Chapter 22

After the airport encounter, Caleb made no effort to hide his intentions and squeezed himself into the backseat with Evelina and Jasper.

The ride was awkward, with Evelina feeling like a barrier between two imposing figures

Jasper's gaze toward Caleb was cold and sharp.

Despite maintaining a stoic exterior, Caleb was inwardly cursing. The strength of Jasper's handshake had almost necessitated a trip to the hospital-if he hadn't let go at the last second, Caleb was certain he would have needed a cast.

However, Caleb's resolve remained unshaken. He confidently said, "I'm staying wherever Evi stays. We come as a duo."

Jasper quickly dismissed the notion. "That won't be necessary. Ms. Marsh will be staying at my residence,with my niece. Your presence there would be... less than ideal."

He leaned forward and quietly instructed the driver,"Please take Mr. Quinn to the hotel." The declaration ignited Caleb's temper.

Unwilling to let Evelina stay at Jasper's house without him, he insisted, "Evi, you should come with me to the hotel tonight," while shooting Jasper a challenging look. 3

Caleb wasn't intimidated by Jasper Russell; after all,he worked for Damien Marsh, who was among the few capable of standing up to Jasper in Ireah.

Additionally, Caleb's hidden connection as the long-lost nephew of Vivienne Marsh, Damien's mother,made him Damien's blood cousin. Jasper's dismissive snort filled the car. "Ms. Marsh has committed to helping my niece. Please, don't complicate things for her."

Caleb retorted, "Oh, your niece? Evelina and I have a decade's history. You just met her, what, last week?"

Turning to Evelina, Caleb employed his most persuasive tone. "Evi, seriously? After I've come all this way? Are you going to leave me alone in some hotel? I'm fragile, remember? Imagine if I fall ill again -you'd feel terrible."

Evelina grimaced as Caleb dialed up his charm to maximum, his voice almost whiny now, leaving her defenseless against his pleas. Her respite came in the form of a phone call from Cary. Answering the call with one hand, she used the other to press Caleb's lips together, silencing his theatrical complaints.

Jasper couldn't help but notice Caleb making a ridiculous face, his lips twitching with amusement.

Cary's voice burst through the phone line, full of outrage. "Evelina! Why are you only picking up now?Did you know Margot's been arrested?"

The intensity of his words was clear even without speakerphone, and both men beside her caught every detail.

"You know Margot orchestrated a kidnapping against me,right? She wanted me dead. And you're wondering why she's arrested?" Evelina's response was cold.

Cary retorted, "You're making that up! Margot wouldn't hurt anyone! You must be trying to trap her to squeeze something out of me."

His accusations were swift and harsh. "My mom always said you were no good. You're just proving her point!"

Evelina retorted sharply,"Oh, I'm the one avoiding divorce? We were supposed to finalize everything yesterday morning. Who didn't show?" Cary faltered briefly. "Esme was ill, I couldn't just leave her."

Evelina scoffed, "That's rich, considering | was attacked with a steel pipe and ended up in the hospital. Let's revisit this conversation about your saintly sister after I'm out of the hospital, shall we?"

Evelina quickly ended the call and switched off her phone,cutting off any furtherdiscussion.

Caleb was seething. "How can he be so entitled?Holding his sister longer might make him see sense."

"Right," Evelina replied, unfazed. "He needs a little more time to understand the situation."

Grrrrr-

At that moment, a growl interrupted their conversation-not from Caleb, but his stomach.

He suggested they head to his hotel for a meal, but Jasper wanted Evelina back at the villa for dinner with Florrie.

As the men nearly started arguing, Evelina intervened and chose a local eatery known for its specialties.

Evelina and Caleb entered the restaurant first to get a table, while Jasper remained outside, consoling an angry Florrie over the phone.

Fuming, Florrie couldn't believe they had left to dine without her.

Upon approaching the host stand, they were met with a cold reception. "I apologize,but we are fully booked for the evening," the receptionist said, maintaining a forced smile.

Evelina,undeterred, inquired, "Isn't there a VIP lounge available for platinum members?"

Before Evelina could show her membership card, a familiar voice came from behind.

"Evelina Marsh, trying to dine without a reservation?That's a bit embarrassing," Esme said,her voice laced with sarcasm. "But don't worry, you can join us if you'd like."

Her smirk widened as she continued, "Cary secured the best private suite for us tonight-the Gold Suite.Perhaps it's new to you? Just so you know, it has a starting minimum of a hundred thousand."