They ate breakfast in tense silence. Evelyn kept her eyes glued to her plate, her hands trembling slightly as she pushed her food around. Her hair nearly dipped into her meal when she ducked her head, trying to avoid Carlos's penetrating gaze. His every movement felt deliberate, calculated, as if he were silently assessing her.
He was the first to finish. Without a word, he stood, buttoning his suit jacket. His secretary appeared in the doorway, and he walked past her without sparing Evelyn a glance. The sound of the door clicking shut behind him released a pressure Evelyn didn't realize she'd been holding. She exhaled shakily, her appetite long gone.
Retreating to her room, she sank onto the bed, her nerves still frayed. Her phone buzzed, and she jumped, fumbling to answer when she saw Hanna's name flash on the screen.
"Good news!" Hanna's voice crackled with excitement.
Evelyn pressed the phone to her ear. "I'm listening," she said, her voice faint.
"Your father has woken up!" Hanna announced triumphantly. "And guess what? He's asking about you."
Evelyn sat up straight, her heart pounding. "He's awake? Really? What did you tell him?"
"I told him you're working a new job and are away on a business trip," Hanna said, her voice smug. "I mean, what else was I supposed to say? By the way, those expensive medications and treatments your husband arranged? Looks like they're finally paying off."
Evelyn's grip on the phone tightened. "Hanna… I don't know what to say. Thank you for staying with him through this. I'll visit tomorrow. I—"
"Evelyn? Are you crying?" Hanna cut in, her voice softer now.
Evelyn sniffled, tears spilling over. "Yes," she admitted, her voice breaking. "These are tears of joy. I'm so happy… and grateful."
"Well, you should be," Hanna said bluntly. "But save your thanks for your husband. Without him, none of this would've been possible. He spent a fortune on your father's care."
Evelyn froze, the warmth of her gratitude cooling into something heavier.
"And listen," Hanna continued, her tone turning mischievous. "You've got two months and a handful of days left, right? You'd better stop tiptoeing around and make something happen. You remember the contract right? Evelyn. By the way has the ice stone start melting? You need to do something girl, time is going"
"I don't know how to approach him," Evelyn whispered, her voice trembling like a leaf in a storm. "I'm scared."
The voice on the other end exploded, sharp and unrelenting. "Scared? Are you serious right now? Evelyn, now or never! Do you even remember what's at stake if you fail to get pregnant in the next three months?"
Evelyn flinched, her knuckles whitening as she clutched the phone. The weight of Hanna's words pressed down on her chest like a boulder.
"Stop being naive," Hanna snapped. "I know he's as cold as stone, but you're no weakling either. You're the queen of beauty, for heaven's sake! You've charmed better men than this. Hypnotize him, seduce him, make him obsessed. Whatever it takes!"
Evelyn swallowed hard, her throat dry. "But he doesn't even look at me like that… It's like I'm invisible to him."
"Then make him look," Hanna barked. Her voice dropped lower, turning almost venomous. "Or have you forgotten why you married him in the first place? This isn't just about you. Your father's life was bought with a price, Evelyn. And you know what will happen if you fail."
The room spun around Evelyn as those words echoed in her mind. Of course, she hadn't forgotten—the threat loomed over her like a shadow she could never outrun.
"Okay," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'll try."
"Try harder," Hanna hissed.
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll wait for you," Hanna said firmly before cutting the call.
Evelyn slowly placed her phone on the bed, her hands trembling. She collapsed backward, sinking into the mattress, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. Her chest rose and fell as her thoughts spiraled.
She was scared—terrified, even—but it wasn't just Carlos that haunted her. What scared her most was the image that had burned itself into her mind: her father crying, helpless and broken, if she failed. The weight of it pressed down on her, suffocating. Dead or in jail. That was the cost of failure, wasn't it?
But Hanna's words echoed relentlessly in her head. Now or never.
She clenched her fists, trying to stop the shaking in her hands. Evelyn wasn't weak. She'd always found a way, no matter how dire the circumstances. This time wouldn't be any different.
Her gaze shifted from the ceiling to the faint light filtering through the curtains. Her resolve hardened, though her heart continued to pound in her chest. She had to make him notice her. She had to break through the fortress of ice around Carlos.
It wasn't just about survival anymore. It was about control. She needed to monopolize him. She needed to make him hers.
And she would. Even if it meant becoming someone she barely recognized in the mirror.