When she got back to the dorm, Regina Shaw had also just returned, in a good mood.

"You’re back!"

Regina Shaw smiled and teased, "People always say reunions are sweeter than the honeymoon. I was starting to think you wouldn’t be back tonight!"

Eve Vaughn forced a smile. "I’m exhausted today. I’m going to go wash up."

Regina Shaw gave her a look that said ’I get it,’ winking. "Understood!" Even though she’d never been in a relationship, she’d seen enough to know what was what.

’It must be because... they went at it for a long time. That’s why she’s so tired!’

Later, after washing up, Eve Vaughn came back and climbed into bed, snuggling under the covers.

Regina Shaw suddenly asked, "Evie, do you have a date with Mason Lawson this weekend?"

Eve Vaughn’s heart ached inexplicably as she recalled the scene from earlier that evening.

’Where are Mason Lawson and Joanna Sullivan right now? What are they doing?’

"Evie?"

Seeing no response, Regina Shaw called out to her again.

Eve Vaughn snapped back to reality. "I... I don’t have a date."

"That’s great," Regina Shaw said. "My parents and my older brother are coming to Rivaster to see me tomorrow. We’re having lunch together. You should come, too."

Eve Vaughn froze, sitting up in bed, feeling a little overwhelmed by the invitation.

But on second thought, she said, "It’s a family meal. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for me to go?"

Regina Shaw explained, looking a bit embarrassed, "Well, the thing is... I have a difficult personality, so I don’t make friends easily. My parents are really worried about me being here in Rivaster all by myself. If you come with me, they’ll know I have friends here, and it will put their minds at ease."

Eve Vaughn smiled and confirmed, "So, Senior Shaw, you think of us as friends now?"

Regina Shaw reverted to her usual prickly personality. "If you don’t want to, then forget it! Why do you keep asking? Don’t you get tired of making me repeat myself?"

"I’ll go!"

Eve Vaughn quickly agreed.

Only then did Regina Shaw break into a smile. "Then get some rest tonight. A big meal is waiting for us tomorrow at noon!"

After the lights were turned off, the glow from Eve Vaughn’s phone under the covers was a bit glaring.

She opened her texts, then WeChat, then her call log.

Nothing new popped up.

The phone was so quiet, and her heart sank bit by bit.

’Regardless of whether Mason Lawson was actually with Joanna Sullivan tonight, what happened today proves at least one thing: Joanna Sullivan still has a place in Mason’s heart.’

’So what does that make me?’

Eve Vaughn simply turned off her phone and drifted into a groggy sleep.

Perhaps because she’d been out in the wind for too long that night, she felt like she was catching a cold, and a dull ache throbbed in her head.

It was Regina Shaw who woke her up, telling her that her parents had already landed at the airport and would be there in about an hour.

Eve Vaughn scrambled out of bed to wash up, terrified of being late.

Regina Shaw was already ready and couldn’t help but ask, puzzled, "You’re usually up pretty early. What’s with you today, sleeping in so late?"

Eve Vaughn made up an excuse. "I guess... I went to bed too late last night. I was just scrolling on my phone."

"No wonder!"

Regina Shaw leaned against the wall, watching her wash her face and brush her teeth in the bathroom. "You know, I feel like you’ve been acting weird ever since you got back last night."

With her mouth full of toothpaste, Eve Vaughn asked indistinctly, "How so?"

Regina Shaw thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I can’t quite put my finger on it!"

After she finished getting ready, at Regina Shaw’s suggestion, Eve Vaughn put on an off-white cashmere coat and a pair of black leather boots.

"So pretty!"

Regina Shaw then helped style her wavy hair a bit. "You look like a little doll."

And with that, the two of them left together.

Eve Vaughn was still a little nervous. She asked, "Should I buy something? It’s my first time meeting your parents. It doesn’t feel right to show up empty-handed."

Regina Shaw burst out laughing. "You’re acting like a boyfriend meeting his future in-laws for the first time! But really, you don’t need to buy anything. My parents just want to meet my friend. Besides, they’ll probably bring a gift for you."

...

「At Rivaster’s most famous Michelin-starred restaurant.」

The Shaw parents and their son had already arrived.

After Regina Shaw led Eve Vaughn over, she made the introductions. "Evie, these are my parents and my older brother."

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Shaw. And you as well."

Eve Vaughn greeted them politely.

But her last words, directed at Regina Shaw’s brother, made him pause for a moment.

