Chapter 3 The Pendant's Secret
"Are you alright, miss?"
A familiar voice sounded from above, and Evelyn Ross's heart clenched sharply.
She had thought she could face Liam Hayes with calm indifference, but after three years, hearing his voice again still stirred waves in her chest.
Evelyn composed her complicated emotions,wrenched free from the man's grasp, and straightened up.
"I'm fine. Thank you." With that, she turned to leave.
Though she wore makeup and was sure Liam wouldn't recognize her, Evelyn still wanted no further contact with him.
But Liam didn't release her hand. "Wait a moment, please."
Evelyn had no choice but to look up, meeting Liam's gaze directly.
Liam felt his heart pound—why did those eyes look so much like Evelyn's...
His mind surged with turbulent emotions, unable to calm.
Dusty memories from three years ago suddenly came alive.
On the second day of their cruise ship wedding, Clara Sinclair had told him Evelyn Ross left on a speedboat with a man, leaving behind a video.
It showed her in an intimate scene with another man. Though the man's face wasn't visible, Evelyn's features were crystal clear.
Why would she do this? Was it out of spite, to prove she no longer cared and could throw herself into another's arms at will?
The video shattered Liam. After days of numbness, he obsessed over finding Evelyn—only to receive worse news.
A man and woman's bodies had been recovered at sea. Their faces were unrecognizable, but DNA confirmed the female was Evelyn Ross.
She was dead, drowned with her lover in the ocean!
In that moment, Liam hated her yet drowned in guilt.
If they hadn't broken up, she might not have recklessly run to that man, might still be alive.
For three years, Liam had lived in unending pain, unable to move on.
Looking at the female reporter before him—those eyes so like Evelyn's—he longed for her to be the woman he lost.
"Is there something else, sir?" Evelyn smiled, surprised at her own seamless act.
Liam stared for a moment, then shook his head, releasing her at last. "My apologies. Your eyes resemble a friend's."
Her heart constricted. Liam still remembered her eyes, even through makeup.
But what did it matter?
Three years ago, Liam had cast her aside. He'd seen that damning video of her with a stranger. In his eyes, she was a disgraced woman who died in infamy with her lover.
This fleeting moment of vulnerability from Liam meant nothing, couldn't undo the shame and pain she'd endured.
She steadied her racing heart, offering a neutral smile. "I suppose I have a common face. People often mistake me for others."
Just then, the crowd erupted in chaos and gasps.
"Mr. MacLeod is here!"
Liam turned toward the commotion, and Evelyn followed his gaze.
A tall, broad-shouldered man entered, his chiseled features like a sculpted marble statue—hard, cold, imposing.
His aura dominated the room, making even the opulent decor and glittering celebrities fade into insignificance beside him.
So this was Finn MacLeod, the legend everyone talked about.
Evelyn stared, momentarily forgetting her role as a reporter.
Why did this man make her feel an irrational surge of fear...
"Skylar, what are you waiting for? Move!" Group Leader Klein hissed, shoving her forward with a microphone.
Evelyn thrust the mic out, but her mind went blank. Even if she asked questions, they'd be drowned out by the crowd.
Finn strode past the reporters, while Liam Hayes and Clara Sinclair hurried to greet him.
Standing nearby, Evelyn overheard snippets of their conversation.
"I'd heard rumors of your attendance, Mr. MacLeod. I see they were true..." Liam extended his hand.
Finn merely nodded. "Mr. Hayes."
"Of course—forgot you don't care for physical contact." Liam retracted his hand with an awkward laugh.
Whether Finn truly had a cleanliness obsession or Liam was making excuses, it was surreal to see the proud Liam groveling like this.
Just then, Klein called out: "Mr. MacLeod, it's said you moved to Crist City three years ago for a woman. Is that true?"
Finn paused mid-step at the mention of "three years ago," turning to face the questioner.
His eyes locked on the female reporter holding a "Starburst Media" mic, his pupils dilating slightly.
The crowd's jostling had rumpled her clothes, pulling her collar askew to reveal a necklace—a simple cube-shaped metal pendant dangling from her throat.
His gaze traveled up her delicate neck to her face—but the wide brim of her hat shadowed all but her sun-kissed skin.
Finn glanced at his assistant, murmured a few words, and took one last lingering look at the pendant before heading into the venue.
The reporters groaned in disappointment—until Finn's assistant announced:
"Please remain calm, everyone. Mr. MacLeod will grant ten minutes of one-on-one interviews. Representatives from Nova, LightSpeed, and Starburst Media, please follow me."
Elation rippled through the three chosen teams while others grumbled enviously. No one knew why these three agencies were picked, but their reporters felt like lottery winners.
Evelyn stepped back, cheering for her supervisor: "Good luck, Klein!"
But when Klein approached the assistant, he said politely: "Excuse me, but could your agency send another reporter instead?"
"Why me? What's wrong?" Klein frowned.
The assistant smiled enigmatically, offering no explanation—a stark reminder of Finn's authoritative style.
Shrugging off the rejection, Klein pushed Evelyn forward, pressing a notebook into her hand. "Skylar, it's all the same. These are my prepared questions—do us proud!"
Nodding solemnly, Evelyn clutched the notebook and followed the assistant into the venue.
Upstairs, the assistant led the three reporters to the VIP room. "The order will be Nova, LightSpeed, then Starburst. Please prepare. Each interview is strictly three minutes. I'll notify you when it's your turn."
He bowed and left. Evelyn flipped open the notebook, impressed by Klein's professionalism—the questions were sharp and on-point. She just needed to read them aloud.
Twenty minutes later, the door opened. Nova and LightSpeed reporters went in one by one, emerging three minutes later looking dejected—clearly, they'd gotten no scoop.
Now it was Evelyn's turn. Her palms sweated as she entered the luxurious suite.
Finn MacLeod sat on a leather sofa, absorbed in a document, his aura exuding untouchable elegance.
"Mr. MacLeod, this is Starburst Media's reporter," the assistant announced.
Finn nodded slightly, not lifting his eyes from the papers.
The assistant gestured for Evelyn to sit and withdrew.
Steeling herself, Evelyn thought: No matter how intimidating he is, he's just a man.
"Hello, Mr. MacLeod. I'm Skylar Hall from Starburst Media. Thank you for this opportunity."
Finn finally set down the document, raising dark, piercing eyes that pinned her like a hawk.
Evelyn's throat tightened, her pulse racing. She considered herself worldly, but this man's presence unraveled her composure.
Remembering his aversion to physical contact, she didn't offer her hand. To her surprise, Finn leaned forward slightly, extending his own.