The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot-Chapter 96: I Have Seen Her!

Damien and Evelyn exchanged glances, their gazes intense as they both said, almost in sync, "Sophia."

Avery, standing nearby, exchanged a look with Damien’s assistant, both of them sinking into their own thoughts, realizing that Sophia seemed the perfect candidate as the mastermind behind everything. Unless there were other enemies who sought to destroy William, but Evelyn doubted it. Her father had always maintained clean, amicable relationships with everyone—except her.

Damien broke the silence first, his voice steady, "I’ll dig deeper into this."

Evelyn nodded determination in her eyes. "I’ll visit the Wright mansion tomorrow. Maybe I can find more clues about Sophia."

The group exchanged agreements and Damien offered, "It’s getting late. I’ll drop you off at Zevian’s house. You shouldn’t be driving alone at this hour."

Avery crossed her arms and scoffed, "No thanks. We can manage."

Damien’s lips curled slightly in a mocking grin as he looked directly at Evelyn. "I was asking Evelyn."

Avery’s expression darkened. "Well, she won’t too. Right, Evy?"

Evelyn, feeling the tension rise, quickly stepped in, shaking her head. "Alright, let’s just go." She gently pulled Avery along, guiding her toward Damien’s car before things could escalate further.

Damien, satisfied, quickly slid into the driver’s seat while his assistant and others handled retrieving Avery and Evelyn’s car to be delivered back to Zevian’s place.

The drive to Zevian’s house was quiet, but filled with unspoken thoughts. When they arrived, Evelyn thanked Damien and gave him a soft smile. "Good night, and thanks for the ride."

Damien gave her a brief nod, his usual stoic expression softening for just a moment. "Take care."

As soon as Evelyn walked into the house, she noticed Zevian sitting on the couch, his eyes glued to his phone, tension visible in his posture. Their eyes met, and Evelyn could feel the unease in the air.

"We are so doomed," Avery muttered under her breath, but loud enough for Evelyn to hear.

"You should have woken me up," Zevian said, his voice stern, but his expression filled with worry.

Evelyn sighed and approached him. "You needed rest. Besides, one of us had to stay with Kiana. She was fast asleep." She placed a hand on his arm, trying to ease his tension.

Zevian’s eyes softened, though there was still a trace of concern. He gently reached out, taking her hand in his. "Did you find anything?"

Evelyn wasn’t surprised by his question. Damien must have called him and filled him in. She had insisted on going alone, but Zevian, being who he was, was always involved, always one step ahead.

Before she could answer, Avery stretched her arms dramatically and let out a loud yawn, cutting through the moment. "Ah, I’m exhausted. Good night, lovebirds. I’m heading to bed."

Without waiting for a response, she waved over her shoulder and trudged upstairs, leaving them alone in the quiet of the dimly lit room.

Zevian sat back down, pulling Evelyn gently with him until she was seated beside him. The warmth of his presence calmed her, and before she could stop herself, she rested her head on his shoulder. Zevian’s arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer until her head was nestled against his chest, his steady heartbeat a comforting rhythm against her ear.

Evelyn sighed deeply, letting the tension of the day melt away in his arms. She had always found solace in his embrace, and tonight, more than ever, she needed it.

"Damien found out that it was all planned," she began softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "We suspect Sophia is behind it."

Zevian hummed in response, his grip on her tightening just a bit. He had been bracing himself for something like this. It seemed no matter how hard Evelyn tried to distance herself from the Wright family, they always found a way to pull her back into their chaos. It was like some cruel, invisible thread that kept her bound to them, no matter how much she resisted.

Before he could voice his thoughts, Evelyn looked up at him, her eyes soft but filled with resolve. "Since William was discharged today, I’ll visit him tomorrow with Kiana. Maybe we’ll get some more clues."

Zevian nodded, his thumb gently brushing over her knuckles as he considered her plan. William had been eager to see Kiana, having missed her during all the recent drama with Dominic. It made sense for Evelyn to go, though he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about her being anywhere near Sophia.

Evelyn hugged him tighter, a sigh escaping her lips as she confessed, "I don’t want tomorrow to come. I just want to stay like this, in your arms, and forget the rest of the world."

Zevian smiled softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Me too."

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "How about you take the day off tomorrow? We could spend the whole day here, just us and Kiana, and visit William in the evening."

Zevian chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I’ve got an important meeting tomorrow. I can’t push it any further."

Evelyn scowled playfully, pinching his chest lightly, causing him to wince. "You work too much."

He caught her hand, pulling her even closer until their faces were just inches apart. "I will clear my schedule for the weekend."

Evelyn rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "You better."

