"Fancy seeing you here, Ms. Kast."Walter, perched at the podium, raised an eyebrow. "Though, it hasn't really been that long since we last saw each other, has it?"Minnie's eyes sparkled, a playful light swirling within them, her gaze glistening as if touched by dew. Even then, she pretended to be utterly serious as she replied, "Really? Then why does it feel like an eternity to me?"She propped her chin on her hands, elbows resting on the table, gazing at Walter with feigned naivety.Walter was taken aback.He was no stranger to flirtation due to his family's status, but Minnie's boldness and exuberance were something else entirely.Driven by curiosity, Walter decided to play along, asking with a hint of mischief, "And how long would that be, in your mind?"Their playful banter sent a current of flirtatious energy through the air, almost tangible enough to touch.The college students around them, all too familiar with the rollercoaster of romance, let out a collective, knowin
Alex took the stage, and as expected, he was stellar. His lesson was like a chain of fireworks, each part setting off the next, totally mesmerizing everyone. They clung to every word, and every so often, one could hear someone let out a 'wow'.It was during this class that Evangeline found out Alex was not just a violin virtuoso—he was a wizard on the piano and saxophone too.She let out a little embarrassed chuckle. She supposed she did not know Alex as well as she thought.Just as she was getting lost in Alex's epic talk, her phone had to go and ruin the vibe, blaring out of her pocket.The magic spell was broken, and all eyes darted to Evangeline.That was when it hit her—her phone was the culprit.She was here to learn, and she entirely forgot to silence her phone!Feeling her face heat up, she mumbled a 'sorry' to Alex and bolted from the room.Out in the hallway, Evangeline took out her phone and saw that Holden had been trying to reach her like crazy.He had called a bu
"Uncle, how is Grandpa? Is he...?" Evangeline could not finish her sentence, her voice choked by tears.Cole was more delicate than anyone knew, and even though Dr. George had worked wonders, his health was still a house of cards, propped up by his unshakably positive attitude.With the shock of his beloved granddaughter's divorce, a marriage that had been rocky from the start, what would he think? Evangeline could not bear to think about it.The voice on the other end of the line was like a sledgehammer to her heart."He's in critical condition. Dr. George is doing everything he can. You need to get to the hospital... now."'Grandpa… Oh, grandpa, please be okay!'He was the one who had always been there for her, the one who loved her most. What would she do if he were gone?'Stay strong... You have to stay strong!' prayed Evangeline internally.Tears streamed down Evangeline's face, the world around her fading away. She started the car on autopilot and raced to the hospital.
The surgery had been a marathon, and Dr. George's forehead was slick with sweat.Everyone crowded around him, desperate for news."Dr. George, how is my grandpa? Is he okay?"Evangeline's voice broke with worry."Don't worry, he's stable for now. We'll keep an eye on him for the next twenty-four hours. If all goes well, he'll have made it through the worst.""Thank you so much," said Evangeline, her tears giving way to a small smile of relief.Just then, the nurses rolled Cole out. Yale, with his brothers at his side, quickly took over, pushing Cole's bed toward his room.Evangeline did not even pause to look back at Dr. George. With a quick wave, she dashed off to follow the others.Dr. George gave a nod to Walter, who had not said a word the whole time, and then he walked away.The Foster family's five brothers were scattered around the spacious hospital room, some sitting, some standing. They silently hovered around Cole's bed.Evangeline's gaze fell on Cole, once so full
"Grandpa Cole is in this state because of the buzz about me and Walter splitting up. How can we save it now?"Evangeline's mind was a total blank. She had no clue how to soften the blow for Cole.Her five uncles all fixed their gaze on her. Then, as if on cue, they all lowered their heads.Yale let out a deep sigh. "If he's already onto us, anything we do now is just spinning our wheels. Let's just... leave it."The worst had happened. What could they possibly do to turn things around?"Uh... Can I throw in my two cents?"Walter, who had not said a peep since he walked in, cleared his throat and finally piped up."Speak up."Evangeline shot Walter an annoyed look. Cole was on his deathbed, partly thanks to Walter, and she was not about to roll out the red carpet for him. She would rather he just spit out whatever he had to say and then vanish from Cole's room for good."He's in a bad state, and while I'm part of the reason, I'm more worried about you, his granddaughter, ending
Walter cut off Evangeline's caution with a cocky eyebrow lift. "Evangeline, you really think I'd have sleazy thoughts about you?"The kind of thoughts a husband had for his wife was considered sleazy? Were they not just part of the deal?For Evangeline, however, those words twisted into something else entirely as they reached her ears.She was just kidding herself all along. Walter had never really been into her. What could he possibly want with her if not just to blow off some steam?She raised her eyes slowly, meeting the gaze of her uncles.Holden, the most fiercely protective of the bunch, had tears welling up in his eyes. "Evie, if you're going to lie to Grandpa now, you've got to be ready to keep that lie going until his last day. Are you... sure about this?"Why did the Foster family's untouchable, regal princess keep getting tangled up with a guy like Walter, the town troublemaker?Holden wanted to convince Evangeline to shut down Walter's nonsense, to kick him out of he
Cole's words came out with difficulty, and Evangeline leaned in close to catch every sound. However, at the mention of that name, the tears she held back came streaming like a downpour.After Cole had a close call with death, his first worry was about her happiness in the years to come. A sharp pain clutched at her chest so fiercely that she could barely catch her breath.She could not let Cole see her struggle. Fighting the urge to press her hand against her chest, she tried to sound as calm as possible. "Grandpa, Walter and I are cool again, so you don't have to stress over us."Cole managed a weak wave of his hand and a scoff. "Don't kid me, I saw the video. You're splitting up, Evie, I know..." He paused, gasping for air, then added, "I know you're a good kid, and because you're so good, I can't stand the thought of my troubles messing up your shot at happiness..."It was clear Evangeline's reassurances were not convincing Cole.Walter moved closer, standing by her side, and c
In the room, Walter sat by Cole's hospital bed, ready to have a heart-to-heart conversation.Cole squared off with Walter, the grandson-in-law he had never quite approved of, and his voice was icy with disapproval."Spit it out if you've got something to say. You might not get another chance."When picking a husband for Evangeline, Cole never cared for family status or good looks. It was all about character.So what if Walter came from a fancy family? So what if he looked like he stepped out of a magazine? If he did not treat Evangeline right, he did not measure up to Cole's standards for a grandson-in-law, and Cole saw no reason to play nice.Walter was no fool; he could read between the lines of Cole's frosty words.Their conversation was a hair's breadth away from Cole showing him the door without saying it outright.However, for Evangeline's sake, Walter would stand his ground, even if it meant taking a metaphorical slap to the face."Grandpa, you might find what I'm about