Miss. Lawyer, It's Now Or Never

At the bar. Slightly tipsy, Evelyn Winton downed one drink after another until she finally summoned the courage to walk straight toward the man sitting in a booth nearby. When she got close, she gave herself no chance to back out—she dove directly into his arms. "Handsome, are you free tonight?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a sudden kiss. The man neither pushed her away nor responded in kind. Instead, he looked down at the alluring woman in his arms and asked, with a hint of mockery, "Do you know who I am?" Of course Evelyn knew. That was exactly why she had approached him. "Nathaniel. Sean's archenemy." In Harborview, the Grant family and the Landon family were the town's two major clans. Sean Landon, the new head of the Landon family, was known for his cold and domineering personality. By contrast, Nathaniel Grant, of the Grant family, was infamous as a playboy, always surrounded by beautiful women. However, rumor had it that no woman had ever truly captured his heart. Nathaniel let out a low chuckle and lifted a hand to gently grip Evelyn's chin. "So, you came on to me on purpose?" Evelyn pressed herself against Nathaniel, mimicking a practiced seduction. She gently bit his earlobe and whispered, "Then did I catch your eye?" Nathaniel frowned, recalling the rumors about Evelyn: outwardly seductive, inwardly innocent. Given the situation, he believed the description was only half right. The first half, of course. He licked his lips, his gaze as deep as an abyss, and pulled her tightly into his arms. "Aren't you afraid Sean will find out?" The mention of that name made Evelyn's heart skip a beat. But she quickly composed herself and kissed Nathaniel's lips again. "I've already dumped him." Nathaniel inhaled the faint scent of Evelyn's perfume, then teased her, "So, you're looking for a different thrill? Is this how you seduced Sean, too?" Evelyn went limp against Nathaniel, her face flushed. Resting her head on his shoulder, she panted softly. "... No." A satisfied smile crept across Nathaniel's lips. He slid his arm around her waist and stood up. "Where do you want to spend the night?" Outside the bar, the wind carried a chill. The alcohol was starting to take hold. Evelyn tilted her head up to look at Nathaniel. "After tonight, will you marry me?" Nathaniel's expression turned amused. The fiancée of his rival was now asking him to marry her. It was an interesting turn of events. He lit a cigarette and, amid the swirling smoke, asked casually, "Does Miss Winton ask every man this question? Or is it because Mr. Landon won't marry you, so you turned to me instead?" Evelyn bit her lip but didn't respond. After a long silence, she muttered softly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Grant. I've drunk too much, and I'm talking nonsense." She got up to leave, and Nathaniel didn't stop her. Just then, her phone rang. It was Sarah Young. Since the sudden death of her parents, Sarah had been looking after her. Evelyn had returned home after graduation partly because of Sean, but mostly because she wanted to stay close to Sarah. "Evelyn, come over tonight. There's something important I need to say to you." Evelyn pressed for details, but Sarah wouldn't elaborate over the phone. Evelyn sensed that something serious had happened and couldn't help feeling anxious. She turned back and apologized to Nathaniel again. "Mr. Grant, I'm sorry. Please don't take what I said earlier seriously." Nathaniel fixed his deep gaze on her, his eyes cold and piercing. "I'll give you a ride." Evelyn didn't refuse and got into his car. Silence filled the car as neither spoke. Evelyn occasionally glanced at him. Nathaniel was different from Sean. He lacked Sean's overpowering forcefulness and instead exuded a kind of unapproachable aloofness. A man like him, always surrounded by women, could never want to marry her. But besides him, there was no one else in Harborview who dared come near her. The car stopped in front of Sarah's house. Just as Evelyn was about to thank him, Nathaniel suddenly grabbed her shoulder, pushing her back into the seat as he leaned in. Before she could react, he kissed her. By the time she was nearly breathless, Nathaniel finally released her, a sly smile playing on his lips. "You're good for a bit of fun." He picked up her phone to send a friend request, but Evelyn quickly stopped him. As she got out of the car, she lowered her voice and said, "Mr. Grant, goodbye." Then she turned and walked toward Sarah's house. "A woman rejected by Sean—Why did you think I'd possibly accept you?" Nathaniel's voice lazily called out from behind. Evelyn paused briefly in her steps, then quickened her pace toward Sarah's house. Once inside, she searched the living room but couldn't find Sarah. She then moved toward the bedroom. As soon as she stepped inside, she was stunned by what she saw: Sarah was lying on the floor, blood covering her forehead. With trembling hands, Evelyn dialed emergency services. "Sarah, wake up... don't fall asleep, please. Open your eyes and look at me..." The ambulance arrived soon after. She followed the paramedics to the hospital. After four hours of emergency treatment, Sarah was finally out of critical condition. Evelyn sat by her bedside, tears streaming down her face as she stared at Sarah's unconscious form. However, the worst news came the next day. During rounds, the doctor approached with a look of regret and said, "The patient's brain is under pressure from a blood clot. The best-case scenario is for her to regain consciousness within 48 hours. If she doesn't, you need to be prepared..." Evelyn felt a wave of dizziness and asked, her voice trembling, "Can't the clot be removed through surgery?" "The surgical risks are extremely high. Currently, only two experts in the country are capable of performing such a procedure," the doctor replied with a tone of helplessness. Evelyn pleaded urgently, "Please give me their contact information. I'll beg them myself." Sarah was the only family she had left in this world. Evelyn would trade her own life without hesitation if it meant saving Sarah's. The doctor glanced at her before explaining, "One of them is already employed by the Grant family, providing exclusive medical care for Mr. Jack Grant. The other was hired at a high salary by Landon's Hospital and hasn't been seen publicly for five years." Evelyn froze, instinctively wanting to call Sean. But then, a conversation she'd overheard on the day she returned home surfaced in her mind. "Mom, I never loved Evelyn. I'm with her just for revenge. Don't worry. The better I treat her now, the more despair she'll feel in the future. I swear I'll make her suffer a thousand times more for the pain you endured. I'll never fall in love with her..." ***** "So what if you heard it, Evelyn? Everyone in Harborview knows you're mine. Besides me, who else would dare accept you?" Evelyn gripped her phone tightly. Ding— The vibration of her phone snapped her back to reality. She stared at Sean's name on the screen, hesitated, but eventually answered the call. Sean's voice came through, calm yet laced with a trace of mockery. "Evelyn, be my mistress for five years. I can save Sarah." Evelyn was stunned. She never imagined that the once-gentle man could sink to such shameless depths. On one hand, he sought revenge, and on the other, he wanted to claim her body. "Sean, you're despicable!" she snapped. Sean chuckled lightly. "Do you have any other options?" He added, "Evelyn, don't you love Sarah the most? For her, you'd do anything. I've already prepared the bridal suite. I'll send you the address. Be there at eight tonight. I want to see you."