CHAPTER 193: CHAPTER 193: THE FIERCE PRETENSE

~Evric’s POV~

I came downstairs in the early evening, leaving Zayn upstairs where he’d been sleeping soundly since we returned from his place. I needed to attend to Chrisly, who had dropped by for a visit.

"I’m hungry," Chrisly announced the moment I walked into the living room. I asked the maid to prepare something for him. After we both settled down, Chrisly declared he wasn’t going back and would pass the night at my place. "Fine," I said.

He suggested we play a video game, and we spent a while competing until I decided to drop the subject I really wanted to discuss. I knew that even though he and Nuala fought constantly, Chrisly always knew the most about Nuala’s life.

"It’s a good thing Nuala has someone she’s dating now," I commented casually, pretending the information was general knowledge.

Chrisly fell for it instantly. "Oh, Nuala finally told you about her? I thought she said she was scared to." He shook his head, smiling.

He looked up, noticing my lack of a smile. His expression soured. "Don’t tell me... you found out, didn’t you? It’s not like she told you about it."

I looked at him silently. My silence was the only answer he needed.

"Bro..." he started, exasperated.

I cut in, pressing him for details. "So you know about Nuala and Vanya."

"Yes, I know. She told me about it," he admitted. "She said she was finding the right time to tell you."

I wanted to press further, but I stopped myself, deciding the information needed to come directly from her. "I’ll ask her myself."

"Just be gentle when you ask her," Chrisly advised. "Don’t scare her with your face."

"What’s wrong with my face?" I demanded.

"You look fierce," he said simply.

"No, I’m not." he paused, then changed the subject. "I thought you said Zayn moved in."

"He did, but he’s sleeping," I explained.

Chrisly raised an eyebrow. "Sleeping at this hour?"

"Yes," I stated firmly. "He’s in his boyfriend’s house. He can sleep anytime he wants."

Chrisly smiled gently. "That’s not what I meant. I was just asking if everything is okay."

I was about to reply to Chrisly’s comment when I saw Zayn appearing on the stairs. I dropped the game controller instantly and walked to meet him.

"Nice one, bro," Chrisly muttered behind me. "You see your man and leave me."

I ignored him. I held Zayn’s waist, kissed his cheek, and asked, "How do you feel now?"

"I’m fine," he said, a little sleepy. "But I’m hungry."

"The maid will serve you," I reply to him.

We walked to the dining room and settled down. Chrisly called out a greeting to Zayn, which Zayn returned. Just as the maid served Zayn his meal, the doorbell rang.

One of the maids moved quickly to answer the door. A moment later, she stepped aside, revealing a familiar, imposing figure in the entryway.

It was Evans.

When Evans stepped in, my mind immediately raced to Nuala. I checked the time: it was past 8 PM. Evans hadn’t informed me he was coming, and I knew if he sensed Nuala was out late, there would be trouble.

Everyone in the house greeted him, including Zayn.

Chrisly grinned. "You’re not surprised to see me here?"

Evans smirked. "Why should I be? All of you love being in Evric’s house instead of my house."

Chrisly laughed. "You know why, bro."

"Whatever," Evans muttered.

This was already the third time Evans had visited my house, but he’d never come this late before. I had a bad feeling he might stay the night. I quickly dialed Nuala, but she didn’t pick up.

Evans joined Chrisly to resume the game. They played for a while, and during that time, I called Nuala several times, but she didn’t pick up. My anxiety ratcheted up, knowing it’s getting late and Evans would soon notice her absence.

After playing for a while, Finally, Evans looked up. "Where is Nuala?"

Neither Chrisly nor I could answer.

Then, at 10:31 PM

, Nuala arrived. The shock of seeing Evans hit her instantly. Before Evans could even stand up, I rushed from the dining room to the living room, planting myself firmly between them.

"Where are you coming from?" Evans demanded, his voice dangerously level.

Nuala was already shaking behind me.

I quickly interjected, "Trust me, Evans, Nuala doesn’t go out like this. Today just happened."

Evans’s gaze remained fixed on Nuala, boring through my efforts to shield her. "She’s not working," he stated, his voice cold and flat. "Tell me why she’s just returning home at these hours."

He scoffed, the sound dripping with contempt. "She has refused to work, not because she isn’t smart. But she’s lazy, purely because our father’s money flows freely, and she receives her allowances from him. She has nothing to do but spend that money and use her time running around late at night, is that it?"

His expression hardened. "As from today, I will tell Father to stop your salary. And both of you," he glanced pointedly at Chrisly and me, "must not give her any money until she takes her career seriously."

Nuala just stood behind me, silent.

"Look at her," Evans spat, his voice laced with contempt. "Lazy ass. Standing there, hiding like a cat. You can’t even hold a decent career because you’re spoiled rotten and think the world owes you everything."

The viciousness of his words struck Nuala hard. She let out a choked sob and ran past us both, fleeing up the stairs to her room.

The instant the sound of her frantic footsteps disappeared, the suffocating tension in the room shattered. Evans let out a loud, booming laugh, quickly joined by Chrisly. I couldn’t help it; the unexpected, calculated release of the pretense caught me, and I started laughing just as hard.

I could see Zayn looking at me from the dining table, his eyes wide, clearly saying, weren’t you the one fiercely defending her just now?

I walked toward him, wiping the tears of laughter from my own eyes. "Seriously," I admitted, pulling him close, "Nuala needs someone to tell her that. Evans is the only one she fears enough to listen to."

Chrisly was still gasping for air between bursts of laughter. "Did she cry?" Evans asked, trying to regain his composure.

Chrisly shook his head, still grinning. "I didn’t look at her! She might hate me for the rest of her life if I laughed while she was crying."

Zayn looked between the three of us and shook his head in pure disbelief. "All of you are really something else," he muttered, managing a slight, amused smile now that he understood the theatrical nature of the "dressing down."

Chrisly stretched. "Wish me luck," he announced, moving toward the stairs. "I’ll go and console her."