True Love Waits

Evelyn replied flatly, "Any date is okay by me."

Things were a little awkward. It was a pretty straightforward question. Calvert decided to make sure all this went smoothly. "The 20th then. I'll reserve the venue for the engagement party. Don't worry about a thing, Evelyn. Uncle Carlos, Aunt Debbie, anything you want to see at the party? Maybe a memorial to a loved one? A family crest, perhaps?"

"No, I'll leave it to you." Carlos was unreadable. The whole time the two families were discussing the engagement, he acted as amiable as a gentleman. He gave no advice, and made no requests.

Debbie looked at Evelyn and curled her lips. "Evelyn is not ostentatious at all. Maybe just invite a few close friends. We can wait and hold a major ceremony for the wedding."

'There won't be a wedding, not if I have anything to say about it,' Debbie murmured to herself.

Calvert replied obediently, "Okay. I know what Evelyn likes, so I'll make sure that she enjoys it. It's her night, after all."

Rowena remained silent as a deer. She gritted her teeth and looked at Evelyn, who had been staring at her phone the whole time. She thought it was so unfair to Calvert.

They were discussing their engagement, but Evelyn acted like she didn't care at all. How could she disrespect the Ji family like that?

Later on that evening, the Ji family left the Huo's. As soon as they got into the car, Ally began to complain to Langston. "I don't understand what Calvert sees in her. Look at the way she acts. She looks down her nose at us. She doesn't respect her elders. She made it look like we were desperate to get married. She's rich and hot. So what? She messes around with a gigolo and leaves a trail of dead boyfriends in her wake. It's an honor for Calvert to marry her, to think highly of her. She doesn't deserve him at all. She really pisses me off!"

She heard from Rowena that Evelyn had been dating a doctor.

Calvert sat there behind the wheel, concentrating on the road. He didn't say a word.

Langston was a henpecked husband. Despite his wife's constant nagging, he just said, "We should look at the big picture. The Huos are a big deal. Tons of influence and money. If we can make the marriage work with Evelyn and Calvert, the Ji family will be unstoppable."

would offend Carlos Huo. Langston couldn't be happier to have a

seat, Rowena gently said, "So Calvert, you're really dead set on Evelyn? You want to marry this woman even though

"We're not married yet, so she can do what she wants. Besides, he won't be in the picture once we're married. If you don't date before you're

"Oh come on. You know she's just

to pursue this line of thinking anymore,

lower lip, Rowena didn't say

know I'm not your biological mom, but we're family. I raised you like my own, and Rowena thinks o you as a brother. She's just

a brother?' Rowena knew very well

is my

knew very well how she felt about him. Why

said nothing more. He

an uncomfortable silence in the car. Everyone was thinking about

the 8th when Evelyn finally saw

up. He told her they were going to

by the time they pulled up in front of

only a few people in the city knew Vernon's last name. Most people just called him

Vernon told him once. His full

had never been married, but he'd dated a lot

he was all alone. Because they all heard that Vernon would never get

want to marry. Actually, Vernon didn't intend to tell anyone, but Sheffield managed to

would never marry anyone else. He was only too happy to sleep with women, but none of them interested him