Chapter 30: The Unexpected Proposition
As Molly’s words hung in the air, the once-lively living room sank into a sudden, uneasy silence. It was Mia who finally broke it.
"What does that person want, calling us?" she asked, her voice sharp with contempt. The disgust in her tone made it clear—she wanted nothing to do with Evelyn.
Ryan, who had blurted out Evelyn’s name without thinking, now pieced together the details from his memory. Evelyn’s father had been the mastermind behind the hostile acquisition that destroyed the Zane family’s small company. Given that, it was no surprise Mia’s hatred ran deep. Her loathing for Evelyn extended to the entire Wynn family, and she didn’t bother to hide it.
"Evelyn said she’s coming over soon," Molly chirped, unfazed by the tension. Her eyes narrowed playfully as she sank her teeth into the chicken wing Ryan had just handed her.
Ryan’s expression darkened. He didn’t respond to Mia’s angry rant, simply sat in silence, cradling his small bowl of soup as he took slow, measured sips.
From what he remembered, Evelyn was... complicated. Arrogant but kind, superficial on the surface yet stubbornly persistent underneath—a walking contradiction. In his previous life, she had been one of the few bright spots during a very dark time.
After the Zane’s offended Victor Hanley, Ryan’s family had been hounded even after they relocated to this small town. What little peace they found was, oddly enough, thanks to Evelyn. She had stepped in more than once to put a stop to Victor’s harassment.
They’d met when she offered support to Mia and Molly, shortly after the company collapse. It wasn’t much, just a few words of comfort, but at the time it meant the world. Evelyn had even scolded Victor Hanley in public once—so harshly that he backed off, at least on the surface.
But Victor was not the kind of man to let things go. Though he stopped attacking them directly, he made sure no one else would hire them. He poisoned the well wherever they went. That quiet, relentless pressure kept Ryan’s family stuck in hardship, their lives hanging by a thread.
Evelyn hadn’t contacted them in over six months. So what did she want now?
Was this about the game?