The Mistress Is Reborn As The Fiancée

Evan slumped into the plush armchair in his apartment, the remnants of his encounter with Noelle still stinging like a fresh wound. He recounted the scene, his voice laced with a mixture of disbelief and a twinge of amusement.

"She just… walked away," he finished, his eyes wide with bewilderment. "Like I was nothing."

Ma-Ri, perched on the edge of the coffe table, listened intently, her expression thoughtful. Noelle had been acting very strange recently, unlike the usual Noelle they knew. She could feel like something was amiss.

"That is… surprising," she said, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. "Noelle is usually so… devoted."

Evan remained unconcerned. "She is," he said, his voice casual. "I think she is looking for attention, she thinks her tantrums will make me pay her more attention. I'm willing to play her game till I get what I want."

"Or something might have happened," Ma-Ri mused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Something to make her change her mind about you."

She paused, her gaze shifting to Evan, her expression thoughtful. "Perhaps… another man?" she suggested, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity.

A flicker of anger flashed across Evan's face. "That is simply impossible," he scoffed. "Noelle loves me. She would not … she couldn't even try it…"

But even as he spoke, a seed of doubt began to sprout in his mind. He remembered Noelle's coldness, her dismissive words, her almost violent departure. He had never seen her like that before. What if he was the one being delusional? What if she was truly over him? He shook off the thought quickly.

Ma-Ri's eyes widened slightly. "Are you sure Evan?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of skepticism. "People change, Evan. Especially when they feel betrayed and you must admit, you have betrayed her with me."

Evan's brow furrowed. He remembered day that Noelle had come in and almost caught them kissing. She had thrown another tantrum that time too and he had dismissed it at the time, but now, it seemed to take on a new significance.

"You know something interesting?" Ma-Ri asked, her voice all knowing. "May told me something… she said that Noelle met with Caine."

Evan's eyes narrowed. "Caine?" He echoed, her voice laced with surprise. "Why would she want to meet up with that pretentious peacock?"

He scoffed. "That is ridiculous," he said, his voice laced with dismissive laughter. "Noelle and Caine? That is simply impossible."

Ma-Ri's eyebrows furrowed. "Why do you say that?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

"Because," Evan said, his voice laced with a hint of arrogance as if it was obvious, "Noelle is in love with me. She would never… she would die if she got with another man."

Ma-Ri's lips curled into a faint smile. "Are you jealous, Evan?" she asked, her voice laced with amusement.

Evan's face flushed slightly. "Jealous?" he scoffed. "Of what? I don't care what Noelle does."

"You better not," Ma-Ri said, her voice sharp and firm. "Because you have no right to care."

She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But," she continued, her voice laced with a hint of mischief, "I can see that you do care. You are worried that she might have just replaced you."

Evan's jaw tightened. He did not like that Ma-Ri was seeing through his facade. He was not worried, he told himself that he was simply… curious.

Meanwhile, Evan was genuinely baffled. He had never considered the possibility that Noelle could fall out of love with him. He had always believed that their relationship was unbreakable, that their bond was eternal. He had taken her devotion for granted, assuming that she would always be there, waiting for him, forgiving his mistakes and loving him till the end of time.

But now, he was forced to confront the reality that he did not want to accept. Had he pushed her too far? Could it be that he had broken her trust, that he had lost her.

The thought of Noelle with another man was unbearable. He couldn't imagine her touching someone else, kissing someone else, loving someone else. The image sent a wave of jealousy and possessiveness crashing over him.

He had always been confident in his ability to win her back, to charm her, to manipulate her. But now, he was not so sure. He had underestimated her strength, her resilience, her ability to move on.

His ego was bruised, his pride wounded. He had always been the one in control, the one who called the shots. But now, he was powerless, at the mercy of Noelle's decisions.

He felt a sense of panic, a fear of losing her forever. He had to do something. He had to win her back. He had to prove to her that he was worthy of her love.

But how? How could he undo the damage he had caused? How could he regain her trust? How could he convince her that he had changed?

He didn't know. He was lost, adrift in a sea of uncertainty. He had no idea what to do.

He looked at Ma-Ri, her eyes filled with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. He knew that she was enjoying his discomfort, that she was reveling in his vulnerability. But he also knew that she was the only one who could help him.

"What do we do, Ma-Ri?" he asked, his voice laced with desperation. "How do I get her back? You know it is important that I get married to her so that we can get all we want."

Ma-Ri smiled, a slow, predatory smile that sent a shiver down Evan's spine. "That is good, Evan," she said, her voice laced with a hint of menace. "I was beginning to fear that you had lost sight of the goal and fallen in love with the orphan."