The Contracted Ever After novel Chapter 554

Back in the day, Thomas' family was well-off, and he was a dashing young man, brimming with ambition. Like many a talented fellow, he couldn't avoid the allure of a beautiful woman.

During that time, he was smitten and would frequently visit the film set to see Alana, only to be turned away each time. The crew claimed she had returned to England and had even started dating the actor, August.

Thomas thought they were pulling his leg, but then he heard Alana was back from England, staying at a hotel. That evening, he decided to pay a visit to the hotel. As he knocked on the door, Alana happened to be stepping out.

She glanced at him, and after he introduced himself, she invited Thomas into her room. The air was perfumed with a delightful scent that captivated Thomas. Naturally, one thing led to another, and Thomas and Alana found themselves entwined between the sheets.

Thomas never imagined that a celebrity's bed would be so easy to fall into.

Afterward, Alana coiled her arms around Thomas' neck and whispered in his ear, "I don't want to be on screen anymore. I'm thinking about setting up my own production company, behind the scenes. However, my dad won't fund it. He doesn't agree. I want to start it in Millstone. What do you think?"

Thomas was still naïve and eager to maintain appearances. He knew he had to pay, even more so since Alana wasn't forcing the issue—it was a transaction he had willingly entered into.

"How much do you need?" he asked.

"About a million. Is that a problem for you? If it is, don't worry about it."

Not one to let a woman pay, especially not in front of Alana, and desperate to protect his dignity, Thomas bit the bullet and said, "It's fine. There's no way I'd let a woman foot the bill."

"Consider it an investment, then. You'll get your share of the profits."

Alana was charming, both in bed and out, and Thomas was utterly bewitched. He rushed home and convinced his father to give him a million for a "new business venture." He handed every penny of that million to Alana. A million back then was like ten million today.

While Thomas daydreamed about their future together, Alana suddenly went cold on him.

A year later, he received a check for two million, along with a note that read, "Let's call it even," and that was that. Alana had cut him loose with a cold, calculated move.

Thomas was heartbroken by his first foray into romance, and felt humiliated. He stayed silent about the affair but harbored a deep resentment toward Alana. As her career flourished and she amassed a fortune surpassing his, mentioning her became even more difficult.

Then, he met Ava, a woman of gentle nature who devoted herself to him completely. After they had children, she turned to spirituality for solace. Thomas took the lesson from his ordeal with Alana to heart – as long as a woman didn't deceive him, she was a good woman. From then on, he treated Ava with nothing but kindness.

The affair with Alana was a secret shared only between the two of them, yet years later, someone brought it up again, right at Jamie's wedding. It seemed like a deliberate attempt to ruin the celebration.

Rumor had it that Cordelia was the one spreading the story. Thomas decided it was time to confront Cordelia.

Word was that Cordelia was now at the Evans residence, so on Sunday, Thomas made his way there. To his dismay, Cordelia wasn't home—only Ronan was there.