Desires Die Hard novel (Anya and Evan)

Chapter 8

Anya forced her tears back and bit her lips. “That's right, I did that on purpose. Can you let me go now?"

He knew it! She had done it on purpose. Anya’s confession didn't make Evan feel any better. In fact, he could feel discomfort churning in his gut. “And about what happened a year ago. You planned that too, didn't you?”

“Yes,” Anya said flatly. “I did. I planned that too. I was trying to seduce you.”

Evan loosened his grip on her wrist instantly. His face darkened. “Well, get lost then. Don't let me see you again.”

“I'm not leaving. I work here now,” Anya said after gathering her courage. She cradled her wrist in her other hand tenderly, “Mr. Welton, I'll stay away from you from now on. Please leave me alone too.”

The woman just said she worked here.

Something flickered across Evan's eyes. He studied the young woman before him. That explained why she had been in the elevator this morning.

“You're working for me then?” Evan spat out with a voice that anyone feared.

“No. I'm with JK Couture,” Anya said swiftly before picking up the bag of spilled milk. What a waste. That was for her kids. She was left with only one bag of milk. That meant less milk for her precious darlings. She had already drained her breastmilk. There wasn't going to be any left if she tried pumping them again.

Caught up in her thoughts and still mourning the loss of perfectly good milk for her kids, Anya didn't notice the furious look on Evan's face at all

“I'm sorry, Mr. Welton.” Anya shoved the empty bag into the tote bag and got some tissue paper out. She thought she should help Evan clean some of those stains off his suit. She didn't really want to upset him and get in his bad side.

Evan misinterpreted her gesture as another attempt to get her hands on him again. He pushed her hands away roughly,

The young man pulled his expensive jacket off and flung it at one of his personal a**istants. Then, with an infuriated look on his face, — he marched right into JK Couture.

Evan stormed into JK Couture like a god on a rampage, his personal a**istants trailing after him like his fearful followers.

Anya simply watched them leave.

She heaved a sigh of relief. She had to do her best to stay out of Evan's way. Honestly, he was the devil incarnate. A strange and inexplicable feeling came over her after the wake of her relief. Evan truly hated her. She didn't understand why he detested ber so much. It was as if she were a monster. He couldn't even bear to take another look at her.

Memories of a distant past surfaced in her head.

She was fifteen then. She was young and innocent. There was a party at the Weltons’ and it was her first time meeting what she had thought was prince charming in real life. Evan Weltons. He was eighteen then.

The young man was handsome and dignified. He carried himself like a prince and his princely ways had stolen the hearts of every young girl at the party. Anya had been no exception.

She was a young girl who had tasted young love for the first time. Like an idiot, she stood in the distance and stared at him in awe. She did not dared to approach him, talk to him or ask him for any form of contact details. She was afraid of being rejected by him. Since then, she had been in love with him for many years.

However, that love ended one year ago when her stepmother and her stepsister had set her up and made sure that she had woken up in his bed.

She saw the fury and abhorrence in his eyes. This made her realize that she would never be able to get to know him. She had already lost her chance with him.

Anya pulled herself out of her thoughts and gave herself a light smack on the cheek. She had to pull herself together.

She didn't care about Evan Welton at all. All she had to do now was to stay away from him, keep her mind on her work and find a way to take back what was originally owned by her mother. She had to make her stepmother and stepsister pay for what they had done to her too. She also had her two precious darlings to take care of.

She couldn't afford to be distracted right now.

Chapter 9

Anya took a deep breath and collected herself. She made her way down the other end of the aisle. No one was around. The young woman pulled her phone out and called Ellie.

The call was picked up instantly. Ellie's gentle voice sounded on the other end of the line. Anya felt herself calm down at her aunt's voice. “Anya, is there something wrong?”

“Ellie, I'l be back for lunch in a while. I got milk for the kids,” Anya whispered. She kept her voice down so that no one could hear her.

