Chapter 38 - 38: Unpredictable

Michelle Cindy widens her eyes in horror. Hearing the bodyguard mention hotel staff, she's scared Evan will blame her. She falls to her knees on the ground.

She knows that Evane Howel hates being photographed, but she had never expected that he would be so angry. He's sop wrathful, he's punished the bodyguards before Avery. Though she's scared, she's eager to see what consequences will befall Avery. She can't wait to see how miserable Avery becomes.

"I was informed that Mrs. Howel took photos in secret, and she insisted on seeing me in the bathroom," Michelle explains, "Mr. Howel, if I know she gave the phone to me so she could run away, I never would have left her alone."

Michelle continues, "Honestly, it's none of my business what you do in your marriage, but we were classmates and I know she likes to take stealthiest, especially of handsome boys. I just didn't think it was right that she take stealthiest of you."

After Avery made the jibe about her underwear, Michelle feels the need to hit back. Avery glances quickly at Michelle and sees that Michelle is staring at her with an aggressive expression. The desire to watch Avery suffer is plain on her face. Avery and Michelle both know the real reason Avery took stealthiest in high school.

Avery was new in school and Michelle was the popular president of the student union. Michelle picked on her and demanded she takes stealthiest of their hot classmates. Avery was too timid and shy, and she took the photos in the hopes Michelle would stop bullying her. Avery refuses to let Michelle push her around now.

"Oh, were your classmates? Does Avery always take stealthiest of men she finds handsome," Evan asks, "I had no idea."

Avery looks fearfully at Evan and feels Evan's anger intensify.

"Why are you so angry?" she asks, "All young girls like handsome boys—it's harmless." She pauses and continues grimly, "I'm just afraid I was so blinded by looks, I could have gotten married to a bad man. Luckily I got you."

Evan doesn't know if he's furious or flattered if she's serious or sarcastic.

"Have you lost all confidence in me, husband? Are you afraid I'll run away?" she asks, "Do you think I regret my choices?"

"Besides, I know that you ordered bodyguards to follow me. I'm not stupid enough to run away," she continues, "I just wanted to take a walk in this beautiful garden, but then I lost my ring. Now that you're here, can you please help me find it?"

Avery takes Evan's hand and looks at him softly.

"Are you really looking for a ring?" he asks.

"Of course, I am. What else would I be doing here? Do you really think I want to get away from you and all of this?"

"Well, do you want to get away?"

"Of course, I don't," she assures him. Pretending to suddenly recall something she says, "Do you think I'll still have time to go to the physical examination this afternoon?"

"Of course," Evan says suspiciously, "Is there a problem?"

"I have nothing to hide," Avery says, "The medical facts speak louder than my words ever can. If you don't believe me, I'm eager to go to the hospital."

Evan stares into Avery's face. Her face is so beautiful in the sun, and her rosy lips attract him in a way he can't describe. Michelle is confused by their interaction.

"It seems that Mr. Howel is unconcerned about the stealthy," she thinks, "But there's something very strange going on between them. He's looking at her as if she's betrayed him with another man, but surely that couldn't happen to Mr. Howel. It's one thing for him to cheat on Avery, but impossible for Avery to cheat on him."

Their atmosphere is tense.

"Mr. Howel, the hotel staff told me that when they walked into the bathroom, they found that Mrs. Howel had opened the window and was preparing to climb out," Michelle says.

Evan looks gloomy and unpredictable. He says nothing but looks at Avery with raised eyebrows, waiting for her explanation.

"I just didn't want people to follow me. I hate feeling like a prisoner everywhere I go. Sometimes I just want some privacy," she says.

She knows her explanation is implausible, but she musters her courage.

"If you don't believe me, I have nothing left to say," Avery says, "Whatever you decide to do, please hurry up. I want to look for my ring."

Evan decides to believe her. He places his palm on the side of her neck and curls his fingers. Bluish blood vessels are visible below the fair skin of her neck. The elegant delicate neck looks so weak and fragile. With just a little effort, he could crush her.

"Do you think I wouldn't dare?" he asks.

Avery knows he's capable of doing it. She bravely grits her teeth and closes her eyes tightly. She waits for the pain, but it never comes. Evan's rough hand caresses her neck instead.

He leans down and whispers in her ear, "You never surrender to me, even when I threaten your life. I admire that, and I'm very excited to hear the result of this examination."

Evan takes his hand off her neck and gestures to Robert and his staff, "Find her ring."

Avery smiles painfully. Instead of killing her, Evan has decided to make her suffer more slowly. She doesn't want to think about what will happen if the test results show that Charles Meyer made a mistake. It would be a disaster for everyone involved.

Robert quickly takes the phone from Michelle's hands and wipes it again and again with his handkerchief. Once he's erased all smudges and fingerprints, he carefully hands the phone to Evan.

"Did you take photos of me?" Evan asks as he starts to slide the unlock button on the phone.

Avery snatches the phone from him. Evan raises his eyebrows unhappily. No woman has ever dared to grab something from his hands.

"No, I didn't get a shot," Avery replies calmly, "But Michelle Cindy accused me of taking stealthiest, shouldn't she apologize to me?"

Michelle is surprised and horrified.

"No shot? It's impossible," she thinks, "If Avery didn't take a photo, why did she admit it earlier?"

"You're lying. You already admitted it and you told me that Mr. Howel asked you to do it," Michelle says aloud.

"I did say that, but you didn't believe it."

The wind blows, and a few strands of Avery's hair fall from her ponytail. Evan watches the hair distractedly and starts to play with it, wrapping it around his fingers.

"You don't like Michelle?" he asks Avery.

Avery ignores his question, "The ring is so hard to find."

She pulls her head away from him, and one of the strands tangled around his fingers is pulled out of her scalp.

"Why did she split her legs like that?" Evan asks Avery.

"You should ask her yourself," Avery replies.

Evan turns around and looks at Michelle who is lying on the green lawn.

"I—I—" Michelle stutters and looks at the ground in fear.

Impatient with Michelle's sudden inability to speak, Evan points art one of the waiters, "You tell me what happened."

The waiter looks down nervously, but responds quickly, "When Manager Cindy heard that Mrs. Howel was out here in the garden, she quickly came to stop her. Mrs. Howel wanted to leave, and Manager Cindy told her that if she wanted to go, she'd have to crawl through her legs."

Michelle is horrified and upset and she buries her face in the lawn as she speaks, "Mr. Howel, I never thought that she would actually go through my legs. I just wanted to make difficulties for her to keep her from escaping."

Michelle speaks quickly and tremblingly through her tears. Avery looks coldly at her former classmate still trying to manipulate the situation. Avery refuses to engage with her any longer.

Evan walks toward Michelle step by step, and his strong and tall shadow gradually covers her. Recalling the bodyguards' bloody punishment, Michelle shakes with fear. She doesn't dare to look up at Evan; she keeps her face pressed into the lawn.