from his hands, still unable to believe it.
"And why would you be offering Eva a marriage contract?" Ryan asked, his distaste evident in his tone.
"I'm trying to clear off gay rumors," Dante responded. As embarrassing as it was, it was something that needed to be said. Then he turned to Eva. "Just pretend to be my woman, and bear my child."
Eva scoffed, closing the document and handing it back to him. "I don't want this. If this is the price I have to pay just because you rescued me that night, then I'm sorry, I don't want to do this. Find someone else."
Dante was well prepared for that reply. He still had a clear idea who was behind what had happened to her, he didn't even bother to ask her.
"What do you have to offer in return for this marriage contract?" Ryan asked, earning him a look from Eva but didn't say anything.
Judging from Eva's background, she didn't need his help to find the person who did that to her, or even his protection
"As soon as the rumors are cleared, I'll assist you in whichever way you want," he replied.
Dante suddenly felt like he was in a meeting with business associates. The air was heavy with tension, making him worry if that was enough to convince Eva to be by his side for the meantime.
Her expression was stoic, as if unimpressed, and somehow, he suddenly had to urge to impress her.
"I'll give you some time to think about it. But in the meantime, I'll leave this here for you to go through the terms and conditions of the contract," he said, standing up and ready to leave
Both Ryan and Eva watched him leave without saying another word.
"Dante is useful," Ryan said. "With his help, you can finally find the truth."
Eva was well aware of what Ryan was talking about. With Dante's power and wealth, the search for the truth she'd been searching for since she was a child would go faster, and most importantly, she could finally find her sister.
"Being with him is one thing, but he wants me to bear his child Ryan," she said, her voice shaking. "I've already lost way too many babies in my life to even think of creating another one."
Ryan wrapped his arms around Eva, gently patting her back. It was a habit he'd gotten used to having in order to soothe her whenever she was worried, and somehow it already calmed her down.
"I'm sorry that happened to you," he apologized.
"It's not your fault," she cried, tears rolling down her face. "It's my fault. I was too stupid to see through their facade. I believed every single word they told me. They treated me like a fool only because I acted like one. But they've had too much fun for that. I'm going to get back at them. They'll both experience what they made me feel," she promised, her fingers clutching Ryan's shirt, her hot tears staining the fabric.
After much consideration, Eva gave Dante's offer some thought. It was just a pretend marriage and nothing else.
Ryan visited as regularly as possible, making sure to be present during her rehabilitation session.
On a cool evening, after Eva was done with her session, ready to go back to the hospital room to rest—Evan had already processed her discharge papers which would take another week before she could finally leave.
However, someone was already waiting inside the hospital room.
It was Dante.
"I want to take you somewhere," he said.
Eva frowned at him. "Where?"
"You'll see," he said, pushing her wheelchair out of the hospital towards his car.
He helped her inside before they drove away from the hospital. Eva wasn't sure if he took permission from Evan first but she didn't ask.
Dante parked by the side of the street, near a bustling venue.
Everyone was cheering, flowers were used to decorate everywhere and everyone clicked glasses. A harmonious music was being played—Eva's eyes twitched. She recognized that song.
That was the same song that played when she and Nathan got married.
Everything clicked.
This was the wedding day of Katherine and Nathan.