Evelyn shook her head.
"Are you insane, Oscar? Do you seriously think I could marry my own brother?"
She narrowed her eyes, trying to scold him with her gaze, but instead of getting the hint, he just chuckled, acting like this was all some big joke.
When he opened his mouth, ready to deliver whatever nonsense was brewing, she stopped him.
"Please, my dear friend… I've never... Ever... looked at you as a romantic option. You're my brother. Stop auditioning for my love life."
"Heck! You're cruel. Now I finally understand your heart is carved out of stone, Eve..." he sighed dramatically, though a laugh slipped right out of him.
Oscar's ridiculous theatrics loosened the knot in Evelyn's chest.
"No way, Oscar? You're only figuring that out now?" she teased.
He burst into a hearty laugh, and Evelyn couldn't help but stare, amused by the way his entire face lit up. There he was, Oscar Jennings, the mischievous and playful spirit she knew.
When his laughter finally wound down, Evelyn casually dropped a grenade into their conversation.
"Oscar, you know what? I'm pregnant."
His laugh disappeared instantly. His jaw nearly hit the floor.
"What the fuck! You, you're pregnant?" His eyes went wide enough to swallow the room. "Eve, don't screw around with me like that. It's not funny."
"My life's too bitter for jokes right now. I'm seriously pregnant."
Silence settled softly between them, as neither of them spoke, letting only the gentle sound of waves crashing outside fill the quiet space.
After a few more minutes, Oscar finally broke the silence.
"That's why your father kicked you out of the family registry?"
"Yeah." She shrugged like it was nothing. "I refused to marry the man he picked for me. I mean, how could I? My little tenant in my belly already has a landlord."
"Who's the unlucky guy?" Oscar asked, his tone and expression suddenly stripped of their usual playful tease.
Evelyn froze.
'Oh, perfect! Now, Detective Oscar has entered the chat...'
Evelyn vented her frustration in her mind as she realized she'd said too much. There was no way, absolutely no way, she'd tell him the baby's father was Axel Knight. Right!
That secret was better kept locked away, buried deep, and left alone forever.
Besides, keeping it to herself was also for Oscar's safety. The less he knew, the less chance he had of winding up in a hospital or a coffin.
Apparently, Oscar had decided his "no prying" vow had expired.
While she sat there, pretending to be calm, Oscar's fingers flew across his keyboard.
Evelyn didn't need to look to know he was digging.
Oscar's gaze shifted to another monitor, eyes narrowing until his face went from curious to turn frosty.
One minute passed.
Then two.
Maybe three.
Long enough for Evelyn to feel like she was stuck in a live-action suspense movie, minus the popcorn watching Oscar gasps, while reading something on his other monitor.
When he finally turned back his focus with her, a sour smile tugged at his lips; cold, knowing, and just a little smug. His eyes stayed locked on hers.
Yep. He knew.
She let out a silent sigh, bracing herself. He already knew the answer, but she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of hearing it from her.
Instead, she simply stared back, daring him to make the first move.
Not long after, Oscar's voice broke through the silence.
"Eve…" he started slowly, as if he were trying to piece together the memory in his mind. "That day you asked me to cover your tracks at the Imperial Hotel, were you actually sleeping with Axel Knight?"
'Oh, fantastic. Out of all the dusty files, he had to pull out that one.' Evelyn's jaw tightened, her eyes narrowing on him in warning.
"I promise I won't say anything, Oscar… But for the love of my sanity, stay calm and do not try to dig any information about him. Seriously. It's better for everyone if you don't. He's not just trouble, he's in the VIP section of people-you-don't-want-to-mess-with."
Oscar laughed. But it wasn't the fun kind of laugh. It was the "I'm irritated but pretending I'm amused" kind.
"I know… In your country, there are only two people I'd never mess with; you and that man." His eyes locked on her, sharp enough to make Evelyn slightly shiver; he was annoyed.
"You're cooked, Eve. How could you sleep with that dangerous man?" He added.
"Don't blame me! Blame the alcohol…"
"Tsk, tsk… You're unbelievable. You know you can't handle it, and you still dared to?"
"I know. That's why I can't even blame anyone else. I was too stupid."
She let out a bitter laugh, mentally high-fiving Past Evelyn for making Present Evelyn's life a complete dumpster fire.
"Why didn't you tell him? Maybe he will accept you..."
"He would kill me. Or drag me to a clinic and make sure the baby never existed. Remember... he's William Walters' enemy."
Oscar's expression went from annoyed to grim in an instant.
"Alright. Let's drop it. Where are you now?"
"I'm somewhere safe. No one can find me here. I will tell you in time. But now... I need your help."
"You want me to stop the trash news about you?" he guessed.
"No. Please don't. If William Walters suspects I have someone with your skills, he'll know I'm not alone and can fight back. I don't want that. Let it run. But you must ensure no recent photos of me show up anywhere. And that my new identity is safely hidden. No one connects it to my old name."
"What's your new name?"
"I'm using my mother's last name. I'll send you my ID. I also need a new bank account and for you to move my private funds there…"
She rattled off the rest of her instructions before finally ending the video call, leaning back on her chair with a sigh.
'Congratulations, Eve. You've officially upgraded from 'mild disaster' to 'classified mess.'
Evelyn stood from her seat and shut her laptop with a soft click. She was halfway to enjoying a warm shower when the doorbell rang.
She froze, eyes locked on the door.
'Oh, perfect. A surprise guest? Who even knows I'm here?'
Her pulse quickened as Axel Knight's face appeared in her mind.