The Contract Wife Who Came Back with His Heirs

A BATTLE OF WILLS

EVELYN'S POV

That man's nerve.

After reading Rhysander's reply, I gazed at my phone for a few moments. Immediately, the mild annoyance I had been experiencing intensified.

Even after seven years, he still had an incredible ability to irritate me with just a few words. The majority of people would have backed off after realizing the significance of my message.

Not Rhysander. It seems that he had come to the conclusion that my viewpoint was irrelevant. I put the phone face down on my desk and made myself concentrate on the reports that were in front of me. Sadly, my focus had already faded.

My thoughts kept returning to him whenever I attempted to read a document. The direction of the airport. In the direction of the meeting. He was staring at Liam and Lily. I was most troubled by that specific memory. For a split second, he had the impression that he already suspected something significant about them.

The following morning came with a full schedule. I was appreciative of it. The easiest distraction had always been work. I was reviewing expansion plans with multiple department heads in a conference room by eight o'clock.

Everyone seated at the table appeared prepared and focused. I took notes, listened intently, and occasionally asked questions. The conversation was fruitful until my assistant showed up out of the blue. I was immediately drawn to her expression. "Miss Laurent," she uttered cautiously.

"You have an unexpected guest." My writing stopped.

"Who?" I inquired. Her expression of hesitation was fleeting. "Mr. Bert Rhysander." There was silence in the room. A number of executives exchanged anxious glances.

I stood up after carefully closing my notebook. "Go on without me," I said coolly. But inside, I was already wondering if it was too late to have security take him out of the building permanently so I wouldn't have to deal with any more problems today.

He was exactly where my assistant said he would be when I entered the reception area. Rhysander was standing close to the windows that looked out over the city. Wearing a charcoal suit, he appeared to be the formidable businessman that everyone knew him to be.

A number of workers were secretly staring while feigning not to. His entire focus turned to me as soon as he saw me coming. "Evelyn," he said coolly. "Rhysander," I politely retorted.

"What do I owe this surprise to?" His face was still unreadable. "You didn't accept my invitation." I crossed my arms over my chest. It wasn't an invitation. It was a directive. His expression briefly flashed amusement, which irritated me.

"You make a valid point," he said. Then let me make the necessary corrections. Do you want to join me for dinner? The response came to mind right away. "No." Easy. Direct. Absolutely truthful. Just what he was due.

Neither of us said anything for a moment. Workers in the vicinity suddenly showed a great deal of interest in their work. I waited for Rhysander to concede defeat as he studied me in silence.

Regretfully, defeat didn't seem to be in his lexicon. At last, he said, "You haven't even heard what I want to discuss." I arched an eyebrow. "Talk to my office if it's business." "This isn't business." I became suspicious of that response right away. My eyes narrowed slightly.

"So I'm even less interested." His expression changed for the first time. Not rage. Not annoyance. Something more substantial.

"Evelyn," he murmured. "You vanished seven years ago without giving me an opportunity to explain."

Suddenly, my chest constricted. "There was nothing to explain," I said icily. "The agreement was terminated. I departed. It was intended to function that way. The ensuing silence was oddly unsettling for reasons I didn't want to think about too much just yet.

Another voice cut us off before Rhysander could reply. "Well, this is intriguing." At once, every muscle in my body tensed. Amanda White was standing there when I turned to face the entrance.

Elegantly attired, with a charming smile. Her eyes were not touched by the smile. Not even a little bit. Amanda approached us with assurance and a sense of belonging. She remarked lightly, "I didn't realize old friends were having a reunion." The mood abruptly shifted.

I had never seen Rhysander's face harden like that. "Amanda," he said angrily.

"Why are you in this place?" Her smile wavered for a moment. "I came to visit you." "You ought to have made the first call." I was taken aback by the icy tone of his voice.

Amanda's expression tightened, indicating that she was also aware of it. There was silence for a few seconds. Amanda's eyes then turned to me.

It was impossible to miss the animosity in her eyes. It seems that nothing had changed between us in the past seven years.

