"Do you guys know each other?" I ask, confused as to why they're insulting one another.

"You could say that," Evan says, with an evil glint in his eyes as he stares at Amber.

"I don't know this rich snob," Amber says, venom dripping in her words.

"Wow, Amber. If you don't know him, why do you keep insulting him?" I ask, confused at her hostility toward Evan.

"I'll tell you why. This morning he used his expensive car to splash water on me while I was standing beside the road. Then, when I asked him to buy me new clothes because he ruined mine, he said I was lucky he wasn't pressing charges against me for hitting his car with my shoe."

"You hit his car with your shoe?" I ask, surprised she'd do that. Truthfully though, I shouldn't be surprised. This is Amber we're talking about. Even if a man were seven feet tall, Amber would still pick a fight with him.

"She did. And thankfully it's an expensive car, like she said, so the windshield was strong enough to suffer no damage," Evan says before Amber can speak.

"Thank God," I say, releasing a breath of relief. I was worried I'd have to help Amber scramble for money to compensate for the damage she caused to Evan's car.

"She was fortunate."

"Regardless, Evan, I can't believe you'd splash water on someone and not apologize," I say, surprised by the way he handled things with Amber. Amber's actions don't surprise me, but I'm surprised by his.

"I was going to, but she refused to apologize for using her shoe to hit my car," Evan defends his actions.

"That's true, Amber; you shouldn't have used your shoe to hit his car, and you should be happy he did not make you pay."

"I can't believe you're taking his side. I'm your best friend, and he was driving away. That's why I had to stop him with my shoe," Amber defends her own actions.

"Really? You were going to drive away?" I ask.

"I didn't know I splashed water on her!"

"You knew you jerk," Amber says, glaring at him as she takes a step closer.

"As I told you this morning, I didn't see you standing there," Evan says, glaring back at her, also moving closer to her. There's hardly a breath between them, and they're glaring at each other with so much anger in their eyes. I can tell they've already killed each other in various and brutal ways in their heads.

"I think we should just let this matter go because I don't think either of you is willing to agree you were wrong with your actions," I say and walk between them, forcing them to break eye contact.

"I think that's probably for the best," Evan says.

"Thank you. Amber?" I ask, hoping she'll drop the topic so we can have a good time.

"Only because you asked," she says, huffing before glancing away.

"Good. Now let the party begin! Evan, have you had anything yet?" I ask.

"I'm actually here to invite you guys to join me in VIP."

"Oh, that's nice. Come on, Amber, let's go," I say, linking my arm with hers.

"I'm not going," Amber says, pulling me back with our linked arms.

"Amber, please. Forget about what happened this morning and party with me," I plead with my eyes.

"Okay. Only because I don't want to leave you alone."

"Thank you," I say, smiling, and pull her with me to follow Evan.

We take the stairs to the VIP section, and now that I'm here, I wish I didn't come.

"Jason, I hope you don't mind; I invited Eleanor to join us," Evan says.

"Whatever," he says, barely sparing me a glance, and continues listening to something the girl sitting on his lap is saying to him. He looks different in a pair of jeans and shirt than his usual suit, but he still looks sexy as ever.

I walk over to sit beside Evan with Amber next to me. Evan hands me a drink, and I thank him. We spend the whole night talking and drinking. I tried to act like Mr. Crawford isn't there, but I couldn't. The way the woman on his lap kept eating his face in the name of kissing made me think of Vivienne. I couldn't stop thinking about how he had sex with her earlier today, and now he's practically having sex with the woman on his lap. He's such a player. As much as he's attractive, I could never see myself with someone like him.

After having fun and drinking until I could barely walk in a straight line, Amber and I decide to go home. Luckily for us, Evan has his driver here, so he's taking us home. He drops me first before driving Amber to her house. She's too drunk to care who's driving her. If she'd been sober, I'm sure she would've rather walk home than enter Evan's car .

***

Uncle Jack's voice wakes me with a jolt.

"Ouch! Uncle Jack, you didn't have to wake me up like that," I groan as I try to suppress my headache. I sit up on my bed only to realize I slept on the couch. I must've dozed off here when I came home, thinking it was my bed.

"I wouldn't have to if you weren't late to your party," he says, handing me Advil and a glass of water.

"Thank you," I say, taking the Advil and glass of water from his hand. "What party are you talking about?" I ask as I wrack my brain to remember a party .

"Carson's all-white brunch party he invited you to for the weekend, " Uncle Jack says, and I suddenly remember.

"Oh, my God. I can't believe I forgot. What time is it?" I ask, and stand up to walk to my room. I also look to my phone to check the time, but it's dead.

"It's 11:30 AM; you have a half hour to get ready," Uncle Jack says from the living room.

"I can't believe I forgot," I say, walking out of my room after taking off my party clothes and putting on my towel. We only have one bathroom in the house.

"I know, and you should be grateful I remembered," he says.

"I know! That's why I love you," I say, walking into our bathroom.

"I love you too dear, and hurry," he says before walking away.

It takes me ten minutes in the bathroom to get myself sorted. I already picked out the white dress I'm wearing today It's a white ruffled sundress. Finally, I put on my sandals and run out the door and find a cab to be on my way. I hope by the time I reach Carson's house, I won't be too late.

It only takes the cab twenty minutes to get me there. Luckily, there was no traffic on my way. I can imagine if I was living in a city like New York and not in California, I'd have been at least an hour late.

"You're late," Kassie says as she opens the front door.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just need to use the bathroom," I say, entering the house.

I didn't want to go straight to the gardens where the party is. I wanted to use the bathroom and make sure I look okay.

"Be quick. Mr. Crawford's asked for you twice."

"I will," I say, walking to the guest bathroom.

Once I'm done checking my makeup, I walk out of the bathroom in a hurry, and bump right into someone.

"I'm sorry," I say before I notice who I hit.

"What're you doing here?" Mr. Crawford asks with a frown on his face.

"I invited her," Carson says, beating me to the punch.

"You invited her. Why?"

"Because she's a friend of mine, and I wanted to introduce her to some people."

"You might as well make her your heir," Mr. Crawford says and roughly walks past me. He hits my body so hard that Carson has to brace me from falling.

"Sorry, dear," Carson says, as he helps me steady on my feet.

"It's okay. What did he mean you should make me your heir?" I ask, confused as to why Mr. Crawford would say that. I know he thinks I threaten his position as CEO, but now I wonder if his grandfather's the reason behind his suspicions, but I am not sure.

"Don't take anything Jason says seriously. He doesn't know what he is saying," Carson says, brushing it off.

"Alright. If you say so," I say, dropping the topic. But I know Mr. Crawford isn't just spouting off. He knows something I don't.

"Yeah. come dear, I have a few people I'd like you to meet," he says, leading me to the gardens.