The CEO's Seductive Doll-Chapter 144: The Owner Can’t Take Any More Negativety in His Life
"Freiheit," Evan said, a crease forming prominently on his forehead. "Stop shouting and calm the fuck down."
"How can I ’calm the fuck down?’" Freiheit snarked, though he finally stopped screaming. "You practically sold your soul to the Devil!"
"Freiheit, you’re not making any sense here..."
"Look, Evan, I’m warning you," Freiheit’s voice took on an unusual tone of sternness, something Evan never thought his brother was capable of. "Throw away that doll as soon as pos—"
Without waiting for Freiheit to finish, Evan ended the call and pocketed his phone. He returned to the dining room and settled back into his seat.
"Where was I again?" Evan asked, trying to act calm as if Freiheit’s warning didn’t worry him. "Oh, I haven’t started yet, have I?"
Mr. Royall looked at him with pure curiosity. "Why did your brother call?"
Evan bit the inside of his mouth until he tasted the distinct metallic flavor of blood. After a few seconds, he spoke.
"It seems like Freiheit doesn’t want me to marry Eternity."
Mr. Royall’s eyes, which used to be the same blue shade as Freiheit’s but turned gray due to cataracts, widened. "I never thought Freiheit was the type to meddle in other people’s affairs."
"I thought so too," Evan muttered, nodding.
"Did he tell you why exactly he is against it?" Mr. Royall asked.
"I ended the call before he could explain," Evan admitted simply as he resumed eating his meal. "I don’t want that kind of negativity in my life."
Mr. Royall looked unimpressed but didn’t probe Evan for any more details about his call with Freiheit.
***
"Evan?"
He didn’t even need to key the door, the door to his apartment opened by itself. The first thing that greeted him as he wobbled inside was Eternity’s frantic expression.
"Your face is incredibly red!" She grimaced, rushing to support him as he wobbled toward the bedroom. "You reek of alcohol!"
"I might’ve had too much to drink back at home," Evan hiccuped as Eternity helped him lie down on his bed.
"Home?" she repeated curiously.
"The Royall Mansion," he said, his speech slurred, but Eternity tried her best to understand him. "I grew up there."
"I thought home was this apartment," Eternity whispered as she carefully removed his leather shoes and socks.
"That was my old home," Evan clarified. "My home now is wherever you are."
Eternity bit her lips, yet she couldn’t contain the giggle from escaping her.
"That’s so cliche."
Evan laughed. It was raspy, and his intoxication was evident in each cackle: "You know, Eternity."
"Yes?" she asked, humoring him, knowing he would probably forget their conversation by morning.
"I was with Mr. Royall all afternoon, and we also had dinner."
"That sounds nice," Eternity replied, masking her bitterness that the meal she prepared was wasted because he didn’t inform her he was eating out.
Evan seemed too drunk to notice.
"While we were eating in this humongous dining room, I thought of Mr. Royall’s life now as a senior citizen and how sad it was."
"Why’s that?" she probed, genuinely curious about where this story was going.
"He could afford anything in the world, and yet there was one thing he couldn’t have."
"And that is?"
Evan gave her a long look, as if trying to take her features to heart.
"Yes, E--"
But before she could finish her sentence, Evan pulled her down to the bed. Eternity landed on the soft mattress beside him, causing it to creak slightly at her weight.
"Evan!" She chastised him. "What are you--" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
"He didn’t have a family to eat dinner with him."
Eternity tilted her head to look at him, only to see an expression of pure sadness on Evan’s face.
"He will probably die alone as well," he continued, his voice quivering like he was soon to cry.
"He could have everything in the world, but he won’t be able to bring a single thing with him in the grave."
"Evan..." she whispered, running her fingers on his jaw.
"I’m scared," Evan admitted, biting back his sobs. "I’m scared of growing old alone, dying alone, and everyone forgetting that I’ve ever existed."
"Hey," Eternity cupped his chin, forcing him to look at her. "Where is this coming from?"
"I’ve been told that I’ve started looking older," he said, his body trembling as he spoke. "I looked at the mirror and saw that they were right! I’ve started getting wrinkles and I have insurmountable strands of white hair on my head--"
"You’re only 28, Evan," Eternity reminded him, her voice soft and comforting.
Yet it didn’t have the desired effect on him.
"This isn’t about me being scared that my physical appearance has downgraded, Eternity," he clarified. "These changes to my body reminded me of my mortality--that I might die anytime soon."
"You’re still young--" Eternity wanted to say, but by now, Evan was in a crying fit.
"And I’m scared!" He repeated, louder this time. "I’m scared that I’ll be leaving you alone in this cruel world!"
She froze upon hearing his words.
"Evan..." Eternity tried to speak, but she honestly didn’t know what to say.
"I don’t want to think of what may happen to you once I’m dead," he sobbed like a child. It was unnerving to see the usually calm and collected man turn into this mess.
"You don’t need to," Eternity whispered, adjusting her position on the bed so she could grab Evan’s head and bury it in her chest. "I’ll be alright. I can promise you that, Evan."
He peered up at her. The white parts of his eyes were tainted red, but his tears had already dried up.
"Why are you so sure of that?" he asked.
Eternity was silent for a few seconds, as if she were contemplating whether she should tell him or not.
"Eternity?" he said, pulling away from her. "Is there something you’re not telling me?"
After a few tense seconds, she finally spoke.
"I guess it’s time to tell you the truth."
