Soren had devised a n to pay her the five billion in installments.


    "Her ex-husband is still very keen on getting back together with her, but the amount she''s asking for is just too much."


    "Right now, the most cash I can offer is two hundred million. My real estate and stocks are worth about two billionbined. At my current rate of earning, I should be able to pay off the other half in about ten years..."


    Soren meticulouslyid out his assets, hoping Leo could offer some good advice.


    In the middle of his exnation, he didn''t even notice the slip of the tongue.


    When Leo heard the word "I," he raised an eyebrow but didn''t call him on it.


    "I''d advise your ''friend'' to just give up," Leo said. "Don''t waste time on this."


    "She''s a smart woman. I''m sure she wouldn''t make such a difficult demand without a reason."


    "Before she proposed this condition, she must have given him another one-one that your friend couldn''t, or wouldn''t, fulfill. So she hit him with an impossible request to make him back off."


    Leo took a sip of water. "Why don''t you think back a little?"


    Soren had a good memory. Leo''s prompt was all it took.


    He had asked Evangeline to remarry him before, and her condition had been for him to send Poppy to the police.


    Soren remained silent.


    Leo pped him on the shoulder, affecting a wise tone. "Love isn''t like business. It''s not asplicated as you think."


    "It''s simple, really. You just have to show her that you love her, that you care about her, that she''s different from everyone else in your eyes."


    "A true loving rtionship is moreplex, but you said she once loved her ex- husband. The foundation should still be there. If you make a change now, there might still be hope."


    Then, Leo pointed to the figures Soren had been calcting. "I think you should spend less time trying to solve these ridiculously difficult conditions."


    "Even if you did have that much money and you did get back together, things would never be the same."


    Leo''s curiosity about Evangeline had been piqued, so he''d asked Theresa a few more questions and gotten the full story. He had initially despised the scumbag ex-husband, but after spending a couple of days with Soren, he found the man wasn''t quite as monstrous as he''d imagined.


    Reconciliation seemed unlikely, but Leo felt Soren at least deserved to understand why he would fail.


    Since Soren insisted on leaving together, he stayed. After a few more days, Theresa finally brought up the topic she had been avoiding-returning to Serenity City.


    Evangeline''s eyes reddened, and she couldn''t stop herself from begging Theresa to leave with her. She knew that returning Theresa to that toxic, environment the endless strife the Carlisles, the social obligations, and Victor''s coercion-would be like handing her a knife to kill herself with.


    But she couldn''t help asking.


    She couldn''t bear to be separated from her.


    After her mother''s death, her world had shattered. The city was bustling, but it felt like she was the only onezin it. She had no one to share her true. feelings with, no one to give her advice when she was in trouble, no one to protect her when she was bullied.


    Only when Theresa was by her side did she feel like she wasn''tpletely alone.


    Moreover, during all the years they were apart, she had constantly worried that something would happen to Theresa.


    Finn saw Evangeline''s distress and added a few words of his own, but as expected, Theresa''s resolve was firm. She was staying.


    Evangeline''s eyes welled with tears. Finally, she said, “Then I''m not leaving either. I''ll stay here with you."