Six dishes and one soup, all made by Walter himself.Evangeline stared at the feast before her, utterly gobsmacked.Who would have guessed that the high-and-mighty young master of the Gordon family could whip up a storm in the kitchen?Walter noticed Evangeline spacing out again, her food untouched, and he reached over to load up her plate. "You've got to eat up if you're thinking about kids. You can't make a baby if you're malnourished."Evangeline stared at the braised vegetables in her bowl.Seriously? Was Walter on a mission to fatten her up for baby-making?Then, she heard him add, "We should swing by the hospital later for a full check-up. If all's well, we can start planning for a little one."Before Evangeline could even process this, her phone buzzed to life. It was Cole calling."Evie, Asher is on his way to Crystal Waters House to fetch you. You're due for a pre-baby doctor's visit," he said.With Trey and Walter watching, Evangeline's toes curled in embarrassment.
Evangeline was practically squirming as she listened to the doctor's instructions.The doctor was so thorough that she covered everything down to the exact posture. She stopped just short of giving a play-by-play on how to get it on.While Evangeline was busy trying not to curl up from embarrassment, Walter did not even bat an eyelash. Even with the doctor diving into super private stuff, the guy did not so much as blush. Seriously?This pre-baby appointment was turning into an epic disaster.The second the doctor wrapped up, Evangeline bolted like her shoes were on fire.Walking down the hospital corridor, Evangeline and Walter were a few steps apart. They were kind of a big deal, and their presence set off a buzz among the onlookers.As Evangeline walked by, she caught a snippet of conversation from a couple of gossiping doctors and nurses."Isn't that Mr. Walter Gordon of Gordon Group? Some numbskull must've spread a dumb rumor about him being impotent. He looks perfectly cap
The pressure was light, almost delicate, yet it bore down on Walter's arm with an unexpected force.Walter had no grounds to hold Evangeline back, but the thought of that guy back at the office, the one with the suave aura and those eyes full of unspoken words whenever they landed on Evangeline, sent a shadow across Walter's face.Caught off guard for just a split second, his arm gave way under her gentle insistence. Evangeline turned, her movements fluid and graceful, and slipped into her car. With a swift start, the vehicle darted away, leaving nothing but a trail of dust.Was Evangeline really in such a rush to get back? Was this Hank guy so important that she could not stay away?Walter spun to find his assistant, David, already at his side."Mr. Walter Gordon, heading back to the office?" Walter had told David earlier that he would dedicate the whole day to his wife's medical appointment.He had not expected her to leave the hospital so soon, though.Walter shot David a coo
"Isn't drinking alone just boring? Let's knock a few back together, what do you say?"If Walter thought she was just being friendly before, he was sure at this moment that she was buttering him up."Let's do it." He grabbed his glass and took a swig, eager to see what kind of game she was playing.As she settled in across from him, unnoticed, a dude in baggy grey threads slipped out of the bar.Cut to Evangeline, deep in business talk with Hank, when her phone buzzed."Walter's at the Kronovia Royale Pub, knocking back a few."Evangeline smirked. "Big surprise. Since when is Walter hitting a bar news?"She was not a regular at those chaotic watering holes, but it seemed like every time she did show up, Walter was there too. The guy must have been a fixture."Guess what? That B-lister Felicia Edmonds is there too..."The moment the words were said, Evangeline's expression turned icy.It was bad enough that Walter hit the bars, but to find out he was fooling around, too?They
Walter was already in a foul mood, and some jerk had come looking to pick a fight? He was not about to turn down an opportunity to blow off some steam.He was about to get up when a flash of red stepped in front of him."This is my fault. Please don't hurt him!"Walter did a double-take. It was the red-dressed woman who had tried to flirt with him earlier and whom he had brushed off. All of a sudden, she was standing there, defending him?"You?"The brute burst into laughter. "Look at you, trying to play the hero!"The slap was coming. The woman did not flinch, ready to take the hit head-on.Walter's eyes were glued to the scene before him, his heart aching as he watched the woman take hit after hit. Just as he was about to jump in and stop it—Out of nowhere, a round of applause with a beat broke through the tension.The eagerly watching crowd parted like the Red Sea, making way for Evangeline. She strutted through in sky-high heels and a crisp white suit, commanding everyone
Just his luck, out for a drink and he bumped into her. She had brought a date, it seemed.Evangeline let out a cold laugh, wrapped her arms around herself, and slouched comfortably into the sofa. "What a question, Mr. Walter Gordon. People hit up bars for a good time, not for... other services, right?"Evangeline's eyes locked onto Felicia with a look that screamed volumes, and everyone in the room caught the drift in a heartbeat."Never would've guessed the Foster family's darling princess was into this sort of thing," remarked Walter nonchalantly.The tension between them could have sparked a duel, and there stood Felicia, smack in the middle, the picture of discomfort.She turned to Evangeline, her voice barely above a whisper, "Ms. Evangeline, please, you've got it all wrong. Mr. Walter Gordon just saw some creep hassling me and stepped in. There's nothing shady going on; we're totally honest…"Tears brimmed in Felicia's eyes as she spoke. Walter, however, cut her off before
"Cool?""Cool?"Caden did not even get to finish his sentence before Walter and Evangeline cut him off, their voices overlapping in perfect unison—and they were saying the same thing!Their unexpected sync drew a collective gasp from the crowd.Caden flashed a 'zip-it' sign and kept the banter going. "Look at you two, in perfect harmony. If that's not fate, I don't know what is. But this tit-for-tat thing is getting old. How about we spice things up with a game? Nothing too crazy, just a round of Truth or Dare. It'll be a blast!"Caden had his reasons for suggesting the game.Walter and Evangeline were constantly at each other's throats, which was not helping anyone. Maybe a game could have broken the ice, gotten them to open up, or even shared a close moment. Either way, it could have only helped.What Caden did not realize was that Evangeline had seen right through his little ploy.She did not respond right away but instead turned to Hank, who was standing nearby. "Hank, what
"Congrats, Ms. Edmonds, your turn to pick—Truth or Dare?"Caden's voice had been tinged with a mix of feelings.He had brought up the game to smooth things over between Walter and Evangeline. However, things seemed to be spiraling a bit out of hand.As expected, Felicia's hopeful eyes locked onto Walter right next to her. "I'll take a dare. Mr. Walter Gordon, how about we share a drink with linked arms?"Everyone knew what that meant—a gesture of closeness, usually reserved for couples.Felicia's motives for cozying up to Walter were as clear as day.Her challenge sent a wave of whispers through the crowd, all eyes fixed on Walter for his response."To link arms and drink with a new flame right in front of his ex? Talk about drama!""Walter won't actually go through with it, will he? I've heard those divorce rumors are bogus, and they're trying for a baby. If he takes up Felicia on her dare, he's basically asking for trouble, right?"What the crowd did not realize was that the