Chapter 138: Forced Blind Date

Now that he knew who took Evelyn, the initial dread in his gut had settled.

Whatever dirty tricks Camila pulled in business, Evelyn was still her own daughter; she would never hurt her...

Still, two big questions hung over him as he watched the Manhattan skyline shrink in the window: If Camila refused to let Evelyn leave London, how far would he have to push things with his own future mother-in-law?

And once Evelyn remembered everything, how was she going to survive the truth of what her mother had done to her?

40 minutes later, Jude was dropped off at the private first-class terminal at JFK.

After a short wait in the lounge, he boarded the plane and stepped into his private suite.

Crossing the ocean to London would take a little over seven hours.

Knowing that the second his boots hit the ground at Heathrow he’d be walking straight into a massive family and corporate war, Jude laid his seat flat, closed his eyes, and went straight to sleep as the jet blasted through the clouds.

Across the Atlantic, on the outskirts of London, sat one of the most exclusive private estates in the UK.

Spanning over an acre of closed-off parkland behind massive gates, the estate had three luxury villas, a private golf course, rose gardens, and a heated, glass-domed Olympic swimming pool.

Whatever crazy money could buy in Europe was built right into the property...

Inside the pool house, a woman in a black one-piece swimsuit cut smoothly through the water with easy strokes.

Even though Camila Chen had already turned forty, decades of top-tier skin care, private trainers, and bottomless cash kept her in incredible shape.

Her figure was tight and toned, and her skin looked smooth as glass... the clear mark of a woman who dropped millions every year just to stay in her prime.

Standing frozen by the edge of the pool in a simple white sundress was Evelyn Chen.

Between her sharp, delicate face and her stunning figure, Evelyn was a head-turner anywhere she went.

Right now, though, her face was tight with frustration and barely held-in anger.

Without saying a word to stop the swim, Evelyn waited by the water for her mother to finish.

2 minutes later, Camila finally swam to the shallow end and walked up the steps.

Taking a towel from a maid waiting by the pillar, she slowly dried her dark hair.

"Mom, what the hell are you doing?"

Stepping forward across the tile, Evelyn glared right at her mother.

Draping the towel over her shoulders, Camila gave her daughter an easy smile, acting like she didn’t hear the anger in her voice at all. "The weather cleared up nicely today, Evelyn. Why don’t you go throw on some sneakers and play a round of golf with me in the back?"

"You know damn well I’m not in the mood for golf!" Evelyn snapped, taking another step closer. "Why did your maids take my passport, my wallet, and my phone off my nightstand while I was in the shower this morning?! What are you pulling?!"

Walking over to a lounge chair, Camila picked up a glass of red wine from the table and took a slow sip.

"I’ll have the butler bring your credit cards back before dinner," Camila said, leaning back into the cushions. "As for your passport and your phone, forget about them. You won’t be needing either of those from now on."

Evelyn froze dead in her tracks, staring at her mother in disbelief. "Mom, is this a sick joke?! Without my passport and my phone, how am I supposed to catch my flight back to New York tomorrow... and who’s running my studio?!"

"You don’t need to worry about the New York studio anymore," Camila said. "Earlier today, I had headquarters send an official order to the Manhattan office. You aren’t going back."

For three whole seconds, Evelyn stood glued to the floor, her voice cracking as it rose.

"Mom... what do you mean I’m not going back?!"

"It’s plain English," Camila said, setting her wine down and looking straight at her daughter. "From today on, you’re staying right here with me in London. I’m not letting you go back to New York."

"Why?! Why can’t I go back to my own company?!" Evelyn demanded.

"Do you really need to ask? How many times over the past year have I told you to stay away from Jude Lawson? But the more I warn you, the closer you get to him! A guy like Jude Lawson isn’t even fit to wipe our doormat, let alone marry you. I already set up a dinner for you here in London with the heir of a top-tier family... you two are meeting before the end of the week."

"Set up a dinner?!"

Evelyn stared at her mother like she was looking at a total stranger. "When did I ever ask you to set me up on a blind date?! The only guy I care about is Jude Lawson... I don’t give a damn about meeting anyone else!"

"That’s not your call to make!" Camila’s voice turned hard. "The biggest mistake I ever made was letting you go back to New York in the first place. If I had kept you under my roof here from day one, you never would’ve crossed paths with him!"

Evelyn let out a bitter, dry laugh, shaking her head. "So I don’t even get to decide my own life anymore?"

"When it comes to marriage, no... you don’t," Camila said flatly. "You’re my daughter, Evelyn, and as long as I’m breathing, I’m not letting you ruin your life on someone like Jude Lawson. The faster you forget his name, the easier this is going to be."

Evelyn bit her lip hard, her eyes blazing with stubborn defiance. "The man I love is Jude. I won’t be with anyone else... and even if you’re my mother, you can’t force me to change my mind!"

Camila let out a mocking sneer. "Evelyn, I gave birth to you. Everything I do is to protect your future... can’t you see a broke nobody like him isn’t in our league?!"

"Stop calling it protection when you’re just using me to lock down another business deal!" Evelyn’s patience finally snapped, screaming across the pool deck. "Why should I let you sell out my happiness just to feed your own ego?!"