"Grandpa Cole must be worried sick by now..."Evangeline had been away from home for so long that she could not help but think that Cole must be beside himself with worry.Holden gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. "Relax, Evie. Yale and I had informed him you were safe as soon as we found you. He's at home right now, waiting for you to come back."The thought of going home made Evangeline's recently calmed heart race again.She could not possibly tell Cole the truth about today's chaos, and even though she had braced herself for Walter's betrayal with Minnie, it still stung when it happened.Facing Cole with all those tangled feelings would only make him worry, would it not?"Um... Uncle Yale, could you drop me off at Emerald of the Highlands instead? I... I'm not ready to face Grandpa Cole just yet."It was not that she did not want to see him. She just did not know how to explain everything without Cole seeing right through her.Holden was immediately against the idea. "Evie
If Cole had not been weighed down by age and sickness, he would have seen right through Evangeline and Walter's petty schemes in a heartbeat.Yale had to admit, he was seeing Cole's smarts in a whole new light.However, Cole was no rookie. His mind might get foggy, but he was not totally out of it.One thing was crystal clear to Yale: If Evangeline did not show up immediately, Cole's imagination would run wild.The mess unfolding before them would not hold up under the slightest poke. If Cole got wind of Walter chasing skirts while Evangeline was expecting, it would probably send him to an early grave.Thus, Yale nudged Evangeline to head home.Then again…"Evie, you're your own person now. We can't call the shots for you. Just say the word, and I'll get you wherever you need to go."We've got a half-hour till the fork in the road. No pressure—just think it over..."Yale fell silent. Holden, sharp as ever, caught on to their drift without another word.Evangeline's gaze drift
"Walter, my dear grandson, finding a mistress while your wife's expecting?"The sound of a sharp smack echoed.A cane, as if it had thorns, struck Walter's back with force. His shirt, already strained to its limits, tore open, revealing the raw, painful wounds beneath.The once pristine white shirt was then dotted with red, like tiny, delicate flowers, or perhaps like drops of blood and tears falling, creating a pattern of splattered teardrops.Walter's back was on fire, but that pain was nothing compared to the chill in his heart."Just hit me, then!" He yelled defiantly at Trey, as if he had nothing left to lose.Deep down, he thought it would be better to die at his grandfather's hand than to face the humiliation of divorcing Evangeline later.There was a saying, no? No matter how many years they had been together, if they did not have that divorce certificate, they were together for life."What are you trying to say?" Trey, having used all his strength in that last hit, too
With Evangeline not biting, Minnie turned her scheming eyes toward Trey.She silently watched like a hawk, just waiting for Trey to drop a golden chance into her lap.The moment she saw Thomas wavering with his cane, she knew it was go-time."Stop the beating!"Minnie's shout rang through the air. Without a care for her disheveled dress, she lunged onto Walter's back, acting like a human shield, while sobbing her heart out, "Mr. Gordon, it's all on me. Please, stop hitting Walter!"Trey, staring at that whirlwind of a woman, could only kick himself for being so forgetful.Walter was caught red-handed with a lady, so was not she just as guilty? How did he end up grilling his grandson and forgetting about the girl entirely?Thomas, already in a bind with Trey pushing him to take action, found him out with the wild-haired woman's sudden entrance.He glanced at Trey, his voice a mix of relief and hesitation. "Mr. Gordon, what about this...?"With a dismissive gesture, Trey signale
Did she really not know? It did not matter how one joined the family. The moment there's a baby on the way, all the old scandals and disgraces would be forgotten at the sight of a new great-grandchild.What she had not counted on was that Evangeline was already expecting Walter's baby.That complicated things, but she would handle Trey first."Walter is my grandson, and I'll decide if he needs to be disciplined. Now, answer my question," Trey demanded.Since the rise of Gordon Group, Trey was used to getting answers whenever he asked. Thus, this girl's silence was a bold move, indeed.Even so, even though his authority was being challenged, Trey could not muster up any anger when he looked at her face—a face that stirred a sense of compassion.After all, she looked so much like Julia, Evangeline's half-sister, sharing the same father but born to a different mother.Walter's back was a map of scars, and Trey finally understood. His grandson would rather face the wrath of a thousa
Aria was beside herself with worry, frantically instructing the servants to call a doctor to tend to Walter's injuries. It was only then that she noticed Trey, looking grim, and a woman who bore a striking resemblance to her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Julia.She froze, taken aback.After years of navigating the Gordon family's waters, her instincts told her something big had gone down. Nonetheless, no matter what had happened, she could not just stand by while her precious son was injured.With fury in her eyes, she spun to confront the bodyguards. "Who's in charge here?"Thomas stepped up immediately. "Ma'am, how can I assist you?"Thomas was supposed to take orders from Trey alone, but he answered Aria just to keep up appearances for Trey's sake.Too bad Aria did not get the memo.She never bothered with the details about her own security team and did not even recognize Thomas, who seemed to have come out of nowhere. All she did was let out her fury."What kind of protection
Minnie's heart ached as she clutched Walter's arm tighter when she heard him."Walter, talk to me. Are you alright?"She looked at his pale face. Without a second thought, she placed her hand on his forehead right there in front of Trey, Aria, and all the bodyguards."Oh no, you're burning up! Walter, you've got a fever!"Minnie sounded concerned, her eyes brimming with tears and a touch of panic."Walter's got a fever. Didn't you call the doctor? Where are they?"Aria's whole future of living in luxury during her golden years hinged on her only son, Walter. The thought of anything happening to him was more than she could stand.Just then, a servant rushed in with the doctor.Aria did not even stop to ask Trey what had happened. She went straight into begging for mercy."Dad, whatever Walter's done, he's your grandson. Please, let him be treated first. Once he's better, you can punish him any way you see fit, and I won't say a word against it!""Please, Mr. Gordon, Walter's h
The moment Aria started talking, Walter sensed what she was really after. He was stunned. "Mom, you realize I'm injured, right?"Aria gave him an eye roll, "Yeah, I know you're hurt, and Grandpa did it to you. Now's your chance to milk it a little, play the sympathy card with him. He's getting soft in his old age, and he'll probably forget this whole mess before you know it!"As she thought about it, Aria felt a rant coming on. She let out a sigh, then said with a hint of annoyance, "Walter, I'm not trying to call you out, but you're usually so sharp. How could you mess up like this when it really counts? You and that girl outside, you guys have something special, don't you?"Grandpa just found out Evie's expecting. Even if you're head over heels for her, you've got to keep it under wraps, right? And of all times, why now? Grandpa is over the moon about meeting his great-grandkid. Aren't you making things awkward for him?"The questions hit Walter like a blast of icy wind.In a fl