Chapter 3

The next day, I received a SnapChat friend request from Chloe. The message read:

"Evelyn, I wanted to explain about your car maintenance."

That day was incredibly busy. I had meetings all day and then rushed to catch a flight for my uncle's birthday dinner in the evening.

It wasn't until I landed that I found time to accept the request.

Chloe immediately sent a voice message, essentially saying that the temporary worker who serviced my car had gone missing without explanation and couldn't be contacted.

I didn't reply to her. When I returned, I accidentally swiped into her Ins feed.

Her latest post was from half an hour ago. The photo showed Ryan sitting on the sofa in our villa, drinking soup.

In the background, I could see the high-priced oil painting I had acquired at auction, and the custom Italian handmade rug.

Even more jarring was Chloe wearing my favorite pajamas and slippers.

She was smiling brightly, leaning close to him, holding up her phone with one hand and making a peace sign with the other.

The caption read:

"Finally able to take care of you when you're sick, even though I'm misunderstood. But the innocent will always be proven innocent. Homemade bone broth, hope you get better soon."

I took a screenshot and sent it to Ryan.

"Living in my house, wearing my clothes, getting intimate with my husband–is this your idea of 'innocent'?!"

Ryan instantly replied.

"Evelyn, Chloe got her clothes dirty making soup for me, so she just borrowed yours temporarily. She was only being kind, don't overthink it."

I scoffed.

"Only being kind?"

"I bet making soup was fake, and secretly moving in to steal my man was real. Wearing my clothes to play innocent, what, do you think squatting in my home will make you the official lady of the house?"

"Can you stop being so harsh?"

Ryan's tone changed.

"You're never around, and she specifically came to take care of me. Can't you show a little understanding?"

"Evelyn, you weren't like this before. Why have you become so bossy and unreasonable now?"

I looked at the screen and laughed in anger.

Bossy? Unreasonable?

When Miller Group's funding chain broke, it was my assertiveness that led my team to work overtime for a month straight, helping him secure crucial investments.

When his father was gravely ill, it was I, the "unreasonable" one, who put aside several hundred-million-dollar merger cases to stay by his bedside in the hospital for half a month.

He used to say he admired my power and decisiveness in the workplace.

Now, with a gentle and thoughtful "little angel" by his side, he found me bossy and harsh?

Because my aunt insisted I stay longer, it wasn't until the third day that I caught the earliest flight home.

The fingerprint lock hadn't been changed, but my fingerprint had been deleted.

I stood at the door and rang the doorbell.

It was Chloe who opened the door.

This time, she was wearing Ryan's shirt, the hem just covering her thighs. Her hair was wet, as if she had just showered.

"Evelyn?"

Her voice was surprised.

"Why are you back? Ryan is still sleeping…"

I cut her off.

"Can't I come back to my own home?"

"Move!"

"I didn't mean that."

She stubbornly blocked the doorway.

"But Ryan is still resting, and Evelyn seems upset. I'm afraid you'll disturb him…"

I couldn't be bothered with her nonsense. I simply pushed her aside.

"Get lost!"

Ryan was woken by the commotion and emerged from the bedroom, leaning on his crutches.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, he frowned.

"What's going on?"