14 Now, We're Even

Evina silently waited in the car as the executive went out to do some errands. His driver or bodyguard stayed with her, making her feel safe somehow. They were in the parking lot of a department store, where the owner of the car asked to be dropped by.

She wanted to forget about what happened. But she was too mortified to do so. The thought of Julian harassing her in an abandoned building lingered in her mind, suffocating the air out of her. Her hands frantically grabbed the nearest support she could find as she inhaled a lungful of air.

"Are you all right, Miss Chen?" Paul turned towards her and offered her a bottle of water. Evina smiled at him and received the bottle. She then drank from it, hoping it would relieve her discomfort. As the drinking water penetrated through her cells, Evina started breathing normally.

"Thank you. Maybe this will go away in a day or two," she expressed her gratitude to him as she observed him.

"He seemed a nice person," Evina thought, but she suddenly took it back. "But even Julian was nice to me then."

The realization that she was with strangers hit her. She was so distracted with her distressing experience that she quickly trusted these people that she just hitched with.

She recalled the owner of the car. Choosing to be quiet while they were travelling the road, she wasn't able to ask if he was indeed what she thought he was.

"Excuse me, do you think Mr. Gabriel Yang would take a while?" She asked his driver as if she really knew him, when in fact she was only testing if he really was the CEO and the son of the Chairman of the Elysian Inc.

"I don't think so, Miss Chen. Whenever Mr. Yang goes out, he would only do the task he has in mind. I haven't seen him detoured," Paul bolstered Evina.

"I see," Evina nodded her head as if it was nothing to her. However, deep inside, she was confounded with the idea that she had encountered the overlord of the most successful corporation in the technology industry.

However, she doesn't want to get sidetracked with it. All she wanted to do right now is go home, wash herself and steam off.

"By the way, thank you for saving me out there. I'm Evina Chen," she gave him a warm smile.

"It's the boss' idea. It's Paul Huang at your service, Ma'am," Paul bowed to her.

Evina bent her head to him as well. Then she said, "Can you thank him for me? I think I have to go now."

She didn't wait for Paul to respond as she quickly opened the door. Evina was about to get out of the car when a man in a corporate attire blocked her path. "Why don't you tell me yourself?" he spoke in a deep, raspy voice.

Evina's heart rate quickly increased as she was somehow familiar with that voice. "Mr. Gabriel Yang," she quickly got out of the car and bowed down to him.

"As you were saying?" He prodded on. A corner of his lips lifted as she said his name aloud.

Evina glanced up to check what his mood was at the moment. He seemed to be in a nice disposition as he has a tepid smile on his face. And he was carrying a paper bag with him. Perhaps it was something that he bought from the department store.

"Paul was right. He didn't got off track," Evina thought before she cleared her throat to state her purpose. "I will be leaving now, sir. I'm sorry for disturbing you," she bowed in a serious manner since he was a big time CEO of a large industry.

"Take this with you," Gabriel lifted the paper bag and gave it to her.

"S-sir?" Evina stammered as she received the paper bag. She opened the bag and checked out what was inside it. There was a white box with a pair of black matelasse pumps for women inside. And its brand is Gucci. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Don't get me wrong. I just think you need decent footwear to get home," his eyebrows shot up as he pointed to her feet.

Her head immediately tilted down to check on what he was pointing at. Seeing her feet on the bare floor, made her lips stretched in an uncomfortable smile.

In a quick move, she opened the car door and sat on the seats. Then she swiftly put on the costly shoes on her naked feet.

"It was even my size," she uttered as she paused for a few minutes to check how her feet looked like in the new pair of shoes.

"They looked lovely, Ma'am," Paul commented, surprising Evina. She forgot that he was just around.

"Thanks, Paul," she smiled at him. She wanted to ask if he usually did that for other women. But she just decided to keep her mouth shut. "It's not that it matters anyway," she concluded before she turned to the side, so she could talk to the CEO of The Elysian Inc and go home.

She was surprised that the other side of the door flew open as Gabriel stepped inside. He seated himself comfortably, before giving Evina a quick glance.

He then uttered to her, "We'll drive you home." He said it in a tone which no one could dare defy. However, Evina was not a part of the crowd.

"Thanks for the hitch. But I would rather go to my unit alone," her pink lips stretched but didn't reach the eyes. She was appreciative of his kind gesture, but she didn't want to be indebted to him. Again. Besides, Maria was already probably waiting for her. "Thank you for saving me. And the shoes, I appreciate it."

"Now we're even. Leave your old shoes behind," Gabriel answered in a curt manner.

Evina's lips unconsciously curved up as she was reminded how Julian sniffed her old shoes like a crazy person. She would never wear those shoes again. It's just weird for her to hear it from Mr. Gabriel Yang as if he was in the scene when that happened.

"Thank you," she sincerely said before she opened the door and was about to leave.

However, Gabriel blurted out something out which stunned her, "Get in. I didn't give you my permission. We would take you home and that's final."

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Some of the best things in life appear when you least expect them.