Chapter Fifty: Not Mine To Keep

LEONARD'S POV:

As I drove home, my mind raced with thoughts about what the problem could be. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. She has been acting gloomy since at the house. Another thought crept in—maybe this was an opportunity. I had been trying to suppress the feelings I had for Evelyn, and now seemed like the perfect time to create some distance. I’d help her as much as I could, but I’d stay away. It was for the best. We couldn’t be together, not when she was my nephew’s fiancée.

Pulling into the driveway, I entered the house and headed straight to my bedroom. Exhaustion weighed me down—I had been up late working on some files the night before and barely had any sleep. I remembered the meeting with Aaron's uncle, but there was no need for that anymore.

Cancelled the meeting over a text to him. I collapsed onto the bed, thoughts swirling in my mind, and eventually drifted off.

I woke up to the buzzing of my phone, the noise jolting me awake. "Damn it, I forgot to silence my phone," I muttered irritably. Whoever was calling better have a good reason for disturbing my sleep.

Reaching for the phone, I checked the caller ID. It was Mr. Wyatt—Evelyn’s dad. My heart skipped a beat. Why was he calling? Was Evelyn okay? A wave of fear gripped me as worst-case scenarios ran through my mind. I hesitated, unable to bring myself to answer the call. I stared at the phone until it stopped ringing. 

Finally, summoning my courage, I called him back. He picked up on the second ring. Not sure of what to say, I decided to keep it formal.

"Good day, Mr. Wyatt," I greeted curtly.

"Cut the formalities, Leonard. It’s fine," he replied, his voice strained. "The lab confirmed that the food Evelyn had with Dana was poisoned. I thought you should know. Thank you for your suggestion—it led us to this discovery. But I’m worried about Evelyn. How could someone she called her friend do something like this?"

While he spoke, my only concern was whether Evelyn was okay at that moment. He spoke with so much calmness.

So I suppose Evelyn was ok. But as soon as he stopped talking, I asked him.

He assured me she was fine and that she already knew about the lab results. "Please, Leonard," he added, his tone more serious now. "I need you to keep a close eye on Evelyn. For now, we need to figure out Dana’s motive."

His words left me uneasy. I realized that she hadn't disclosed to him about Dana and Caleb.

Why hadn’t Evelyn told her father everything yet? 

After the call ended, I became restless. My mind wandered to Evelyn—what could she be doing at this moment? I dialed her number, but she didn’t answer. I waited for a few minutes and called again. Still no response.

My heart beat suddenly change rhythm. It beat so hard like it would jump out of my chest.

No matter how much I tried, I couldn't take Evelyn of my mind.

By the third time, just as the call was about to end, she finally picked up.

"Hey," she greeted softly from the other end of the line.

I don’t know what came over me, but my heart fluttered at the sound of her voice. I couldn’t help the relief that washed over me. A huge grin appeared on my face and my heart radiating happiness.

I quickly asked, "Are you still planning to go out with Dana and Caleb?"

There was a pause on her end, and then she replied, "No.

I asked if there was a problem, but she said no—it was just a change of mind.

"Alright, I just wanted to make sure you're okay," I said to her, not knowing what else to say. She didn’t seem like she wanted to talk much t the moment.

"Thanks, Leonard," she said before hanging up.

I put my phone away and went back to bed, but I couldn’t fall asleep again. Restless, I stood up, got dressed, and decided to go out. I hope to feel better in the fresh air.

I threw on something casual and stepped out of the house, unsure of where to go. I got into my car and drove aimlessly along the road. Eventually, I noticed a coffee spot and decided to stop there.

When I walked in, I was directed toward the VIP section—of course, everyone knew who I was. But I opted to sit in the regular area instead.

I made my order and sat back, waiting for it to be served.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Alex. I answered quickly, almost instinctively.

“There’s a problem, sir,” Alex said, his tone urgent. “Evelyn and Dana just left the house. Something feels off. Caleb didn’t drive inside; he waited outside with the car while Evelyn and Dana came out to meet him. Evelyn didn’t look well. They’re heading south, toward the edge of town in fast speed.

Cold blood ran down my spine.

Evelyn had told me earlier that she wasn’t going out with them anymore. I thought she might have her phone with her, so I took her number and sent it to one of my tech guys, asking him to track it down.

A couple of minutes later, he called back. “Sir, the phone’s location hasn’t changed. It’s still at Evelyn’s house.” 

That sent alarm bells ringing.

I stood up abruptly to leave the café, bumping into the waiter as she brought my order. She exclaimed in surprise, but I didn’t even look back. I dashed out of the café and drove at full speed back to the house.

My mind was racing. I couldn’t think straight as I pacing around the living room, my anxiety growing with each second. 

Finally, I forced myself to calm down so I could think clearly. I called in my personal guard and instructed him to gather three more of the boys.