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Eva remained silent.
Sitting across from her, Vivian’s heart pounded, though she maintained a calm exterior. She wasn’t sure whether her words had made an impact on Eva or if she had simply failed to intimidate her. One thing was clear: Eva’s self-esteem was immense, and Vivian had played her cards based on that. Now, she could only wait and hope her gamble would pay off.
When Eva didn’t immediately speak, Vivian’s hands, hidden under the table, began to sweat. She forced a smile. “What? You don’t agree?”
Eva glanced at her briefly, her tone casual. “You seem nervous?”
Vivian’s composure wavered slightly, but she quickly recovered. “I’m not nervous. I just…”
Eva interrupted, her calm gaze making Vivian pause. She took a deep breath and changed tack. “Okay then, take your time.”
Vivian couldn’t help but wish Eva would make a decision quickly. Wouldn’t it be easier if she just signed the agreement now? But instead, Eva sank into deep thought, clearly weighing her options.
After several minutes, Vivian couldn’t keep her impatience in check. “How is it going?” she asked, her voice edged with curiosity.
Eva, without missing a beat, glanced up and asked coolly, “Aren’t you supposed to be calm? Why are you so anxious now? Is there something wrong with this agreement?”
Vivian froze for a moment, caught off guard by the question. She quickly composed herself, the smile on her lips a little more strained than before. “Okay, you can take your time. I’m just a little… impatient.”
Eva didn’t respond immediately, her composure only deepening. She let the silence stretch until she finally asked, “As long as we follow the conditions above, everything between us will be settled?”
Vivian nodded, eager to move things along. “Yes.”
“Okay.”
Vivian handed her the pen with a sense of triumph, but Eva just stared at it for a long moment. Vivian held her breath, watching her every movement. Instead of signing, Eva began to twirl the pen in her fingers with deliberate slowness.
The minutes stretched, and Vivian’s anxiety began to fray her nerves. Just when she felt her patience was at its breaking point, Eva raised an eyebrow and calmly declared, “I won’t sign this agreement.”
Vivian’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What do you mean? You won’t sign it?”
Eva dropped the pen onto the table with a sharp clink, then leaned back, her demeanor unchanged. “I won’t sign this kind of private agreement.”
Vivian blinked, her shock momentarily clouding her judgment. “But why not? What’s the issue with it?”
Eva’s voice was measured, but firm. “Without legal representation or notarization, this agreement holds no weight. You can’t ask me to sign it just because you want me to. I don’t owe you anything that would require me to sell myself out like this.”
Vivian’s face tightened with frustration. “Eva, are you trying to trick me?”
“No,” Eva shook her head, her tone serious. “I won’t sign it, but I will still honor all the conditions you’ve outlined.”
Vivian blinked in surprise, her mind racing. Eva’s defiance caught her off guard, but she knew she couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. “Then, what do you expect me to do? If you refuse to sign, how can I be sure you’ll keep your word?”
Eva didn’t flinch. “How can you be sure if I sign it either? If I wanted to break my word, a simple penalty in your contract wouldn’t stop me.”
Vivian’s frustration deepened, but she struggled to maintain her composure. “Then what do you want? You don’t want to abort the child, and I’ve agreed to that. Can’t you just sign it to ease my worries?”
Eva’s expression hardened. “Miss Morrison, I need you to understand something very clearly: when it comes to this child, the decision is mine alone. Not anyone else’s. You, or anyone else for that matter, has no right to interfere. I’m legally married to Adrian now. I don’t need your approval.”
Vivian’s face drained of color as she processed the weight of Eva’s words. “What exactly do you want, then?”
Eva’s gaze was steady. “I don’t want anything from you, except a favor. I promise I’ll uphold all the conditions you’ve mentioned. But I won’t sign this.”
Vivian’s voice faltered, disbelief creeping in. “I don’t believe you! How can I trust you to keep your word?”
Eva shrugged indifferently. “If you can’t trust me, then maybe this conversation was a waste of time. I won’t sign the agreement. But I’ll do everything we discussed.”
Vivian gritted her teeth, her jaw tight with frustration. This wasn’t going the way she planned. She had hoped that by presenting the agreement in a pressured moment, Eva would fold. But she hadn’t. In fact, Eva was proving far more resolute than Vivian had anticipated.
With a strained smile, Vivian tried one last time. “Are you sure you can keep your promise?”
Eva met her gaze with calm certainty. “It’s a simple matter. If I couldn’t keep my promise, I wouldn’t have come out today. Why waste my time here if I had no intention of fulfilling my word?”
Vivian felt the weight of Eva’s conviction settle in her chest, and though she didn’t want to admit it, she could sense the futility of her position. “Okay,” she said with a forced smile. “That’s what you said. I just hope you keep your word.”
She reached out a hand, her smile returning as she tried to salvage some grace from the encounter. “I trust this will be a pleasant cooperation.”
Eva stared at her hand for a moment before responding, her tone cool. “From now on, I won’t owe you any favors.”
Vivian’s hand froze in mid-air, her smile faltering. This interaction had left her shaken. Eva hadn’t just refused to sign the agreement—she had taken control of the situation entirely.
