Chapter 7

Evie opened her eyes after she noticed the sound of the door closing, she hissed and sat up on the bed.

Sleep was far away from her, someone in her situation would not be able to sleep peacefully.

She was in dilemma and needed a solution to her problem.

She missed those days when she had nothing in the world to care about, she lived her life freely and had nothing that gave her sleepless nights.

The sounds from her stomach were evidence that she had not eaten anything, she climbed off the bed and went to the kitchen to get something to eat.

"Eric?" Evie uttered the moment she stepped into the kitchen, he was leaning on the kitchen slab, his eyes closed like he was lost in his world.

His eyes fluttered open after hearing his name and recognized the owner of the voice even without seeing her physically.

"Evie? What are you doing here and why are you still up?" Eric asked but Evie did not reply.

She only walked to the fridge and took a bottle of wine, she then poured it into a glass cup.

"Is everything alright?" Eric was forced to ask.

"Like seriously? You ask me if everything is alright when you that everything is in shambles," Evie retorted.

"Fine! I agree to be aware of your current predicament but I think you should see reasons with your parents," Eric encouraged.

"As usual, trying to cover up for my parents like you always do, see reasons huh? Fine, what reasons can you give?" Evie asked.

Eric was lost for words, he had no reason why her parents would do this to such an innocent, loving young lady like her.

"Of course no valid reason, you can not come up with any excuse like you always do, I remember those days when you said my parents were working hard just to make me happy, I foolishly believed you but now I realize that they are greedy and looking for ways to make more money, they don't create time for me. Well someone has to teach them that all they are striving hard to get is vanity upon vanity," Evie said.

"Evie…" Eric trailed off not knowing what to say, he was short of words. He too was upset about what they were imposing on her but he could not speak up, even though they treated him like family, he knew his boundaries and would never cross them.

He likes his job because of mostly its pay, he even earns more than those so-called civil servants per month, and the family he works for are so easy to relate with, especially Evie, she is just so free, unlike other families who want to exercise their power on the poor.

So yes! He does not want to lose his job, not yet, so he kept his mouth shut but seeing Evie broken, was something else.

"You are right, your parents have no right to do this to you, you deserve better," Eric said.

"What am I going to do now?" Evie asked trying hard to control her emotions.

"I am sorry Evie but I have no plan, no remedy, I can not think of a way out of this problem. Just go to your room and have a goodnight's sleep, do not think too much about it Evie, one way or the other we would come up with a solution," Eric encouraged.

Evie only nodded her head in agreement, she stood up and hugged Eric. He was the only one who gave her comfort in this house of hers, he knew her fears, her weakness and her strength.

Evie returned to her room after bidding Eric good night.

She lay on the bed, she heeded his advice and slept off, without a care about how her tomorrow would be like.

Meanwhile. Somewhere else in the city,

"How was it?" Alice asked the moment she stepped into Ezekiel's room, he was seated on the sofa while Paul was on the bed.

Ezekiel did not respond and his mother understood his reason for his silence, it did not work.

What was she going to do with Ezekiel? He had been a trouble in the family especially when it called about marriage, he has to get married for the sake of his inheritance and mostly the kingdom.

"Please tell me it worked out," Alice still had hope that Ezekiel found something interesting in the girl.

"Mrs Owens, for the first time in my entire life I like one of Ezekiel's bride candidates," Paul said.

Alice, cocked an eyebrow as she walked up to Ezekiel, sitting directly opposite him.

"What about you?" Alice asked, her hope rising to its peak.

"Paul is that one who like her and not me," Kiel stated dryly.

"Ezekiel, this is no longer funny, do you think it is easy going about looking for eligible women to be your wife? You reject them even without thinking about how I would feel? I even lost count of how many women I have introduced to you," Alice spat in anger.

This was the first time Alice raised her voice at Ezekiel because of the issue of marriage, she felt like he should decide on the woman he wants to marry but now he has proven to be stubborn.

"Do you even know that this is your responsibility and not mine?" Alice added, her eyes burning in range, she was tired of her son.

Looking at him was adding to her frustration so she left the room.

"Kiel, I think you should put into consideration the kingdom, we…" Ezekiel cut him off.

"Leave!" Kiel pointed to the door and Paul could only obey.

Ezekiel was already angry and he (Paul) does not him to transfer his aggression to him.

Once Paul was out of sight, Ezekiel dialled his assistant line, it connected after a few rings and Ezekiel ordered,

"I need you to get everything you know about Evelynn Tan."