The Pov of Rhysander

What little progress I had made was instantly undone by Amanda's appearance. Not that much progress had been made in the first place.

It was as hard as I had anticipated to persuade Evelyn to spend time with me. Nevertheless, Amanda's timing couldn't have been worse. Amanda moved closer and said, "I thought we could have lunch together." She shot me a hopeful glance, but I ignored it. "I'm occupied." The response was direct.

purposefully so. Amanda's grin became tense. "Too busy to eat lunch?" "Yes." I caught a glimpse of Evelyn closely observing the conversation out of the corner of my eye. She appeared taken aback.

Her response didn't surprise me. Amanda's presence had led to numerous miscommunications throughout our marriage. Evelyn probably still thought I had feelings for Amanda. The truth was quite different.

Once, Amanda was helpful. Nothing more. And recently, even that utility was quickly fading. Particularly since she has been putting my patience to the test whenever Evelyn has been involved in the circumstances surrounding us lately.

Before leaving, Amanda gave Evelyn one last bitter glance. The atmosphere significantly improved as soon as she vanished. Regretfully, Evelyn appeared prepared to depart as well. "I have work to do if we're done here," she stated in a professional manner.

I knew pushing too hard would only make things worse. Evelyn detested being in a tight spot. "All right," I said coolly. "But we're not done talking." Her eyes instantly narrowed. "You don't have to decide that." She turned and left before I could respond. Without trying to stop her, I watched her go down the hall.

There were moments when patience was required. even though every instinct told me to follow her. Soon after, my phone began to vibrate. My assistant's message showed up on the screen.

My face instantly darkened at the contents. The results of more investigations had come in. And what they held would completely alter everything sooner than I had anticipated.

I was back in my office in less than an hour, going over the most recent report. As I carefully went over the documents, my assistant stood close by.

The same conclusion was reinforced on each page. I had the twins. No reasonable doubt remained. timelines for hospitals. academic records. travel paperwork. Everything was in perfect alignment. I gripped the file more tightly.

I felt a strange wave of emotions. relief. Happy. rage. I apologize. My children had been living without my knowledge for seven years. Birthdays for seven years. Seven years of significant events.

I lost seven years of unrecoverable moments. With caution, my assistant said, "Sir?" I slowly raised my head. I gave the order to "prepare a full legal report." "And keep this private." He instantly nodded. I reclined in my chair and gazed at the ceiling as soon as he was gone.

I was a dad. It was an overwhelming realization. Gorgeous. and, in some way, excruciating all at once today.

Amanda was sitting in her apartment across the city, clutching her phone. Her chest was still burning from the humiliation she had endured earlier. It had been hard to ignore Rhysander's actions.

He could hardly stand her anymore. And it was clear why. Evelyn. Every time, it was Evelyn. Suddenly, Amanda got up and moved to her desk. The surface was covered in a number of photos.

Evelyn was the most prominent. The twins were featured in a few. She focused on a single image. During a public event abroad, Liam and Lily shared a laugh. Amanda picked up the picture slowly.

She muttered angrily, "You ruined everything." Her eyes' perilous sparkle came back. Evelyn was mistaken if she believed she could return and retrieve Rhysander with such ease. Amanda had spent too much time.

Too much work. Too much of herself. She refused to quietly move aside. Not right now. Never. Particularly when everything she desired was at last eluding her.

Long after the twins had gone to sleep that night, I was still standing outside their bedroom doors. Around me, the mansion was silent.

I could hear their gentle breathing through slightly ajar doors. Suddenly, my chest constricted. They were unaware of my true identity. I was just a stranger that their mother just so happened to know.

The thought was more painful than I had anticipated. For seven years. Seven years were lost. I made a silent vow to myself after closing my eyes for a moment. I would not waste any more time, no matter how challenging things got.

Not with them. Not with Evelyn. The path ahead would be challenging. Arguments would occur. opposition. Along the way, there will probably be a few catastrophes.

However, I had something worth fighting for once more for the first time in years. I also didn't intend to give up without a fight, unlike in the past. Not when my family was at last accessible again.