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
Evangeline's face lit up with a gorgeous smile as she rose from Walter's bedside. She crossed her arms and leaned casually against the wall, watching the two of them as if she were at the movies."Ms. Kast, you say Walter's name with such warmth. You two must be really close," she teased."Obviously," Minnie shot back.Flirting was Minnie's secret weapon against Evangeline. It was also the source of her confidence that she would always outshine Evangeline and keep Walter's affection.With Evangeline's snarky comment, how could Minnie not feel victorious?"That warmth is just part of the fun between husband and wife, Evangeline. For a powerhouse like you, it's okay not to understand these little things."Evangeline could easily read between the lines of Minnie's words. To put it nicely, she was a powerhouse. To put it bluntly, she was clueless about romance!Minnie felt like the bright light was just there to spotlight her supposed lack of excitement in the bedroom.Evangeline g
As Evangeline reached for the door, Minnie's mocking laugh cut through the air."I get what you're saying, Evangeline, but believing it is another story. Remember how you talked the first time we met? What happened instead? You silently got pregnant with Walter's kid. Does that sound like someone who wants a divorce? How naive must I be to keep taking your word for it?""Enough!" Walter's voice boomed, cutting off Minnie.He had kept quiet, wanting to see just how indifferent Evangeline could be.However, as her hand touched the doorknob, a wave of loss hit him like a ton of bricks. In that fleeting instant, he sensed Evangeline was gone for good.The explanation he had kept to himself was down to its last chance.Minnie picked up on Walter's annoyance and clamped her mouth shut, careful not to push him further.Then…"Evangeline, wait."Her name, called out so suddenly, made Evangeline freeze mid-step.Ignoring the bandages crisscrossing his back, Walter sprang from the bed.