Evelyn slowly closed her eyes as her consciousness faded with her sinking body. After a while, she felt someone cradling her in their arms and giving her oxygen beneath the water.Slowly, she opened her eyes to find Warren's concerned face hovering over her.She lacked even the strength to mock herself now. Her consciousness was slipping away. Warren held her face, tirelessly performing CPR and gently patting her cheeks, but to no avail.He tried to swim upward with her, but their feet got tangled in the mud below.Their bodies were completely trapped in the mud, making it incredibly difficult to struggle free.Watching Evelyn sink deeper, Warren pulled her hand with all his might, silently urging, "Evelyn, you can't die! If you dare to die, I'll drag you back from the underworld myself!"Just then, a lifeline appeared before him. Grabbing it, he hauled Evelyn out of the mud. He swam to shore with one hand dragging her and the other clutching the rope. Once they reached
Warren sat by Evelyn's bedside, tenderly holding her pale hand and gently kissing it. The doctor's words echoed in his mind.He had only known that Evelyn couldn't swim, but he never realized she had thalassophobia. Now he understood why she never entered the bathtub during their intimate moments in the bathroom, despite his attempts to entice her.Her fear of water was severe. Warren gazed at Evelyn's pallid face and said, "Evelyn, how much more don't I know about you?"He was unaware of the experience she had seven years ago or the deep love she harbored for a man. He didn't even know if there was any love in her past kindness toward him.Warren gently stroked her face, leaning down to kiss her cold lips. "Evelyn, I want to know everything about you. Please wake up and tell me, okay?"He had never felt such a strong desire to truly understand someone before.He even felt envious of Seth, who had spent four years of college with her. Back then, Evelyn should have been in
The nursing home was top-tier and highly confidential, with all patient information signed under nondisclosure agreements. Patients were identified only by codes, not names. She only remembered his code, 99. Likewise, he knew hers, 11.Not a clue existed in his mind about her appearance or the sound of her voice. Even if they were to meet in the vast sea of people in the future, he wouldn't recognize her. These fragments played in Evelyn's mind.She relentlessly searched for the man who made her heart flutter, but he always vanished as soon as he appeared. She longed to embrace him, yet she couldn't reach him no matter how hard she tried.In her desperation, Evelyn grabbed onto something and held on tightly, murmuring, "Please don't leave, okay?"Warren's heart skipped a beat as he watched Evelyn's anxious and pale face. Suddenly, a genuine smile spread across his face.He stroked her head and gently said, "Alright, I won't leave. Please wake up soon, okay?"As they emb
Warren was left speechless by the question.He knew that Evelyn had been harboring resentment since the last incident.However, he had already sent someone to gather evidence, though it seemed to have been intercepted halfway.Since there was no response from him, Evelyn coldly pursed her lips."There's no need for an answer. I already know. You all can leave. I'll handle this on my own," Evelyn declared.At that moment, Seth's voice echoed from the doorway."Mr. Larkin, I have the evidence you wanted."Seth and Tammy walked toward Evelyn's bed.For the first time, Seth's composure slipped as he gazed at her pale face.Seth's gaze turned disdainful as he directed it at Warren. "Is this how you protect her, Mr. Larkin? Besides bringing her endless pain, what more can you offer? If you truly cared, you wouldn't let her suffer time and time again."Seth's own words stoked his anger, and the smoldering fury within him burst into flames. He delivered a punch to Warren's face."Th
Warren firmly demanded, "Evelyn, give it to me."Evelyn retorted, "Warren, haven't you hurt me enough? Must you expose my wounds for all to see?"Her resistance only fueled Warren's curiosity. Disregarding her protests, he forcefully seized the USB drive from her grasp and inserted it into the computer to watch.Gloria's alarmed voice pierced the air as Clara's image flickered on the screen. "Clara, what's wrong? Warren, Clara's collapsed. Hurry, get her to a doctor."As Warren glanced back and saw Clara lying on the ground, pale and trembling, he realized the severity of her condition.However, if he left now, he might never know the truth.Just as Warren was about to call for a doctor, Gloria's urgent voice pierced the air once more."Warren, hurry! Clara's convulsing and foaming at the mouth. If we don't get her medical help soon, it could be dangerous. Let's deal with the rest later. Evelyn didn't die, did she? There's no need to keep pressing Clara. If something terrible
Upon hearing Evelyn's request, Warren's eyes narrowed. His deep gaze turned icy, reflecting the darkness of his thoughts."Evelyn," he said firmly, "Apart from that, everything else is negotiable.""But that's all I want, Mr. Larkin. You can't go back on your word," Evelyn retorted.In an instant, Warren loomed over her with a stern look.His warm breath brushed against her face."Evelyn, do you want to get rid of me that quickly? Are you that eager to run to someone else?" he asked firmly.Unfazed, Evelyn met his gaze calmly. "Believe what you will," she replied.Warren's tone turned menacing. "Forget about it. I won't release you even a day before our agreement ends! The Sullivans will answer for this."With that, he stormed out.It remained a mystery how Warren convinced Clara, but eventually, she appeared in Evelyn's room wearing a hospital gown to offer her apology.The Sullivans compensated Evelyn for her mental distress, yet they cautioned that they would show no lenie
Simon chuckled awkwardly. "She once fell into the water and nearly drowned, so she's always been afraid."He then turned to Evelyn and shifted the conversation. "Where's my medication? You seem preoccupied with your sweetheart here and forgot about my prescription, hm? It's becoming increasingly challenging to comprehend the behavior of young couples these days."Taking the medicine from Evelyn, he popped two pills into his mouth.Warren perceived Simon's hesitation to broach the topic, recognizing the profound impact it had on Evelyn.If his guess was correct, whatever it was must have happened after she dropped out of school. He couldn't help but wonder where Evelyn had been that year and what had happened to her, leading her family to avoid talking about it.Warren draped an arm around Evelyn's shoulder, addressing Simon, "Apologies for the inconvenience, Mr. Jefferson. I have some free time this afternoon. How about we grab lunch together along with a few project managers?"
Yandel chuckled helplessly. "Warren, I have to confess something. My wife warned me ages ago. She threatened to divorce me if I dared breathe a word to you. She told me that you're not worthy of knowing the truth."With a sigh, he said, "I'm sorry, buddy," before hanging up abruptly, leaving Warren cursing in frustration.As Evelyn's car pulled away, she received a call from Seth. "Anything, Seth?" she asked."Cyrus has disappeared," Seth replied. "Our only witness for the court case is gone."Cyrus was the person Evelyn had saved, and now he was her only witness.The news of Cyrus' disappearance hit Evelyn hard. She slammed on the brakes, and the tires screeched loudly.Upon hearing the news, Warren rushed over. He pounded on the car door. "Evelyn, open up!"Evelyn was still on the phone with Seth. "He's injured. If he is on the run, he is signing his own death warrant unless someone is helping him escape.""There are signs of a struggle at the scene. I'm trying to track dow