Beastly: Sequel to "Mr. Perfect"

Chapter 24: Lawsuits and Good Artists

✨Evan (P.O.V.)

Faith looked at me with anticipation.

I've been holding back something from her for the past couple of days. It's not that I was purposely hiding it, but he has a lot going on with the academy, so I didn't want to add to that.

"Evan?" she said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry about that," I said.

"I'm listening."

"Brittany is the artist behind the work you saw in the folder the other day."

She didn't say anything, still looking at me.

"When I got home that night, I went through the file again, and that's when I figured it out," I said.

"How did you know she was the artist?" she asked.

"I've seen Brittany's work before. That's why it seemed familiar that night."

"Evan, why are you telling me this now? Is it because you're going to sign her?"

"Of course not. I'm telling you this in case she says something in front of everyone and makes it seem like something it's not. I want you to know from me and not her."

"As much as I don't like Brittany and the thought of you having her around at your studio, she's good. The work in that folder was beyond amazing. I never imagined Brittany to be so talented, but she is. Maybe you should sign—"

"Not a chance. There's no way I'm going to do anything like that. She can be as talented as she wants, but I'm not bringing her into our lives."

"I understand, Evan. Bringing Brittany into our lives means endless problems, but I also understand that your studio is fairly new. You need as many talented artists as possible to keep it running successfully."

"Faith, not signing Brittany doesn't mean my studio won't do well. After everything Brittany has done to you and us, I won't let her anywhere near our lives. Don't forget that this is the same Brittany who almost killed you on many accounts."

"Yeah, I know."

"The only reason why I told you this now is because I know you trust me. I don't want misunderstandings between us when Brittany says something in front of everyone."

Faith nodded her head.

"So why do you think your dad wants you to sign Brittany as an artist?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe he's trying to distract me with all this so he can continue to harass my mom about the divorce."

"How is it going with that, anyway?"

"My mom and her lawyer are still trying to get him to sign the divorce papers, but he's refusing. Her lawyer recommended that she consider mediation to determine the underlying issue causing him not to sign."

"Why would they need mediation when there's nothing to fix? Your dad is refusing to sign so that he can ruin her life."

"Exactly, so her other option is to file a petition with the court. However, she's debating because she wants to do everything discreetly to avoid the press. She doesn't want things to get messy, and this divorce case will affect our lives and businesses. Once it goes out, it will create chaos."

"I completely understand why she's hesitant about it. The negative press about their divorce will affect Lisa and you."

"Yeah, for sure. Hopefully, her lawyer figures something out. Getting him to sign the papers will be the easier way out of this. It's not that she won't get the divorce if he doesn't sign, but it will bring attention and extend the divorce process."