Only then did the man realize something was off. That imposing man with a perfectly handsome face looked really familiar — now it suddenly clicked. He must have seen him before in some newspaper or media report… Evander Westvale, the richest man in the capital.
Unbelievable. He’d just called the wife of the Westvale Group’s CEO a stepmom… Did he have any idea who he was talking about?
Uh-oh, he’d hit a wall. The media was always chasing rumors about the wealthy elite, and Evander’s personal life had been analyzed countless times by independent outlets. Unmarried, with children, mother unknown; there were even rumors of an engagement to the Davenier family, a minor noble family, but others said the engagement was actually with Diego and had since been called off.
Evander had nothing to do with it. The identity of his children’s mother remained a mystery. At that moment, the couple’s eyes widened as if they’d been shocked by something huge — their gossip
Only then did the man realize something was off. That imposing man with a perfectly handsome face looked really familiar — now it suddenly clicked. He must have seen him before in some newspaper or media report… Evander Westvale, the richest man in the capital.Unbelievable. He’d just called the wife of the Westvale Group’s CEO a stepmom… Did he have any idea who he was talking about?Uh-oh, he’d hit a wall. The media was always chasing rumors about the wealthy elite, and Evander’s personal life had been analyzed countless times by independent outlets. Unmarried, with children, mother unknown; there were even rumors of an engagement to the Davenier family, a minor noble family, but others said the engagement was actually with Diego and had since been called off.Evander had nothing to do with it. The identity of his children’s mother remained a mystery. At that moment, the couple’s eyes widened as if they’d been shocked by something huge — their gossip
That nosy couple at the next table really had a knack for gossip. But if they knew this man was Evander, they probably wouldn’t say a word. Across the entire capital, or even the whole world, the Westvale family’s wealth alone would have countless noble daughters lining up to become stepmoms. Forget stepmom — even step-grandmothers would be willing with that kind of status. Besides the fortune, Evander was voted one of the top ten most handsome and sexiest men worldwide — the dream lover of all women. A man of his caliber, having children never lowered his status or women’s desire to marry him. Sure enough... “What’s wrong with being a stepmom? He’s so handsome! If you were that handsome, I’d gladly be a stepmom to your son!” Esther: “...” “Uh... Mr. Westvale, I still have something this afternoon. You two enjoy your meal. I’m off!” Esther thought if she stayed any longer, sooner or later they’d dig up dirt on her ancestors. Just as she stood up, her sl
Esther couldn’t help but feel the man at the next table looked like he was one second away from grabbing a knife and lunging at Evander. What was this guy thinking—did he really want to drag Evander out for a public roasting just because he was too charming?But what happened next caught her completely off guard.The man, now thoroughly scolded and embarrassed by his wife, quickly scooped up their child and shoved the menu back into her hands.“Wifey, look! Good husbands always let their wives order. Real dads? They take care of the kid so their wives can relax. It’s those so-called ‘masters of the house’ who never even hold the baby!”Wife: “...”Well… that actually made some sense. The dads who truly pull their weight at home? They’re not the ones giving orders—they’re the ones getting taken care of.“My husband may seem like a scumbag to the world,” she finally said with a huff, “but he’s a good man to me.”Evande
“Don’t you think I was the one bullying her?”Esther felt her heart lighten a bit. She’d worried that by chasing the woman away so fiercely just now, the little girl would think she was a bad person.That thought scared Esther—since when did she start caring what others thought of her? And it was just a little kid...Esther thought she must be going crazy missing children. It had been four years, and every time she thought of the child she couldn’t keep, her heart ached.“No way! That bad auntie sent people to hit you first, but she couldn’t beat you, so you chased her away!”The little girl spoke as she scooted closer to Esther’s side, her small hand actively holding Esther’s big one. Her voice was soft and sweet, melting one’s heart, “My daddy says that if a bad person tries to bully others, they can’t become the victim just because they get bullied back. A bad person is always bad, even if someone bullies them, they’re still bad!”Esther:
Esther appraised her with a faint, almost-smiling expression, then picked up the little girl and seated her on the sofa, away from the danger zone. Only then did she speak again,“No need to ask.”“You?!”Claire sounded as if she’d heard the biggest joke in the world. “You actually managed to buy the restaurant from my brother?”What a ridiculous international joke. She knew better than anyone who her brother was. Esther was nothing but a defeated dog driven out of the bottom-rung Daveniers—how could she possibly have the money to buy such a high-end restaurant?But when her eyes landed on the little girl quietly sitting on the sofa staring at Esther, they abruptly shifted to Evander, and her arrogant aura instantly vanished. Instead, she tentatively said, “Mr. Westvale?”“I was actually trying to be nice,” Evander said coldly, glancing at her once, then added slowly, “But Miss Davenier didn’t give me the chance.”Claire: “???”
“Begging?”Esther didn’t seem the least bit ruffled by the furious, humiliating tone. She slowly crossed her arms, a faint, almost mocking smile scanning her face. “Are you sure you can afford the meal I want?”“What a joke. Don’t you know who Claire is? If not, you can go ask around.”Did she really think she was a sick cat just because the tiger didn’t roar?At the last socialite ball, she took a huge loss. With Evander there, she had to hold back. But now, alone, she was going to get full revenge with interest.“Don’t say I can afford the meal you want—I can even give you your life. You really think clinging to Judy’s big leg will get you into the Westvale family? Stop dreaming. Even Judy can’t marry into the Westvale family, let alone you. At best, Evander will just sleep with you!”Evander: “...”Another one bold enough to want to sleep with him?Just as Evander entered carrying his daughter, he heard that voice. His steps