IT WAS already dark outside when Evelyn fluttered her eyes open. Jason who hadn't left her side even for a second, exhaled in relief as he caress her face. "Hey! You're awake." Evelyn blinked, but this time her eyes were clearer as they scanned the room. She was disoriented and confused. "I know this is a cliché, but where am I?" She spoke wearily. Jason grinned. "You're in the hospital. How do you feel?" Evelyn considered sitting up, but her body felt so sore and her head... she groaned, clenching her head... God! Her head felt as if explosives were going off in there. She gave up the consideration instantly. "My head is throbbing!" "It's probably due to the concussion." "Oh." Her smooth brow furrowed. "How long have I been out?" "About ten hours." "Ten hours?" Her eyes widened. Surprise had them clearing a bit. Jason nodded. "Yeah. And I've been going crazy every one of them." That coaxed a faint smile from her. He could see her eyes losing
AFTER JASON walked away, Evelyn found herself feeling sadness, regret, and confusion all at the same time. She was worried about what he was thinking and planning to do. She queried her own choices and wondered if she'd made a mistake by not telling him about Livvie the moment she'd found out. She began to replay their earlier conversation in her head. She was wondering what she could have said differently, and whether she should have been more open with him. But at the same time, she knew that it was a complicated situation. And she was not sure either how he would have reacted if she had told him sooner. She lay in the hospital bed, looking at the ceiling. She felt the weight of everything that'd happened pressing down on her, and it was making it hard to breathe. When she stopped with her inner monologue, she started to notice how quiet the room was. All she can hear was the soft beeping of the heart monitor and the distant sound of the nurses talking in the hallway.
TWO DAYS after Evelyn was discharged from the hospital, the rave about their relationship was still booming. Reporters and angry fans were still hovering around them like flies. She left the hospital the next night after she was admitted. Though the doctor had talked about staying one more day, she was better and there was no point staying. All her tests had come back with good results. Plus, she felt very uncomfortable in hospitals. Her work assistants had taken turns visiting her. They dropped by in the morning and evening bearing flowers and updates on how the showroom was going... which was not relatively great. The showroom was constantly vandalized by angry fans and the walls were aerosolized with all sorts of ferocious, vulgar words. She'd instructed them to stay away from the showroom for a while till the situation blew over a bit. Evelyn push down the window switch and watched it slide down before she stuck her head out of the car, letting the hot afternoon br
"I Think I have an idea of how you would end this "world war forever"?" Livvie said in a mouthful of rice, beans, and Carne asada. The entire family— including Jason were sitting around the kitchen table, dining. Evelyn's mother had readied one of her signature dishes and had asked him to stay for dinner just before he was about to leave. Of course, Jason had accepted with no hesitation. How could he give up such an opportunity? Evelyn frowned. "World War forever...?" She reiterated confused. "What's that?" "Oh, yeah. That's what the Jasoniacs are calling this whole catastrophe," Livvie responded flatly. "Oh!" The Jasoniacs was the name of Jason's fandom. Brutal set of humans! "How about you prepare a press release addressing the public about this issue?" Livvie continued. "I mean, tell them the whole drama about your relationship. How it turned out from a fake to an actual love relationship. Give them all the seasonings. The sentiments. If possible
THREE DAYS to Jason's BDB— Birthday Bash— and Evelyn was still struggling to assemble the perfect dress for the occasion. The fabrics and designs were already prepared but she kept messing up the dress. The fashion perfectionist in her was hindering her from creating the dress according to the initial design. She kept making last minutes alterations until the entire thing was wrecked into every designer's worst nightmare. Evelyn was anxious about this whole party. She wanted to look her best. She NEEDED to look her best. She'd never imagined she would ever be this unnerved about a party. But this wasn't just any party. This was Jason Lyndon's legendary birthday bash that every megastar around the world would kill to attend. And she was going to be just right by his side. Every eye was going to be on her just as they would be on him. She couldn't afford to emerge small and insignificant. She had to surge in a dress that would make an incontrovertible statement, one t
JASON CHECKED his general appearance from the full-length mirror, nodding his head in satisfaction. Everything he wore from, head to toe, was luxurious and high-end. The bespoke tuxedo was made from the finest fabric, smooth as silk, and fitted like a glove. The color, a luminous, rich white embellished with deep, gold dragon patterns on the jacket and a more prominent gold hue traced the length of the lapels. The shirt was as crisp and white as a snow-covered mountain, with a bow tie that was the perfect shade of white. The Italian shoes were polished gold, with a sheen that could rival the stars in the night sky and so clear he could see his reflection on it. Every detail was perfect, from the cut of the suit to the knot of the bow tie. No expense had been spared, and it showed. He nodded again in approval as he made his way down to the living room. Julia had brought the best stylists in the country to work their magic as always whenever there was a grand occasi
THEY MADE it to the hotel in record time. Because they were early, traffic wasn't bad yet. Their security team maintained crowd control as they stepped out of the limousine. They were like a pride of lions, confident and powerful. Every step was graceful and commanding as if they own the very ground beneath their feet. Their eyes were sharp and intense, but their smile carried enough spark to warm the place. A red carpet was aligned perfectly up the enormous stairs leading to the entrance of the hotel. Reporters, paparazzi, fans, and whatnot were already behind the barriers of the stairs, clicking photos, shooting questions, and cheering hysterically. Le Grand Château was befitting of its name. From the vast, sophisticated lobby, down the wide hallways covered in luxurious Oriental rugs, to the entranceway into the ballroom, the place was awash in flowers and tiny white lights and golden gauze bows. Pale orchids in cream and lavender emitted a subtle fragrance. The hotel w
JASON FOLLOWED her gaze to the center of her attention. He sighed when his eyes met him and forced a smile. "Yup!" He replied nonchalantly. "Your Adam Cupid. I figured you'd want to meet him in person." "But it's your birthday, not mine. Why are you giving me such a precious gift?" Evelyn squeaked in a tiny, subdued voice. Swooning. Her eyes not leaving the gorgeous specimen walking towards them, not even for a second. "Wow! he's way hotter in person." Jason frowned, giving her an intense, sidelong glance. Was this how other guys felt when their girlfriends drool whenever they see him? Jason leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Okay, don't stare at him like that. You're getting me jealous." But, Evelyn was totally deaf to the world. When Adam Cupid finally reach them he said a "Hey, Happy Birthday" in a smooth, vibrating baritone to Jason. Jason stretched out his arm, shaking him in that universal, macho handshake that involved clutching each other hands,