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
Thus, while it appeared that Minnie was being well taken care of, the real goal was to keep her away from Walter.Aria's trick was pretty slick, especially since Minnie had never set foot in the Gordon family's old house.Too bad for Aria, Minnie was not just any girl. She was Julia, Evangeline's half-sister, and she knew the old Gordon place like the back of her hand.Walter had just been roughed up by Trey and had a blowout with Aria. He was in a foul mood, the kind where he just needed someone to tell him it was going to be okay.Minnie was not officially Walter's woman yet, and that left her feeling all kinds of nervous.With that, she was pulling out all the stops to win Walter over, to up her odds in that high-stakes game of the heart.Dressed in fresh clothes, thanks to Aria's meddling, Minnie asked a couple of servants where Walter hung his hat politely, and then made a beeline for his room.Standing outside Walter's door, Minnie waited, peering through the crack that Ar
What Walter did not realize was that Minnie, though clueless about his little test, had done her research to keep her true identity a secret."I'm not that incredible."Her cheeks flushed with a shy pink as she confessed, "I heard about the fight with your mom, and I was super worried. I had to ask a bunch of the house staff before I finally found your room."She was determined to protect her identity as Minnie if she was going to share a life with Walter.However, that was just for the time being. Once she had his heart securely in her hands, there would be no need for all that sneaking around."Hmm, pretty clever." Walter gave a noncommittal hum, a half-hearted praise, before he ventured a question, "Which room did my mom set you up in? Is it far from here? You must be tired from searching for me."He feigned concern, and it worked like a charm. He saw the flicker of emotion in Minnie's eyes."It's not bad, not too far."She could not really admit it was fair in a situation l
At least he, Walter, had been true to his heart, his emotions crystal clear.The night stretched on forever, and Walter had no clue when he had drifted off. All he knew was that when he opened his eyes, daylight flooded in through the window.He bounced back quickly, as young folks do. After a whole night of face-planting into his pillow, he could finally roll onto his side, a bit more comfy.As he wrestled with the sheets, a maid who had been sticking close to Trey tiptoed over. "Mr. Walter Gordon, Mr. Trey Gordon sent me to let you know Mrs. Gordon is coming. You might wanna get ready."Walter's heart did a somersault.His Mrs. Gordon? That was Evangeline and no one else.Was Evangeline really coming to see him?He rubbed his ear, his eyes wide as saucers."You're saying... who?"Evangeline... Why on earth would she come to see him?The maid could not help but chuckle at Walter's dazed look. "It's Mrs. Gordon, Evangeline from our very own Gordon family. Who else? Mr. Gordon
The old Gordon family home had undergone some obvious changes.Every hard corner had been cushioned with soft padding, and any dips or bumps in the floor had been evened out by skilled hands.No one had to tell Evangeline why. She knew those were all Trey's doing, baby-proofing the place for the little one she was carrying.Walking through the house, each alteration from her memories made her eyes well up with tears she fought to keep at bay.Evangeline had lost her mother at a young age, and with her father remarried, she never got to bask in the kind of love and attention she had craved. Sure, Cole and her uncles had showered her with affection later on, but she could not replace a lost childhood.Seeing her own child receive such love had filled her with a deep sense of relief.She had heard rumors e that Walter was still bunking in their wedding suite, so she picked up the pace. When she walked in, she spotted a maid in the middle of wiping Walter's face with a wet towel. The
When Evangeline saw Walter hurt, the ache that hit her heart was like a sucker punch—unexpected and impossible to shake off.She questioned herself, was she really nagging for Walter's sake?However, then, she locked eyes with Walter's, which were deep pools of smoldering anger."Evangeline, is there anything else you're dying to tell me?" asked Walter, disbelief etched across his face.He could not wrap his head around it. She was so gentle when she touched his face, so caring in every little thing she did for him. So why did her words sting like there was not a shred of softness in them?"Huh?" Evangeline blinked, her hand freezing mid-wipe. "Is there supposed to be something else?"What more could she possibly have to say to Walter at that point?Right then, the click-clack of high heels on the wooden floor outside grew louder and more insistent, step by step.Just as the footsteps stopped, the person they belonged to had already made it to their room."Evangeline, what bri