It was quitting time at the Gordon Group building, and the company's entrance was bustling with employees heading home. His Maybach stood out like a beacon in the crowd.If he stepped out now, in full view of everyone, and let Minnie slide into his car… Would not that be like broadcasting to the world that there was something going on between them?Sure, he was curious about Minnie's intentions, but his heart belonged to Evangeline. The last thing he wanted was to fuel rumors with another woman!However, as Minnie's hopeful eyes locked onto his, Walter felt his resolve start to crumble.It was not about the allure of the woman before him. He had just realized that Minnie's choice to make that move so publicly was clearly calculated.Walter had finally figured out who Minnie really was, and he knew he would not have to deal with her anymore. The situation with Evangeline was already rocky, so he figured he could smooth things over later.With a dramatic sigh, Walter gave Minnie a
That was when the villa's key came into the picture.However, Minnie kept her dreams to herself.She had always wished to stand with her dear Walter as the sun dipped low, taking in the gorgeous view side by side.She gazed at the scene unfolding before her, and no words were needed. Her wish had already come to life."This is quite the spot," Walter commented, though his heart was not in it. His mind was busy piecing together the clues hidden in Minnie's casual chatter.Minnie was not a permanent fixture in that place.Nonetheless, her infatuation with the view there, paired with her absence, hinted that the villa belonged to someone else."Let's head in," Minnie suggested, eager to get on with the evening's significant affairs rather than linger in the twilight.Inside, the villa was a study in understated elegance, awash in shades of pale blue—a stark contrast to the vibrant reds Minnie and the vanished Julia were known to favor. Clearly, Minnie would not choose a color sche
Walter thought he had Minnie's real motives pegged. He was just playing around with his words, already on his toes.Minnie's eyes danced, and she playfully heaped on the praise."I trust you're a true gentleman, Walter, and a real gentleman would never take advantage of a girl," said Minnie sincerely. However, inside, she was already plotting her next move.Walter was at the height of his longing, especially since it had been ages since he had seen Evangeline. He was practically bursting at the seams.However, Minnie was not about to rely on Walter's willpower. To make sure she would have Walter wrapped around her finger, she had slipped a little something extra into his wine.Once he sipped that wine, even a saint would not be able to resist her charms!"So... how about a toast?"Walter took the wine, and their glasses clinked in unison.They shared a romantic dinner, and Minnie watched with relief as Walter finished off his wine.She had chosen a slow-acting potion with a po
However, Evangeline, who never wanted to step foot in the Gordon family's home, was oddly patient today. She spent ages chatting with Trey and did not even hint at leaving.Trey felt like he was about to lose it. Why did everything have to pile up today? If he did not have such a big thing to do, he would have been excited about Evangeline's visit!"Evie, it's getting pretty late, and hanging out with an old guy like me can't be all that exciting. Maybe you should hit up Walter?"He knew Walter was off with some other girl at the moment. However, he was sure his no-good grandson would not be dumb enough to let Evangeline catch wind of his shenanigans.That was his way of passing the buck. If he could just get Evangeline to step out for a bit, he would have the freedom to do whatever he needed to do!"No need, Grandpa, I actually like spending time with you."The thought of even remembering Walter felt like a waste of time to Evangeline, so why would she reach out to him?Besides
At the same time, Trey was not young. Could he handle that kind of stress?Evangeline chewed on her lip, worrying over it. In the end, she knew Trey's health came first.He had sent her away on purpose, which meant he was up to something he did not want her to see.Evangeline could not care less about the drama. She was just scared Trey might not hold up.So, she made up her mind to tail Trey's car. She kept her eyes glued to his every move, ready to swoop in if things went south.The two cars raced to the hillside villa where Walter and Minnie were holed up.Meanwhile, back at the Foster family's old place, Yale was pacing. He had heard from Cole that Evangeline had headed over to the Gordons', but she had not checked in. Knowing how close she was with the Gordons, he was on edge.He grabbed an excuse to bolt out the door and took his bodyguards to camp out at the Gordons' place, waiting to pick her up.He caught the tail end of the two cars peeling out.Worried about Evangel
"Grandpa, what are you doing here?"He had just turned down Trey's invitation to come home that afternoon. How on earth did Trey find him so quickly?Minnie, caught in the middle of the grandpa-grandson showdown, finally grasped the gravity of the situation. She let out a shriek and dove under the covers, trying to hide her semi-exposed state.However, it was too late.Evangeline, who had arrived a bit late to the scene, had already caught an eye through the gap between Thomas and Trey."Grandpa, you..."She had watched Trey stagger out of the house, worried he was too frail, and had followed him upstairs. She was about to voice her concern when the scene in front of her struck her speechless.Trey spun as if he had been zapped, his face going from red-hot to ghostly pale at the sight of Evangeline.Caught completely off guard, he echoed Walter's question."Evie, what brings you here?"Evangeline gave a nervous laugh. "I saw you heading out and got worried about you, so I cam
Trey did not give a damn about Walter's pride. He snatched Walter's hand off Evangeline and took her hand in his own. "Evie, you know the score. Walter's always been a troublemaker."What was he even saying?Just because Walter was a troublemaker, he snuck off to see other women. Was Evangeline supposed to just forgive him?Was she missing something? She could not make heads or tails of Trey's words.Trey went on, "Cole told me everything. You're pregnant now, Evie. It's not just you to think about. You've got to take extra care. And don't worry about Walter the troublemaker, I've got him. I'll make sure he makes it right for you today!"Evangeline was not surprised to hear about her pregnancy; that was old news. However, she was wondering about something else.Walter was Trey's kin. What kind of explanation could he possibly offer?She figured it would probably just blow over like it always did.Honestly, she was past caring."Grandpa, don't worry about it, really. It's nothi
"Good day, Mr. Gordon." Yale greeted Trey with a bow that was all politeness. However, the iciness in his voice was unmistakable to everyone there.Yale was Evangeline's uncle, and as the head of the Foster family, he had just called Trey 'Mr. Gordon', making the family ties—or the lack thereof—abundantly clear.The polite words were just a product of good breeding.Trey was no stranger to reading between the lines, and he got the message loud and clear. His face turned a shade of dark that was downright scary.Evangeline had never seen Trey look so grim. However, with her uncles around, it was not her place to say a word.Trey stood there, getting the stink-eye from the other side, but he remained composed and stayed polite. He felt stuck, in a way, not sure what to say next.Yale could not stand to see the old guy squirm.He glanced around the room, where secrets seemed to be tumbling out like sunlight in spring, and said, "Funny how today's mess has got both our families, the