"Okay," Ellie said. “I'll be taking the kids to the supermarket to get some groceries. I'll see you for lunch then.”

“Yup,” Anya replied. “I have to get back to work now, Ellie. I'll see you later. Bye.”

"See you later.”

Anya ended the call, then hurried back to JK Couture with her tote bag.

She sneaked into the pantry, stuffed the bag of milk into a bento box and shoved it in the fridge while no one was noticing. Her heart finally set at ease, she returned to her desk and threw herself back into work.

Meanwhile, in Jake's office, Evan had made himself comfortable in Jake's seat. The managing director kindly allowed him to take his chair behind the desk. His long legs were folded across the other as he listened quietly to Jake share his plans for the company’s expansion.

Jake reported JK Couture’s plans sternly. “Mr. Welton, we have plans to expand our target audience to luxury consumers. We are looking at bespoke services for celebrities and socialites and collaborations with international designers. We intend to expand to the global market and achieve global reach. That's our current plans for JK Couture's expansion.”

"And?" Evan asked. His knuckles rapped against the smooth surface of Jake's desk.

It was driving Jake into a panic.

What did Evan mean by that?

Was the man displeased with the plans that Jake had just shared with him?

Jake was honestly worried that the plans that he had worked on for six months might go down the drain with a simple rejection from Evan.

“That's all we have now.”

Evan scoffed. “We'll proceed according to your plans. I want an update every three months. I'm going to withdraw my support for your initiative for bespoke services if the results are not ideal.” “Don’t worry, Mr. Welton, we'll do our best to build our brand and enhance the Welton’s brand as well,” Jake said confidently.

Evan wasn't interested in listening to Jake's ramblings about his ideas. He unfolded his legs and stood up. Then, suddenly, he said. “I heard you got a new hire.”

"Yes, we're short of designers. We hired one today. She's Anya MacMillan,” Jake replied. “Do you happen to know her, Mr. Welton?"

So, it seemed that the woman hadn't been lying. She was working at JK Couture.

Maybe she had gotten a job here because she hadn't given up on him yet.

Evan fell into a deep silence. Then, after a moment, he said nonchalantly. “No, I don't.”

Having said that, he marched out of the office briskly with his personal a**istants followed hurriedly after him.

Soon, it was time for lunch.

The staff working at JK Couture headed to the canteen in the building. Anya couldn't. She had to go home and get her milk back to

her kids.

As everyone headed off to the canteen, she hurried to the pantry and grabbed her milk. Then, she shoved it into her bag and raced downstairs to catch the bus.

Fortunately, Ellie's apartment was only a short distance away from Welton Group Tower.

1/2

Chapter 9

The bus ride back home took only fifteen minutes.

It was extremely convenient.

Anya clutched her bag to her chest and raced out of the elevator. She sped past the hall and accidentally ran into a young woman tottering on high heels. It was Sydney.

She hadn't seen Sydney for a year.

Anya stared at her stepsister, the woman who had set her up. Rage burned inside her.

Sydney stared right back.

Her eyes widened in shock. She seemed to have forgotten where she was. The young woman stepped forward and into Anya’s face. Her voice was dripping with derision. “It's been a while, hasn't it, dear sister? Where have you been? You honestly have no shame, d you? This is Welton Group Tower. Evan's office, for goodness’ sake!”

Anya couldn't be bothered with her. But she wasn't going to let herself be pushed around by her stepsister either. She spoke indifferently, “That's none of your business. I'm no longer part of the MacMillan family, so stay out of my business.”

“Naturally, I can't tell you what to do. I'm just shocked that you would dare turn up at Welton Group Tower after what you did to Mr. Welton. Are you trying to seduce him again?” That was all Sydney wanted to know. She needed to know if Anya was interested in

Evan too.

The young woman had vanished for a year.

Now, she had suddenly turned up.

Sydney was truly worried that Anya might have cast aside all propriety and shame and decided to seduce Evan into marrying her!