"Now we've got you, Evie, and there's no way we're letting you go through that again, letting that loser push you around!"Aemon's fists were clenched tight, his face a mask of anger."Absolutely! Walter's not getting off easy!"Holden jumped in, his tone even more biting than Aemon's."We're going to make that awful couple pay! They'll apologize to Evie in front of everyone! Tomorrow! I want the whole world to know you don't mess with the Fosters. A tiger is still a tiger, even without its teeth. We might be running a clean business now, but we're still the Fosters, and nobody better forget it!"Evangeline watched Aemon and Holden speaking with such passion. She felt a mix of relief and concern stirring inside her.The Foster family had not always had it easy, but thanks to Cole's heroic smarts, her uncles enjoyed a life of peace and stability. Evangeline knew their happiness was hard-won, and she could not bear the thought of her uncles facing turmoil again just for her sake.
Evangeline stood right by Cole, blushing a little from the attention."That's right, I've got to grow up so I can take good care of Grandpa!" she chimed in, playing along with Cole's sentiment.Her sweet words made Cole's heart swell with pride."Sweetheart, you're so charming!"As they chatted, a thought seemed to strike Cole out of the blue. "You know, when it comes to being dutiful, Walter's really something. Without him getting that top doctor, Dr. George, I wouldn't have bounced back so fast. Now, all I'm waiting for is some great news from you and Walter."If you could give me the chance to cuddle my precious great-grandkid, I could close my eyes this very second and say I've lived a full life!"Evangeline could not help but roll her eyes at the non-stop compliments.Was Walter that generous? She had to make a trade for his help, did she not?That was something she could not admit, though. Grandpa Cole was just starting to get better, and if anything about her and Walter
The thought that Walter was hurt because of her sent a pang through her heart that she just could not shake off.Walter's eyes fluttered open on the hospital bed, and he spotted Aria keeping vigil by his side. He parted his lips to speak but then thought better of it, his hand shaking as he reached for the water glass on the nightstand.Was he parched?Evangeline caught on and, tossing aside any concern for her own belated entrance, burst through the door and hurried to Walter's side.Just as her fingers grazed the glass, Aria, who had only been dozing, snapped awake.Spotting Evangeline behind her and seeing Walter's hand hanging in the air, Aria instantly grasped the situation. She snatched the glass before Evangeline could and placed it firmly in Walter's grasp."You finally show up, huh? Some savior you are," said Aria, her voice dripping with scorn.Her son had been coddled from birth, yet here he was, hurt because of Evangeline. She had not even had the decency to check on
The silence in the room was deafening.Evangeline and Walter looked at each other, a million words hanging in the air, yet neither could find their voice.Evangeline's mind buzzed with questions and her heart ached to offer comfort, but the words got stuck in her throat at the sight of Walter's ghostly pale face.Walter had things on his mind too.The thought of Evangeline rushing to the airport to pick up Alex, while he was stuck in surgery, left him at a loss for words.The silence stretched on, an invisible barrier neither of them could break.David, ever so thoughtful, lingered at the door, careful not to intrude, giving them the space they needed.Silence had its own way of shattering, though.With a grimace, Walter propped himself up, a sharp pain lancing through his abdomen."You..." Evangeline's words trailed off as she instinctively reached for a pillow and tucked it gently under Walter's back.Catching his bewildered look, she mumbled an embarrassed explanation, "It
Pulling her thin jacket tighter around her, Evangeline shivered and made her way step by step into the hospital. She convinced herself she was not there out of worry for Walter. She was just repaying a debt of gratitude, and that was that.The hospital's night ward was silent. Evangeline tiptoed, but still managed to wake David, the ever-vigilant night watch. She put a finger to her lips, and he nodded, slipping quietly out of the room."Madam, why haven't you gone home?" he asked, but then he noticed the redness in her eyes and fell silent."How's Walter? Is it bad?" she could not help but ask the question that had been burning inside her. She had seen Walter up and about, but without the doctor's word, she could not shake her worry."The doctor says it's just a superficial cut, nothing serious. He'll be out of here by tomorrow.""Oh, that's a relief," Evangeline sighed, feeling the weight lift off her chest. "I'm going to see him."Her voice was unwavering, brooking no argument
The one reason Evangeline could not do any of that was because of a single person, his very own kin, Alex."Walter, I'm here to express my gratitude. No need to make it weird."Evangeline was annoyed. She had skipped a night's sleep, waiting at the hospital doors into the wee hours just to ensure Walter was okay before she could even think of resting.Walter's words made her feel like her efforts were just plain silly!"Really? Evangeline, believe me, I'd be over the moon if you hadn't come to see me straight from another guy's arms."Evangeline had dashed to the airport for a pickup, which meant she had definitely been with Alex just before.The thought of Evangeline leaving him, injured, to fetch Alex, filled him with a simmering rage.Evangeline's mind raced back to the airport pickup, where she was undeniably with another guy. There was no way around it."Look, it doesn't matter how I got here. I'm just worried about you, Walter. Could you at least act like you're in a hosp
Walter froze.He had not really looked at Evangeline's eyes since she walked in. At this moment, however, he saw the redness, the signs she had been crying a lot.Was she this upset, crying over him... because she cared?While Walter was still in shock, Evangeline snatched his hand away. There, on the small patch of gauze over his belly, a dark stain was spreading.The wound had started to bleed again. Walter had only himself to blame for his carelessness.Evangeline shot him a withering look before turning on her heel to fetch a doctor.In the treatment room, Walter, ever the rebel, was pinned down by the medical team for a stitch redo.Evangeline watched in silence, her beautiful face an icy mask. To the uninformed, she might have seemed like someone enjoying her nemesis's downfall.She was, in fact, seething.Walter, the cause of all this, winced and grinned through the doctor's prodding, looking infuriatingly smug.When a noise, akin to a pig's squeal, escaped Walter, Eva
Evangeline was blindsided by Walter's response."Absolutely. But let me give you one last piece of advice." Walter's voice was cold, a clear warning laced within. "We're still married, Evangeline. If I catch you messing around with another guy before we're through, you can't say I didn't warn you!"Walter had thrown that threat at her more than once. The first couple of times, Evangeline was just confused. After hearing it over and over though, she did not even have the energy to retort.She knew Walter never trusted her, not even after she accidentally gave him the most special night of her life. What was the point in explaining anything to a guy who refused to believe?She thought to herself, 'I know I'm clean, and that's all that matters.' The ache in her heart for Walter disappeared in a flash, and she found no reason to stick around.Bang! She slammed the door behind her and stormed out.Walter's face turned pitch black with rage, his hands balled into fists, and he took out