Audrey's gaze remained fixed on her phone, but her attention was entirely focused on the activities in the corridor.
The room was filled with nothing but the faint hum of the air conditioner. Neither of them uttered a word.
Intermittently, the corridor offered up the sounds of footsteps and hushed conversations, but most of the time, it was tranquil.
After approximately half an hour had elapsed, a commotion suddenly erupted in the corridor. The hotel manager from earlier appeared with a group of individuals.
At the forefront were a middle-aged woman and a young girl in her early twenties.
Trailing behind them were several individuals, including journalists wielding cameras.
The scene had an air of grandeur. Initially, the hotel manager had attempted to prevent the group of journalists from accessing the upper floors, but he found himself powerless to halt their advance. The middle-aged woman leading the group did not appear inclined to engage in a discussion. She asserted, rather bluntly, that her daughter had been lured to their hotel to engage in an illicit transaction and that they had already contacted the police.
Some of the reporters inside the hotel were conducting live broadcasts, leaving the manager with no alternative but to escort them upstairs.
The presence of such a large group was hard to miss, prompting guests from other rooms on the floor to step out and observe the spectacle.
Evans stashed his phone away and noticed Audrey standing by the door, peering out at the commotion. Her mannerisms weren't particularly graceful, yet somehow they gave her a charmingly endearing quality.
He approached her, standing just behind Audrey, and suggested, "If you'd like, you can go out and take a look."
Audrey was taken aback. In that moment, she genuinely contemplated turning around and giving Evans a piece of her mind.
[Don't you realize you could startle someone to death? I have to admit, I'm quite impressed. Are you some kind of ghost? You just sneak up on people without a sound.]
Audrey couldn't help but offer a wry smile as she turned to face Evans.
Standing a meter apart from her, Evans lowered his gaze slightly to meet her eyes. Then, he caught sight of the conspicuous words glowing above her head.
At that point, Evans had a strong urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Do you want to stay inside or go out and take a look?" Evans inquired.
Audrey regarded him with a quizzical expression. Moments earlier, she had sensed a hint of helplessness in Evans's tone.
"Let's go out and take a look," Audrey decided without any hesitation, swinging the door wide open.
It wasn't until she fully opened the door that Audrey grasped the grandeur of the scene. After piecing together Linda's intentions, Audrey had resolved to teach her a lesson.
So, after duping Linda into drinking the glass of water, Audrey had messaged Linda's sister, Tina, knowing their tumultuous relationship. She had left the rest to Tina.
However, Audrey hadn't anticipated that Tina would summon so many reporters, including those live-streaming the event.
Audrey reached into her small bag and retrieved a mask, taking precautions due to the mixed bag of circumstances. If she accidentally became part of the scene, it could spell trouble.
After all, she was about to become a public figure.
Evans looked at her expressionlessly. Seeing that she had carefully put on her mask, he could not help but laugh.
In the midst of the tumultuous scene, Audrey's sharp senses caught the sound of his laughter, and she turned her head, perplexed.
Yet, at that very moment, Evans had reverted to his usual expressionless countenance, regarding her with indifference.
Audrey was momentarily confounded. She might have been drawn to attractive men, but the man before her was out of the question. Involvement with someone like him seemed like a guarantee of an uneventful future.
Numerous onlookers observed the commotion, and even those who stayed inconspicuously hidden at the rear were within Audrey's keen notice. Her sharp eyes fell upon a young reporter, discreetly snapping photos of the surroundings with a camera.
She promptly looked up at the tall figure of Evans beside her. He was markedly conspicuous, whether in terms of appearance or demeanor, making him stand out effortlessly in the crowd.
Audrey hastily retrieved another mask from her bag, tore open the packaging, and extended it toward Evans. "Put it on quickly."
Evans, however, declined the mask and merely regarded her with a puzzled expression.
Audrey lowered her voice and cautioned, "It wouldn't be ideal if we were photographed."
[The esteemed head of the Hill Family stands in a hotel corridor, observing the commotion. If word gets out, he will become the subject of laughter.]
Evans was at a loss for words in the face of this startling line of thought, but he didn't refuse the mask Audrey offered him.
However, just as he was about to put it on, he hesitated.
The mask in question was a pink one adorned with a small bear.
Evans: "..."
Audrey also noticed and appeared somewhat regretful.
[Oh, that's my favorite design. There's only one left. Can I have it back?] A glimmer of amusement danced in Evans' eyes as he donned the mask without altering his expression.
Audrey: '
[What's the matter? So what if he gets photographed? What does it have to do with me?]
[No, you can't do that. He just helped me. You can't be ungrateful.]
Evans observed the subtitles flashing above her head and couldn't help but twitch his lips..