CHAPTER THREE

Evelina's POV

If exhaustion was a person, I would have punched it in the face by now. The sun had barely risen, yet I'd already been awake for nearly twenty-four hours.

I rode through the city streets with a paper cup of coffee balanced dangerously in the holder attached to my motorcycle. My eyes burned. My shoulders ached. But my bank account was crying. Life was fantastic.

"Maybe I should start robbing banks," I muttered. A pedestrian walking past looked horrified. "Relax. I'm joking..." He walked faster instead.

By eight in the morning, I was already pulling into the small logistics company where I worked as an independent delivery rider.

NippyZippy Logistics. The building was tucked between a mechanic workshop and a furniture warehouse, with a loading bay in the back and a small reception office at the front.

But it paid and right now, that was all that mattered.

I parked my motorcycle and walked inside.

"Morning, Eve," one of the dispatchers called.

"Morning."

I walked over to the dispatch desk and checked the board for available assignments. Six deliveries had already been assigned to me.

By midday, I'd already completed six deliveries. None of them paid enough to make a difference. Mum's hospital bills was on my mind like a ticking bomb.

Seven days was all I had before her next treatment. I was checking the delivery app when a new order appeared. My finger hovered over the screen.

CLIENT: Crescent Grand Hotel

PICKUP: Presidential Suite

DELIVERY TYPE: Food order

DESTINATION: Private client

PAYMENT: Priority delivery rate

My stomach tightened. The Crescent wasn't just outrageously expensive. It was the kind of place where people spent more on one night than I made in ten months. The payment was unusually high. Higher than normal. That should have made me happy. Instead, it made me suspicious. Something about it didn't feel right.

I stared at the screen for several seconds. Then I accepted it anyway. Because suspicion won't pay hospital bills.

Forty minutes later, I parked outside the hotel. The building towered above me like a monument to rich people making terrible financial decisions. I grabbed the order and headed inside. The receptionist barely looked at me before directing me toward the private elevator. Presidential Suite. Top floor.

The elevator doors opened and I entered, rethinking my decision of coming here. Immediately the doors of the elevator opened again, I regretted every decision that had led me here. The hallway smelled like alcohol, and loud music echoed through the corridor.

A young woman stumbled out from the suite. Her mascara was smeared and her pupils looked suspiciously huge. She blinked at me twice, the third time she pointed at me.

"Food girl."

I stared at her. "Delivery girl."

She grabbed my wrist and dragged me inside. The moment I stepped through the doors, I nearly walked right back out.

People were sprawled everywhere. Some were making out right there on the couch. Even on the floor. Empty bottles and clothes were scattered around.

The entire suite smelled like alcohol and drugs. Thankfully, after working at Sin & Silk, this wasn't even the weirdest thing I'd seen.

The intoxicated girl continued dragging me deeper into the suite. Straight toward a familiar blonde woman sitting on a velvet couch. The moment I recognized her, my day somehow got worse.

Genevieve Kingsley.

Fantastic. Genevieve's eyes lit up. A slow smile stretched across her face. I sighed as her smile widened.

"Well... well... if it's not the trashy girl."

I held out the delivery bag. "Here's your order."

Instead of taking it, she looked me up and down, slowly. "I personally requested you." She smirked. "And this is how you appreciate me?"

My eye twitched. "That's concerning, Genevieve. Well, I deliver food." I checked my watch. "I don't do fan meetings."

Some people snickered. Genevieve's smile disappeared, her eyes still locked on mine. Something good finally happened today.

Unfortunately, Genevieve recovered quickly. "Everyone out."

The room became silent. One of the guys sprawled across a couch groaned. "What?"

"I said GET OUT."

No one argued while people stumbled toward the door carrying shoes, jackets, and whatever dignity they still had left.

When the last of them disappeared, only Genevieve and two other girls remained. One had bright red hair and enough makeup to paint a house. The other one looked pissed.

Genevieve crossed her arms. The smirk returned. "I've always wondered what Caleb saw in you."

She looked me up and down slowly. "And now that I've seen you..." She tilted her head. "I'm not impressed."

The redhead squinted at me. "That's her?"

The second girl snorted. "Caleb has terrible taste."

I checked my watch. "Are we done? I have deliveries to make."

The redhead gasped dramatically. "Oh my God. She talks back."

I looked at her. "You say that like you've discovered a new species."

