[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322E1C3D0-242":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},242,28,"Chapter 28: The Text That Killed the Mood","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline felt the familiar, jagged ache return the moment she stepped into the Montgomery estate. Her body felt brittle, thin as parchment, and every time her cycle rolled around, she felt like she was fighting a losing battle against her own nervous system.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dragging her leaden limbs toward the living room, she let out a breathless, pathetic groan. \"Mom... help me...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marilyn Montgomery looked up, her expression shifting instantly from poise to panic as she saw the porcelain-pale sheen of her daughter’s face. She rushed over, wrapping an arm around Evangeline’s shoulders to guide her to the sofa. \"Sweetheart, what is it?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Cramps,\" Evangeline wheezed, curling into the cushions. \"Tell Nancy to whip up some of that herbal tea. I’m dying here.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Alright, alright, just breathe,\" Marilyn said, her hands moving with practiced, rhythmic care as she began to massage Evangeline’s lower abdomen. She shot her daughter a playful, chiding glare. \"You weren't careful with your diet again, were you? You’re such a disobedient child.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I wasn't!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Oh, really? I can practically smell the Korean BBQ off you. Spicy food, greasy takeout—you never learn your lesson, do you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Mom, please,\" Evangeline whimpered, her voice thick with exhaustion. \"Don't lecture me, I’m literally fading away.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Hormones were a cruel cocktail, and in this state, her willpower was nonexistent. Marilyn just sighed, a smile softening her features. \"You are incorrigible. Take this pill first. Drink the ginger tea, sleep it off, and you’ll be human again by morning.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Fifteen minutes later, Nancy arrived with a steaming mug. Evangeline struggled upright, blowing on the surface, the heat stinging her eyes as she gulped it down. Sweat beaded on her forehead, cold and sharp. Marilyn helped her up the stairs, tucking the duvet around her with meticulous care.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Stay bundled up, don't let the chill get to you,\" her mother whispered, her hand slipping under the covers to rub her abdomen once more.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The heat of the tea and the steady, maternal touch finally began to unravel the knots in Evangeline’s gut. The heavy fog of exhaustion rolled in, and she was asleep before her mother even left the room.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The next morning, sunlight streaked across the bedroom, turning the dust motes into gold. Evangeline blinked, her eyelashes fluttering as she stretched. The agony was gone, replaced by a surge of renewed energy. She felt bulletproof.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Buzz. Buzz.*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her phone lit up on the nightstand. \"Hello? Remi?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Evangeline! We hit the jackpot!\" Remi’s voice was practically vibrating through the speaker.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What are you talking about?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Are you living under a rock? Check Instagram! Luna Hughes’s photos from the festival last night went absolutely viral. We are trending!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"No way. Hold on, let me get to the laptop.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline scrambled out of bed, her fingers flying across the screen. Her jaw dropped. The notification count was astronomical.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I know, right?\" Remi laughed. \"Luna tagged our studio in her post this morning, and the internet just exploded!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Give me twenty minutes. I’m heading to the studio now.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline didn't waste a second. She was out the door and in her car before the caffeine even hit her system. When she burst into the studio, Remi tackled her in a bear hug, planting a loud, exuberant kiss on her cheek.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You’re a genius, Evangeline!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi pulled her toward the monitor, showing off the campaign shots. Luna Hughes had always been a \"cold girl\"—ethereal, aloof, and utterly untouchable. The red gown Evangeline had designed for her felt like a coronation; she looked like a queen surveying a conquered kingdom. The fans were losing their minds, praising the styling, and the fact that a star of Luna’s caliber had publicly championed a small studio only added to the prestige.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Over a million comments, Evangeline!\" Remi rocked her back and forth, beaming.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"We have to capitalize on this,\" Evangeline said, her voice dropping into a professional, steely tone. \"This is our launchpad. We need more pieces, more edge, more everything.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You’re right!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Suddenly, a notification pinged on her phone—a text message. Evangeline glanced at the screen, a sneer twisting her lips. She tossed the phone onto the desk with a heavy, irritated *clack*.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi peeked over. \"Jonah Harrison? Really? Is he trying to play the 'grieving lover' card again?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Don't bring him up. Especially not on a day like today.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Fine, fine. So, are we celebrating tonight?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline paused. \"We’re celebrating?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi looked sheepish, remembering their last chaotic night out at the club. \"Just a drink! A tiny, little drink! Come on, we’ve earned it!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline relented, a small smirk playing on her lips. \"Fine. But just one.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Yes!\" Remi cheered, turning to the rest of the staff. \"Everyone, drinks on the studio tonight!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline knew better than to go silent, though. She quickly tapped out a message to Marcellus, letting him know the plan.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The phone rang instantly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hello? Marcellus?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You’re still feeling sick, and you’re going out for drinks?\" His voice was low, laced with that possessive, brooding edge that made her heart skip.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I won't drink,\" she lied, touching her nose guiltily. \"I’m just tagging along for the company.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You expect me to believe that?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I promise! Everyone from the studio is going. I can't just be the party pooper.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"…Fine.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline hung up, letting out a long breath. *God, he’s becoming easy to manage,* she thought.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That night, they took over a private booth at The Neon Lounge. The air upstairs was a different world from the thumping, smoke-filled chaos of the dance floor below. It was sophisticated, bathed in low, flickering light, and laced with an undercurrent of mystery.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The girls ordered fruit-based cocktails and snacks, giggling in the corner. Evangeline shook her head at a glass of sparkling water. \"I’m on the clock for my health. You guys go wild.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Ugh, you’re so boring,\" Remi pouted.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’m just eating, okay?\" Evangeline laughed, grabbing a skewer.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Jemma, one of their junior assistants, pointed at the karaoke system in the corner. \"Evangeline, you should sing! Doesn't this place have a stage?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I don't know,\" Evangeline said, though she noticed the girls giving her that 'look.'\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"She has the voice of an angel!\" Remi shoved her toward the console. \"Sing! We want to hear you!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The room erupted in cheers. Evangeline sighed, finally giving in. She sat at the console, fingers dancing across the screen to select a track. The music swelled—a soft, haunting melody that filled the room.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*\"You gave me a love I never want to lose...\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The journey of love is a sea of stars and vast oceans...\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The story won't change,\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It’s the best arrangement of fate...\"*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her voice was like silk, weaving through the room. It was raw and intimate, a confession disguised as a song. Every person in the room fell into a reverent silence, captivated by the ache in her notes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They weren't the only ones listening.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus had slipped into the booth, intending to drag her home, but he froze in the doorway. The song hung in the air, a siren call that struck straight through his armor. He stayed in the shadows, his eyes burning as he watched her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As the final note faded into a lingering hum, the room exploded into applause.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"That was incredible!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Evangeline, I’m falling in love just listening to you!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She smiled, a flush of color returning to her cheeks, unaware of the predator watching her from the dark.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272911909]