"What's your name?"To Evangeline, the Foster family's little princess, bodyguards were just part of the furniture. Why bother remembering a bodyguard's name?She was curious about this man who stood out from the rest.He stepped forward, bowing with a respect that was almost reverent. "Miss, I'm Spencer Clark," he said."Nice name," complimented Evangeline without holding back, then turned her attention to the other three."I've brought you here to talk about Lydia's disappearance. She was your responsibility, and somehow, a person in a coma has managed to vanish on your watch without you guys noticing a thing?"She could not swallow that story. She wanted answers, and she wanted them immediately.Spencer's face was full of regret as he began to explain."We really dropped the ball, but it's also incredibly odd. We've been keeping an eye on Miss Lydia without a hitch, but yesterday, when it mattered most, all four of us came down with something fierce. We were practically trip
Evangeline could not shake the image of Minnie when the man mentioned the dark dress. This enigmatic girl who had come back with Alex to Avalon City, always draped in skirts, suddenly sprang to mind.It was the bodyguard's remark that sparked the connection.Minnie had always seemed familiar to Evangeline, like a face from a half-remembered dream. Whenever she tried to place her, her memory would fog up.Piecing together Julia's silhouette with Minnie's, and considering the girl's impressive talent with the violin, Evangeline was almost convinced—Minnie had to be the long-lost Julia.After all, Lydia was Julia's mother. Reuniting after such a long absence would naturally be a shock full of joy.However, suspicions alone would not cut it. Evangeline needed proof, and she needed it badly. It was time to dig up the truth.Was Minnie not supposed to be Alex's student? If so, she had to be at Avalon University out with Alex.Evangeline did not waste a second. She grabbed her stuff, j
Evangeline forced a smile, a mere twitch of her lips. "Coincidence? I do not think so. I'm here for you."Leaning against the desk with a slant, she was the picture of laid-back grace, calm in every way.Minnie's eyebrow raised, and she said with a touch of surprise, "Did you come looking for me on purpose? Wow, I'm pretty honored.""No biggie. I felt bad about you getting embarrassed at the birthday party, so I thought I'd make it up to you by grabbing a bite together."Evangeline planned to use the casual chit-chat over food as a way to subtly quiz Minnie.To her surprise, Minnie snapped her violin case shut with a look of regret. "Oops, sorry about that. I've got plans today."Her voice sounded sorry, but her face? Not a hint of it. Her eyes darted past Evangeline, shining with smug satisfaction."Talk about bad timing..." Evangeline followed Minnie's gaze as she spoke.There was Walter, strolling over to them in a white casual suit, every step oozing elegance. He looked lik
The room went from buzzing to dead silent in a heartbeat.Walter's cheeks burned, and he then scowled. Evangeline could almost taste his anger, sparked by her cutting words.Well, well, Walter was ticked off!Her eyes flicked to Minnie, who was practically glowing with jealousy."Mr. Walter Gordon is really into that Julia girl, huh? I have to admit, I'm a bit green with envy. She has to be something special, right? How else could she get Mr. Walter Gordon's heart?"Evangeline could not quite put her finger on the mix of daze and longing in Minnie's eyes. She had meant to stir the pot by dropping Julia's name, but had she somehow become Minnie's wingman instead?Suddenly, this felt like the last place Evangeline wanted to be.With a huff, she spun on her heel and stormed out.Walter's voice floated after her."Ms. Kast, you're pretty amazing yourself. No need to sell yourself short."What Evangeline missed, as she marched away, was the sly trace of Walter's fingers over his v
"Alex, isn't it past your clock-out time? What's keeping you at school?"Alex, being the unique music teacher at Avalon University, had his work hours tailored to his own timetable.Alex gave an embarrassed chuckle, maneuvered his wheelchair closer, and said, "The nicer the school is to me, the more I feel I shouldn't just coast along, you know?"Evangeline paused for a moment, not quite catching his drift."Actually, a couple of students were struggling with the basics, so I stayed back to give them a hand with their technique. Just as we wrapped up the extra session, I spotted you out on the field."Alex offered an easy explanation and casually asked Evangeline, "Why are you here? You don't have classes today, right? What's up with the surprise visit?"The question caught Evangeline off guard, and she suddenly thought of Walter, who was all over Minnie like they were glued together."Just killing time," she shrugged. "Thought I'd swing by the school and get a taste of the good
The mood shifted to a somber note, tugging at Evangeline's heartstrings.She still had not mustered the courage to ask about the mystery of Alex's legs, his eyes always carrying a kind of sadness that made her questions die in her throat."Alex, I'll always be nice to you. Don't worry about that, okay?"Alex had been incredibly brave, more than Evangeline had realized. If she had to switch from being healthy to relying on a wheelchair just to get around, she was not sure she could have handled it. Seeing Alex, her heart ached even more for him."Hey, how about we go for a little adventure outside? Back when you were at Avalon University, I was still in high school. I always wished we could've been on the same campus."While talking, Evangeline started wheeling Alex toward the door. His voice, full of surprise and happiness, stopped her. "You wanted to be at the same school as me?""Of course! You're amazing. If you taught me just one or two of your tricks, I'd be the queen of my
Evangeline finally got what Alex meant by 'doesn't seem all that bad'. She forced a smile, her lips barely curving."That's history. I'm doing pretty well now… But Alex, you're not the same guy."Alex's eyes widened in shock, but deep down, he was nervous that Evangeline might know what he was thinking."How have I changed?""You used to be straight up with me. You'd tell me if I asked you anything. Now... you clam up. What about the good stuff, even if you don't want to dump your troubles on me? Like..."Her eyes danced with a spark of mischief, and she put on a sly grin. "Like your new student from abroad, Ms. Kast?"She played it up, acting all bubbly, like she was just innocently curious about this new woman in Alex's life."Why do you care about her all of a sudden?" Alex had a hunch. "You're not asking for Walter's sake, are you?"It was no secret—Minnie's crush on Walter was obvious to everyone."Well, yeah." Evangeline's gaze softened. "No point in hiding it from you.
Alex had a way with words that made it seem like he was saying a lot, but when Evangeline really listened, there was not much there at all."Ever seen her family around?" Evangeline was on a mission for the truth because she had a hunch that Minnie was actually Julia in disguise.If Minnie really had a family, then Evangeline was probably barking up the wrong tree.Alex's eyes flickered, and in their dark depths, only Evangeline's slim shadow was reflected.Their eyes locked, and Alex gave a small shake of his head. "I've never met Minnie's family. I only heard about them from the boss when he brought Minnie on as my student."Evangeline breathed a small sigh of relief. At least half of the weight on her chest lifted.For a second, she was scared stiff that Alex would drop the bomb—that Minnie really did have a family of her own.Alex's vague response was oddly comforting.She did not know how Julia could have turned into Minnie, but if there was one thing she knew about Julia,