Genevieve's eye twitched. She stepped closer. "You can act tough all you want, Evelina. But you're poor. A fucking irrelevant fly that I could snap within a second and… puff! You're gone. History!" She made a dramatic gesture.

I sighed heavily. "Genevieve, I'd love to continue this fascinating conversation, but I have bills to pay and a life to live. You guys can go play in the sand."

I pointed at the delivery receipt. "Now pay me."

Her face immediately darkened. And just like that, the spoiled princess exploded.

She grabbed her phone. "You DARE mock me?!" A second later, a video call connected.

It was Bianca Ryder. The moment she saw me, her expression soured. "Oh. Evelina."

I forced a smile. "Bianca."

She looked like she'd rather swallow nails. "What are you doing there?"

"Working."

Genevieve groaned dramatically. "Bianca, she's being rude."

I nearly laughed. Bianca immediately launched into a speech about respect, gratitude, class, social standing, and several other things rich people liked to pretend mattered. Then she dragged my parents into it.

I could tolerate insults aimed at me. But my family? No. I stood straight. "My father was a better man than most of the people in this city."

Bianca's expression hardened.

"And my mother has more kindness in her than all three of you combined."

The room went quiet. Genevieve and her two minions stared at me. Even Bianca looked surprised.

Then Genevieve started laughing. "Wow." She wiped an imaginary tear. "What a heart warming speech…"

I was done. I grabbed a pen from my pocket, scribbled the company's account number onto the delivery receipt, and stepped forward.

Genevieve raised an eyebrow. Then, I tucked the receipt directly into the breast-cup of her dress. Her eyes widened.

"Transfer the payment." I turned toward the door.

"Take one more step." Genevieve's voice had changed. "I'll make sure you never have a job again."

The room suddenly felt colder. I looked over my shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"You heard me." Her smile returned. "Just… stay away from Caleb."

I smirked. "And if I don't?"

Bianca immediately leaned toward the screen. "You won't dare–"

"Shush! I called. Don't ever interrupt me!" Genevieve didn't even look at her.

Bianca immediately froze. Then she lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, honey."

Genevieve stared at me. "Push me, Evelina." Her smile widened. "And what happened at that trashy club of yours will be nothing compared to what happens next."

My stomach tightened. Something about that statement felt wrong. Then she delivered the final blow.

"It would be such a shame if something happened to your frail mother."

Everything inside me stopped. For one terrible second, all I saw was mum lying in that hospital bed. Then rage took over.

One second, Genevieve was smiling. The next, I had her pinned against the couch. The room erupted into chaos. The two girls screamed. Someone grabbed my arm. Another pulled my shoulder. Genevieve struggled dramatically beneath me.

And then...

I noticed something. She wasn't scared. She was smiling. A cold feeling crawled down my spine.

"Riley." Genevieve's voice sounded almost cheerful.

The redhead immediately held up her phone. My blood ran cold.

"Did you get the video?"

The girl grinned. "Every second."

Genevieve laughed. "We'll send it to her delivery company."

My stomach dropped. "No..."

"Report excessive aggression. Anger management issues."

The second girl smirked. "Violent behavior."

The realization hit me like a truck. The entire thing had been a setup. And I had handed them exactly what they wanted. Genevieve slowly stood, straightened her dress. Then smiled.

"You're evil..." The words escaped before I could stop them.

Her smile widened. "Oh." She placed a hand over her heart. "Thank you, sweetie."

Behind her, Bianca beamed proudly. "Honey, that's brilliant. Would your dad be in town soon?"

Genevieve rolled her eyes and ended the call.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't stay there another second. So I left. I walked out of that hotel into the afternoon sunlight. The moment I reached my motorcycle, I climbed on and drove fast.

I didn't stop until I reached an empty stretch of road overlooking the city.

Then I broke down. Angry tears blurred my vision. I slammed my helmet against the handlebars.

"Why does everything keep getting worse?" My voice cracked.

Eventually, I wiped my face, took a deep breath and checked my delivery app.

PRIORITY DELIVERY

PICKUP: NippyZippy Logistics- Central Hub

DESTINATION: Nightfall Estate

The payment was far higher than the previous one. The address made my stomach tighten. The far side of town where people avoided, even grown men dreaded talking about.

For a moment, I considered declining. Then I looked at the amount and thought about mum.

A second later, I accepted the order. Whatever waited for me there... I was about to find out.