Mrs. Shaw warmly took Eve Vaughn’s hand, smiling. "So you’re our Regina’s good friend. You’re just beautiful."

Eve Vaughn looked at the elegant woman before her, who was nearly fifty and dressed in an over-the-knee coat. "Thank you for the compliment, ma’am. You’re very elegant yourself."

Mrs. Shaw laughed. "What a sweet-talker."

Regina Shaw’s brother, Wesley Shaw, teased, "No wonder even our Regina could make friends with Miss Vaughn. After all, anyone who can tolerate Regina’s ’princess’ temper must be good-natured and a sweet-talker!"

Regina Shaw immediately went over and punched Wesley Shaw’s shoulder, retorting indignantly, "What are you talking about! People can change, you know? You should try seeing me in a new light!"

The playful banter between the siblings helped, to some extent, to ease Eve Vaughn’s nervousness.

At that moment, the stern Mr. Shaw spoke up. "Alright, let’s have a seat. We can talk while we eat."

At the round table, the Shaw parents sat in the seats of honor, with Wesley Shaw next to his father, while Regina Shaw and Eve Vaughn sat beside Mrs. Shaw.

The atmosphere during the meal was relaxed, but it was clear that Regina Shaw was quite afraid of her father.

Mrs. Shaw, however, was truly gentle and approachable, not at all like the aloof, condescending wife of a high-ranking official.

Regina Shaw was clearly closer to her mother.

Mrs. Shaw also asked Eve Vaughn a few questions and grew increasingly fond of the clever yet innocent young woman.

She held Eve Vaughn’s hand, smiling affectionately. "Evie, I really must thank you. Our Regina is a wonderful girl, but she’s just not very sociable. She never seems to fit in anywhere she goes. Now that she has you, I can finally stop worrying."

Eve Vaughn was touched. She said to Mrs. Shaw, "I really enjoy spending time with Senior Shaw, too. And I have to say, I’m envious of her. She has such a wonderful, harmonious family."

Regina Shaw was a bit speechless. Now her mother was holding onto Eve Vaughn, chatting away, and she couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

Bored, she took out her phone and started scrolling idly.

It was just a casual scroll, but she stumbled upon a huge piece of news.

"Oh my god!" Regina Shaw shouted, startling everyone else at the table.

Mr. Shaw scolded her, displeased. "You’ve been away from home for so long you’ve forgotten your manners? Is it appropriate to shout at the dinner table like that?"

Regina Shaw quickly scanned the webpage, and in an instant, she understood why Eve Vaughn had been acting so strangely since she got back last night.

’So it was because Mason Lawson was hanging out with his first love!’

Mrs. Shaw asked gently, "Regina, what were you shouting about? What did you see on your phone?"

Regina Shaw glanced at Eve Vaughn, then decisively read the headline from her phone aloud: "Mysterious Man Spotted at World-Class Dancer Joanna Sullivan’s Villa Late at Night. Suspect is Lawson Group CEO Mason Lawson!"

An odd expression flickered across Eve Vaughn’s face. Her mind was in turmoil, but she did her best to endure it, afraid of showing any weakness in front of the Shaws.

She had almost forgotten that in the minds of Mr. and Mrs. Shaw, Mason Lawson and Regina Shaw were a couple.

And she couldn’t show any sign of jealousy.

Mr. and Mrs. Shaw were also stunned by the news.

The next second, they heard Regina Shaw complaining to her parents, "Dad, Mom, look at this! Mason Lawson is supposedly pursuing me, but he’s also sneaking around with his first love! This woman even came to see me in private before, threatening me and telling me to stay away from him!"

"What?"

Mr. Shaw was instantly furious. He slammed his hand on the table. "Something like this happened? Do they think that just because the Shaw Family is far away in Calypsos, our reach doesn’t extend to Rivaster?"

Mrs. Shaw was angry too, chiming in, "Exactly, this is going too far! Shaw, you can’t just stand by and watch them bully our daughter like this. What world-class dancer? She sounds more like a homewrecking fox!"

It was only then that Eve Vaughn realized Regina Shaw had done it on purpose.

’With Mr. and Mrs. Shaw here, Joanna Sullivan is definitely going to be in for a world of hurt.’

Regina Shaw secretly shot Eve Vaughn a knowing look.

’After all, she was the apple of her parents’ eye. Judging by their reaction, Joanna Sullivan had really messed with the wrong people this time. She had walked right into the line of fire!’