Evelyn rubbed her temple as dread crept into her bones. Standing in the middle of Iris' living room, she couldn't help but think that everything was going wrong. She had hung up the call with Levi which might have alarmed him for no reason. She was surrounded by Andrew and Iris and there was no way to snoop around. Not to mention that Andrea wasn't around and she was probably plotting something.

All Evelyn could do was listen. Andrew's voice was filled with anger, and rightfully so. She didn't know if Andrew was part of the plan and she couldn't blame him if he was.

Still, it seemed hypocritical to put others' lives in danger when that was exactly what angered him.

Evelyn shook her head and looked at Andrew - now was not the time for worrying.

"You turned me into a dependant man!" he shouted, causing Evelyn to move her focus to her feet. 

"What thirty-five-year-old man still lives with his mother? I can't buy groceries without people looking at me with pity, I can't do normal things with my friends, who don't even contact me anymore. I work at my mother's company because I don't have the qualifications to work anywhere else and all I relied on was soccer! But that's gone as well!" he roared. 

Evelyn had never seen anyone harbor that much hatred. All the times her parents berated her resembled a fond memory compared to what she had just witnessed. She was physically unable to lift her head and face him again, for that would compel her to speak. And what could she tell him? That she was sorry? That didn't account for anything.

"Cat got your tongue?" Andrew spat and Iris rubbed his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.

"Stop it, mom! You can't casually invite her over in the name of closure! If closure is what you want, then I need to speak!" he said, diverting his anger towards Evelyn onto his mother. She nodded at him slightly and walked away, leaving both of them alone.

"I didn't want any of that to happen. I can take accountability for my actions but I can't help it if the court left me with no punishment," Evelyn said. If a sorry wasn't going to cut it, she had no choice but to be honest.

"Deflecting the blame. I'm not sure what I expected from you," Andrew said through gritted teeth.

"Listen. I came to apologize and I'm really very sorry. But if that's not enough, I don't know what you expect from me," Evelyn said, growing impatient. She had to snoop, immediately.

To her relief, her phone started vibrating inside her bag. Taking it as an excuse, she made a beeline toward the door.

"I have to take this," she screamed after her and hurried out of the house as quickly as she could. She pulled her phone out only to realize that it was Levi.

Thank god he was worried.

"Hello," Evelyn said, relief flushing through her body.

"God Evelyn, I was so goddamn worried! Why did you hang up? I thought something happened and I really debated leaving the house," he said, out of breath.

"First of all, don't do that," Evelyn said, chuckling nervously, "and second, I'll explain later. Right now, I really need you to send a message to Andrea, asking her to invite me into her room, or something. There is literally no way for me to look around otherwise," Evelyn said.

"Andrea is probably at school, practicing for the actual play. She won't be able to help you out today," Levi said.

Evelyn's face dropped. No wonder Andrea wasn't around for all of this. It made sense and that made things worse; she had endured all of the guilt she tried to bury for no reason.

She sighed, "I suppose I'll have to leave empty-handed."

"It's not over yet," Levi offered.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Evelyn asked.

"If you leave now you will be able to catch her at the practice. Everyone leaves their bags in the prop room. If you get a hold of her phone-" Levi began.

"That's an awful idea. The cameras will catch me and that is not a risk I'm willing to take," Evelyn said.

"The dresses are also kept in the prop room. Sometimes, dress fittings are done there. You see where this is going, right?" Levi asked.

"I suppose I should buy a pen drive on my way there," Evelyn said and hung up.

The universe was on her side. It closed one door but opened an even bigger and more luxurious one and that room was bound to be more magical than Iris' living room. After all, the theatre was where the magic was created.

She walked inside to bid her farewell; she had places to be. 

"I hope we can conclude this properly some other day," Evelyn said, "but I have to take your leave."

"And the phone call came just when things were getting intense? How likely," Andrew remarked.

Evelyn couldn't take it any longer. Here he was, talking about how his life was ruined while his family ruined a lot more than one. Who knows, he could have been in on it too.

"You know what?" Evelyn asked, stepping closer to him, "maybe you should ask your family to be more considerate when it comes to ruining lives. You seem to be against it."

"What does that mean?" Andrew asked, confusion on his face.

"Either you're a hypocrite, or you're incredibly naive," Evelyn said, "but I'd think twice before throwing words."

She walked away with a sense of contentment. There were many easter eggs in what she said, some that they could uncover easily. However, it didn't seem to matter. She would never lose the feeling of guilt but what she said to him reminded her that they were equally, if not more guilty. She stood with her chin held high and that's all that mattered.

