Chapter 39: Evelyn! How Dare You

Chapter 39: Evelyn! How Dare You

“It was you?”

Eve sat at a table in a high-end coffee shop. The soft music in the background blended with the murmurs from the other tables. And the smell of brewing coffee hung in the atmosphere.

“Yeah.” The man sitting across her laughed softly.

Eve fiddled with the straps of her handbag, unable to take her eyes off him. Why hadn’t she recognized his voice during the phone call?

“How did you know my phone number, Mr. Hudson?”

“Is that the most important thing to ask? I thought you were here because of the information I have for you.”

Of course, Eve was more than curious to know who dared send the taxi man to hit her.

“Mr. Hudson, you took the liberty to investigate this matter. I am sure we don’t know each other, is there something you want from me?”

Wade dropped a briefcase on the table and opened it before bringing out some photos.

“You can put it as that.” He pushed the photos to her. “After all, you promised me a cup of coffee, Eve. But it has been one week, and you didn’t look for me. So I took it upon myself to look for you, instead.”

A staff approached them with two coffee cups on a tray and carefully placed them on the table.

“So to put it simply.” Wade went on. “I looked into this matter because I wanted to help you fulfill your promise to me.”

Eve picked the photos up and looked through each one.

The first picture was that of the taxi driver that almost hit her. The second picture had the taxi driver in it making a phone call. And the third picture was of Cole gripping the taxi driver’s collars; they seemed to be engaged in a heated argument.

“Obviously, the taxi driver didn’t carry out his mission, and that’s why Mr. Nathan looks mad.”

Eve could very well see that. And thinking back to Cole’s sudden phone call before the near collision, the coincidence was too good to be true.

Cole had sent the taxi driver to hit her. But because she got saved on time, the taxi driver came out and apologized, making it seem like a normal accident.

Otherwise, it would have been a hit-and-run if the taxi driver had successfully hit her.

“How did you know that the taxi driver was faking it?” She looked up and asked.

“I told you he seemed to have something up his sleeves.” Wade shrugged. “And now that I have brought you this evidence, Eve. I know you are smart to be more careful next time.”

Eve dropped the photos in her bag and nodded.

Cole. He was serious about getting rid of her, after all. That idiot wasn’t just bluffing.

Eve sighed and stared into the distance.

Maybe he didn’t even like her right from the start. Many years ago, while she was still in the province, they met in the woods during an interschool competition. He was on the brink of death due to some strange allergy to the new weather, and she’d carried his heavy weight on her back out of the wood in the middle of the night until she also passed out.

Then several days later, she had almost forgotten the incident when Cole appeared in the province. He didn’t recognize her at first, then they became friends, and slowly, things led to the way they became.

Eve only found out in her past life that he never loved her, and when he met Mia, he didn’t waste time to cheat on her and take Mia’s side.

“Eve.”

Wade waved his hand in front of her, snapping her back to her senses.

“You seem to be reminiscing some memory? Would you care to share?”

Eve shook her head and glanced at her coffee cup. She didn’t want to remember that time.

“Thank you, Mr. Hudson.” She stood up. “I appreciate you looking into this matter. And now that I’ve bought you coffee, I’m sure that fulfills my promise to you.”

“But you now owe me another favor.” Wade looked up. “You can’t leave yet, Eve. We haven’t even spent five minutes.”

“Please, it’s Mrs. Anderson.”

Wade stared at her, smiling with his eyes. Then he dropped his coffee cup and also stood up.

“Aren’t you going to repay this favor?” He asked. “I’m pretty sure I’ve saved your life again by giving you a headstart about what Mr. Nathan is up to.”

“And I thank you for that.” Eve faced him. “We are strangers, Mr. Hudson. And you know my identity. It will do us both no good to be seen together frequently.”

“Who told you we’re strangers?” Wade shoved both hands into his pockets, smiling. “Eve, you’ll be surprised to know the number of things I know about you.”

Eve tilted her head to the side, frowning. The number of things he knew about her?

“What do you mean by that, Mr. Hudson?”

“You didn’t even ask how I recognized you that day despite you wearing a mask,” Wade said. “And you didn’t ask me, Eve, about how I know of your driving lessons.”

Her driving lessons? Eve’s frown deepened. He just mentioned it now.

“Mr. Hudson?”

“Now you’re going to ask me about that, right?”

Eve gave him an apprehensive look and maintained a little distance from him. “What do you want from me, Mr. Hudson?”

“Please call me, Wade.”

“Whatever you want from me, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. Let this be our last encounter, and please stop stalking me.”

“I wasn’t stalking you, Eve.” Wade took one step forward, closing the distance between them. “Would you believe me if I told you that I wasn’t stalking you? I just happen to know everything about you.”

Eve shook her head. “I wouldn’t believe such a thing.”

Besides, it was impossible. She didn’t even know this man in her past life. She could swear she never saw him before.

“Eve.” Wade leaned forward, placed a hand on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear. “There are several qualities I like to see in a woman, and in this whole universe, only you possess such qualities. I must be straightforward. I have eyes for you, Eve. Since that night at the party, I’ve been restless.”

Eve broke out of her shock. She shook his hand off and took several steps back. “Please watch your behavior, Mr. Hudson. This is a public place.”

“If it was a private place, would you allow me to touch you?”

Eve shuddered at his gaze before giving him a hard look. “No one needs to tell you about my identity. Mr. Hudson, whatever your intention is, I must remind you that I am married. And I am not that kind of woman.”

Eve left the coffee shop, her thoughts disoriented. Damn it! She had even ditched her driving lesson to come here.

If she had known, she wouldn’t have taken that mysterious call seriously and come to this coffee shop.

But then, she wouldn’t have found out what Cole had in store for her. ‘Urgh.’ She never wanted to meet this Wade or whatever he was called again.

She put on her face mask and hailed a taxi. She could go back to her driving lesson, but Jonah must have already left.

And she didn’t want to go straight to Ethan’s company, at least not yet. The heartless man would just work her ass off all day.

While contemplating what to do, Eve’s phone rang in her bag and she brought it out to see Ethan’s name flashing on the screen.

Eve winced and answered the call. What was with the sudden guilt that gripped her heart? It wasn’t like she’d done something wrong, right?

“Y–Your Majesty.”

“Evelyn! How dare you!”