And here they were now.Rowan wasn't sure why he had decided to drive her home. He figured it was because he couldn't stand the thought of her being dragged back to be delivered to some old man by Barry.For the rest of the journey, neither of them spoke.Evelyn leaned wearily against the car seat, staring blankly out the window at the passing night scenery. The pain on her face and the wounds in her heart made her feel utterly dejected.When the car stopped in front of Evelyn's apartment building, she unbuckled her seatbelt and politely thanked him. "Thank you for tonight."The man turned to look at her, his gaze pausing on her swollen cheeks. Then, he met her eyes.His deep eyes seemed to see right through her as he said calmly, "Go back and ice it. It’ll heal faster."He was referring to her swollen face."Thank you."Evelyn awkwardly turned her face away. "I'll get going then—""You live in a place like this?"The man's words interrupted Evelyn's attempt to leave, and he
But ultimately, Rowan was the man who had helped her. He felt the need to do something for her, not because of any romantic feelings, but purely out of guilt.Back when the incident happened, he had gathered evidence to prove Natalie's involvement in setting Evelyn up, wanting to make amends. Evelyn hadn't used that evidence, so helping her this time was his way of compensating for it.After helping her this time, Rowan felt like he could finally live with his conscience. He didn't understand why a ruthless person like himself would feel guilty after sleeping with a woman. Perhaps it was because that night had directly led to her tarnished reputation. If it had just been a one-night stand, he wouldn't have had these emotions.Now that he had helped her, he considered it a clean slate between them. Even if he saw her being mistreated in the future, he wouldn't intervene.He had no other thoughts about Evelyn. It would be more accurate to say that he had no thoughts about love an
"May I use the restroom?"Evelyn hesitated for a moment but quickly understood his intention. She stepped aside to make way for him and said, "Of course."Rowan stepped into the room, and Evelyn pointed in the direction of the bathroom. "The bathroom is over there."Because he had helped her earlier, it was only fair to let him use the restroom now. However, she seemed to have forgotten that they had just come from a restaurant where he had used the restroom.It was only when she saw him that Evelyn remembered his suggestion as she was getting out of the car to apply an ice pack to her swollen face. She turned and walked to the refrigerator, retrieved an ice pack, and gently applied it to her cheek. The cooling sensation soothed the burning and stinging sensation on her face.But just as she had started icing her face, she heard the bathroom door open, and the man walked out. Apparently, his restroom visit had indeed been brief.Seeing him emerge, Evelyn halted her actions. She
Rowan had taken a close look at her half-swollen face, and he couldn't deny that Barry had indeed been quite brutal.His slightly stern expression was genuinely intimidating. Under his severe gaze, Evelyn chose to compromise. She reached out for the ice pack he had left, placed it on her face, and then lowered her head as she walked out of the kitchen. Because of the cramped space in the kitchen, his tall frame blocked half of the hallway, so she had to turn her body slightly to get past him, even brushing against his chest as she did so.His refreshing scent wafted into her nose, causing her to inexplicably blush. She hurriedly walked out with a red face.Once outside the kitchen, Evelyn felt her face getting even hotter. She couldn't help but press the ice pack onto her face again, attempting to cool herself down.The sound of chopping vegetables echoed from the kitchen, giving the impression that he was skilled in the culinary arts. Evelyn wasn't sure how to feel about it.It
Evelyn's face turned red again.She wasn't entirely inexperienced when it came to spending time alone with men. Back then, she and Jeremy used to…The moment the name Jeremy crossed her mind, her heart ached, and she froze momentarily.It was Jeremy's furious expression that emerged in her thoughts. Anger had driven him to lose his composure, turning him into a hysterical version of himself. It was him, red-eyed and bellowing, "Evelyn, I never thought you were such a shameless woman!"Tell me! How many men have you slept with?"After that, he drew close. He tore apart her flimsy attire roughly as he screamed, "You've slept with so many men! Why didn't you let me touch you?"It was he who had covered her with lips angrily and bit down on her collarbone and shoulders almost frantically.And it was he who, in disdain, pushed her away once more.Yes, he considered her tainted after a video of her going to a hotel with another man went public.Evelyn had nothing to explain. H
Perhaps it was because there was such an equally outstanding man with her tonight that it made her constantly think of another man who had once been very important in her life.Dinner was quickly consumed. After Evelyn cleaned up the dishes and put away the utensils, she saw that he was already getting up from the sofa with his car keys and phone. He appeared to be ready to leave.Evelyn stood there without moving or saying anything. She didn't know what to say. She certainly couldn't tell him to leave.He didn't say much either. He simply took his belongings and walked straight to the door. Out of politeness, Evelyn walked over to see him off. After he put on his shoes and stepped out of the door, she awkwardly said, "Goodbye."He looked at her, his gaze pausing on her face for a moment. In the end, he didn't say anything and turned to close the door as he left calmly.Evelyn leaned against the door and let out a long sigh.What a chaotic night it had been.Just as she wa
"You’re truly my best friend," Evelyn joked with Selena, then smiled wryly."With my reputation, which man would dare to have me? Not to mention love at first sight."That incident from two years ago had already tarnished her reputation in Detroit, making her wonder if any man would want her.Selena wasn't bothered by it. "Maybe he doesn't know about your past.""There are no secrets in this world. Even if he doesn't know now, he'll find out sooner or later."Evelyn didn't finish her thought. In reality, she wanted to say that once he knew about her past, he would probably abandon her. It was a common male instinct, and Evelyn understood that.So, she had no great expectations for men or love. She even resisted the idea somewhat because once she got involved with a man, it would inevitably lead to the events of two years ago, which she didn't want to remember or discuss.Therefore, it was better to have neither—no love, no man. Then, she wouldn't have to revisit those painful
She thought of the scene where she and Helena have been dependent on each other for so many years after the divorce. Someone once said that the most touching word in the world was ‘mother’. Evelyn felt the complete warmth of this word from Helena. Evelyn felt really desperate now that Helena’s life and death was uncertain in the operating room.She was heartbroken as she sat there, and her sleeves were soon wet with tears. It was very quiet outside the operating room, and no one came. She hugged herself as she sat in the corner. She did not know how long had passed when there was suddenly the sound of footsteps coming from the silent corridor in front of the operating room.Every step sounded calm, powerful, and steady. When she heard the footsteps, she could instantly tell that these were the footsteps of a mature and steady man. Evelyn did not look up. If anyone was coming, it would only be Selena. It was impossible for any man to come here, so this man might have come to t