When I do get her phone, they will be the last of my worries.

⋆ ★ ⋆

Time is money. Yet, here Evelyn was, having lost both of them. Her stop at the local hardware store took seized ten minutes - minutes she didn't have to spare. She also had to give up the only fifteen dollars she had in her purse to buy a decent pen drive. 

At least she didn't have to drive all the way home. And, she would get more than fifteen dollars from Levi, whether she won or not.

The thought put her at ease. There was no doubt that she would go above and beyond for Levi even if it wasn't connected to her for the sole reason that Alec Coleman was his father. He may have helped her but he sure as hell hadn't done it for free.

She reverse-parked her car and jumped out of it. It was twelve-twelve and time was ticking. She couldn't be sure how long Andrea would stay and she hoped that she was drowning in practice.

As she reached the gates of the university, she couldn't help but marvel at its grandeur. Supported by two brown platforms its metallic arc stuck out. It was a contrast to the worn-out nature of the wall which is why her eyes didn't pay any mind to them.

She walked in casually and no one tried to stop her. She commended herself mentally for looking young enough to pass as a college student. As someone nearing her thirties, it filled her with a sense of pride.

The theatre was on the fourth floor, that's what Levi had told her. She looked around her but there was no lift in sight; the stairs it was.

She sprinted up the stairs, the heels of her sandals clacking with every footstep. She skipped two steps at a time, relying on her relatively long legs to not fall. After what seemed like a thousand stairs, she was at the top and the theatre was right in front of her; but that wasn't where she was headed.

Compared to the melodramatic loops and swerves in the font used for the theatre's board, the prop room was very simple; but it stored everything she needed. 

She opened the door, only letting her eyes inside. They scanned the room and she quickly realized that no one else was in there. She barged in and got into action immediately. She opened bag by bag, trying to identify anything that belonged to Andrea. Each bag had an ID card and that was the first thing she checked. On her sixth attempt, Andrea's ID card was in her hand.

Jackpot.

She put her hand into the beige purse and pulled out the phone she recognized as Andrea's. She turned it on to see that it was protected by a pattern.

Double jackpot.

She made sure her palms didn't touch the screen of the phone as she held it up near the light. The marks from Andrea's sweaty palms showed the exact pattern that guarded the contents inside. For something with that much value, the pattern was a simple 'A'.

Evelyn was in and she pinched her hand to contain the excitement. All she had to do was copy all the files, which was harder to do using phones but it would have to do. She inserted the pen drive, which she was now grateful for since one side of it could be used on phones as well. 

Her palms turned sweaty as she copied all her downloads, images, videos, documents and more. It was a huge, time-taking process but it was heaps better than outright stealing her phone. This left the least amount of evidence.

She tapped her feet on the ground anxiously, not knowing how close they were to wrapping up. 

She looked at the phone. Thirty-nine percent done.

There must have been a lot of files because it was taking forever. She paced around the room but her feet stopped moving when two footsteps added to hers. She grabbed the phone from the table and threw herself behind the mountain of clothes. As the door opened, she chided herself for choosing the worst spot possible. If they were here for clothes, she was doomed.

She looked at the phone once more. Fifty percent.

"This is not where I kept my bag," one of the guys remarked as she inspected it carefully, "I'm pretty sure I tossed it on the floor."

His friend walked up to him and added, "mine too."

The both of them stared in silence but Evelyn's thumping heart more than compensated for the silence. 

I'm an asshole, she thought.

Fuck.

If they came any closer, they'd know someone was hiding behind the costumes; someone who was hyperventilating, whose heartbeat mirrored the shooting of a gun. She bit her lips and prayed they'd leave.

"Andrea came after us, didn't she? She probably kept it in place, you know she's a sweetheart," he said, a toothy grin plastered on his face.

"Maybe you should thank her with a date," his friend joked, bumping his shoulder.

"If that happens, I'll treat you to dinner," he said, his grin wider than ever. They picked up their bags respectively and sauntered out. 

The practice must have come to an end. She looked down at the phone and it was almost done. Three more percent to go. 

She made sure everything was in place this time and waited for the copying to end. When the phone vibrated in her hand, she let out a sigh she didn't know she was holding. It was over. She ejected the pen drive before tossing Andrea's phone into her purse. Her job here was done.

She ran out of the room and down the stairs and she didn't stop until she reached the safe confines of her car. Her heart was racing but she didn't care. She had the biggest weapon she could use against Andrea and this time, she was filled with confidence.

Luck was shining on her and she would take full advantage of that.