---

The next day, Evelyn stood in front of the Wright mansion, her heart heavy. The more she tried to escape this place, the closer it always seemed to pull her back. She sighed, running a hand through her hair as Kiana’s excited voice broke her thoughts.

"Let’s go, Mommy! Grandpa William must be waiting for me!"

Evelyn smiled down at her daughter, grateful for her innocence in all this chaos. Kiana grabbed her hand, practically dragging her towards the mansion. Just as expected, William was pacing the large hall when they arrived, his eyes flicking to his watch repeatedly.

The moment Kiana saw him, her face lit up. "Grandpa!" she squealed, running toward him.

William’s face softened as Kiana wrapped herself around his leg. He reached down, patting the top of her head. "There’s my little bean." He bent slightly, attempting to lift her, but Evelyn quickly stepped forward.

"You can’t lift her," she said, her voice gentle but firm.

William scowled, clearly irritated by the reminder of his limitations, but he obeyed, opting instead to sit down with Kiana beside him. The two began chatting animatedly, and Evelyn couldn’t help but smile as she watched them.

Moments later, Elias walked in, looking worn out from his responsibilities at the company. But his tired face brightened when he saw Evelyn and Kiana. He immediately walked over, pulling his sister into a hug. "Ah, I have been cursing you a lot these days."

Evelyn chuckled and hugged him back tightly, relieved to see that Elias had taken her words seriously. "You look exhausted," she teased.

"Tell me about it," he muttered, plopping down next to Kiana.

As the three of them talked, the peace was suddenly interrupted by the sound of heels clicking against the floor. Evelyn looked up to see Annabelle and Sophia descending the stairs, fake smiles plastered on their faces.

"Evy!" Annabelle chirped, her voice grating as usual.

Evelyn forced a polite smile, holding back the urge to roll her eyes. She didn’t want to stir any drama in front of William. He still had no idea about Annabelle’s true identity, and Evelyn wasn’t about to ruin the fragile peace between them right now. Sophia, on the other hand, greeted Kiana with a forced smile.

"Hi, Witch Grandma!" Kiana chirped, causing Sophia’s expression to twist into a scowl.

Everyone struggled to suppress their laughter as Kiana corrected herself. "Oops, I mean Wright Grandma."

The atmosphere lightened, and they all moved into the dining room. Kiana was thrilled to sit next to William, a seat that once belonged to Evelyn but had long been claimed by Annabelle. Sophia’s jaw clenched as she settled in beside her son, her dark mood barely concealed.

As the maids began serving lunch, Kiana’s curious eyes roamed around the room until they landed on a large portrait hanging on the wall. "Who’s that?" she asked, pointing at the painting.

William turned to look at the portrait, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "That’s Gracia Wright," he said softly, his voice filled with emotion. "My wife."

Sophia’s expression soured as William referred to Gracia simply as his wife, not his ex-wife. She was his wife now for god’s sake!

Kiana’s face lit up with recognition. "Oh! Mommy’s mommy?"

The room grew still, shock settling over everyone. William’s eyes widened slightly, but he nodded, for the first time in years, acknowledging Evelyn as his daughter in front of everyone. Evelyn’s eyes teared up at the gesture, her heart swelling with emotion. Even Annabelle looked surprised as she sipped her juice, silently enjoying the drama.

Sophia’s lips curled into a tight, bitter smile. "Yes, baby," she said, her voice sickly sweet. "But sadly, she’s in heaven now, just like your mommy."

Evelyn’s grip on her fork tightened, her knuckles turning white. Sophia’s words weren’t just meant to sadden Kiana—they were a direct jab, a cruel attempt to hurt Evelyn under the guise of comforting the child. But before Evelyn could respond, Kiana tilted her head, squinting at the portrait again, seemingly unfazed by the comment.

"No, she is not dead! I have seen her before," Kiana said brightly, her little voice piercing through the tension once more.

The entire room fell silent. Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat as she exchanged a confused glance with William.

"Where?" Evelyn asked carefully, her voice laced with curiosity and a hint of fear.

Kiana pointed at the portrait, her finger steady as she looked up at everyone with wide, innocent eyes. "We went to a summer camp once," she explained, her words clear and unwavering. "And this sweet lady was there. She owned a farm. She gave us lots of fruits and veggies. She was really nice."

The room seemed to freeze as her words hung in the air, the weight of them pressing down on everyone.

Sophia’s face paled, her usual composure slipping for the first time. She tried to calm herself, forcing a smile as she looked at Kiana. "You must be mistaken, darling," she said softly, her voice laced with an edge of desperation. "That couldn’t have been her."

But Kiana was stubborn, shaking her head with a certainty that sent chills down Evelyn’s spine. "No," she insisted, her voice firm. "It was her. I even have photos of her in my school album. I can show you."