The whole company was buzzing with the news of Evangeline's pregnancy.Hank and Wade had decided that they would deal with major company issues by going straight to the head of the Foster family. That meant even fewer check-ins with Evangeline. "I'm out and about. Just spit it out, Wade."Wade's frantic tone sent a shiver of foreboding down Evangeline's spine. Was the company in some kind of serious trouble?"Look, good mood or bad, we've got to tackle the issues head-on." Evangeline's voice was firm, her tone no-nonsense. She was in the dark about Walter's situation and did not want to dwell on her own feelings, which seemed trivial by comparison. She understood that Wade's extra caution was because he knew about her pregnancy.Wade had little patience for drama, but as he thought about the bombshell he was about to drop, he felt a twinge of pity."Look, it's kind of a mess, and I can't just sum it up in a sentence or two. You better check out the trending section on Twitter."E
Out of nowhere, a bodyguard swooped in, grabbed the microphone from the reporter's hand, and chucked it aside."Mr. Walter Gordon won't be taking any interviews. Please clear the way, thank you!"Evangeline watched as Walter and Minnie were ushered out of the cafe by their protective entourage. She sighed in relief.However, she chided herself for worrying. The Gordons were powerful, and surely they could handle a little media frenzy.Just then, a car horn blared, snapping Evangeline back to the present. The window rolled down to reveal Yale Foster's face."Uncle Yale, what are you doing here?"She climbed into the front seat, her surprise at Yale's unexpected arrival written all over her face."Just looking out for you," said Yale with a shrug, then let out a sigh. "Walter has really stirred the pot this time. The Gordons can fend for themselves, but our Foster family's darling can't deal with this kind of drama."Evangeline felt a rush of warmth at her uncle's fierce loyalty.
Roslyn cracked up, "That's one sweet burden to bear...""Sure is. So when are you going to sign up for the gig?" asked Evangeline, her words heavy with implication.However, Roslyn missed the subtext entirely. She instead sighed and said, "Me? I haven't even found the man, so no burdens to bear for me!"Plus, I'm riding the career wave right now. Even if I had a partner, my agent would put a hard stop to marriage and kids. I'll think about settling down once I've cemented my career."Evangeline could not help but notice Roslyn's glances toward Yale. Was it her imagination, or was there something there?Roslyn was clearly into Yale. With Yale's awkward dodges around Roslyn, it was obvious he was not immune to her charms either.Why could these two not just clear the air already?Evangeline was deep in thought about Roslyn's love life quandary.Meanwhile, Walter was busy with work at the office, juggling more than he could handle.Everything went sideways in a flash. He had only
Their presence at the cafe had been so influential that, despite being guarded by bodyguards, there were bound to be paparazzi lurking, eager for an exclusive scoop.Would the news of her and Walter arriving at the company together not spread like wildfire, giving her the perfect chance to make a splash?Walter's gaze was deep and unreadable as he looked at Minnie, his face a mask hiding a whirlwind of thoughts.Then, out of the blue…"Minnie, why... Why are you so kind to me?"Minnie's cheeks flushed with a sudden warmth. "Walter, isn't it obvious by now?" she asked, her voice a mix of exasperation and hope.She was sure Walter was just playing dumb. He must have known her intentions ever since she started getting close to him.Walter, with his straightforward nature, confronted the question that had been nagging at him, "We haven't known each other long, and we've barely hung out.""Trust me, the first time I saw you, your charm had me totally hooked." Minnie cut off Walter's
Walter was fed up. He had to find solid proof that Minnie was actually Julia, to get that disgraceful woman out of his and Evangeline's life for good!Walter had made up his mind the moment his feelings for Minnie shifted. There was no way he had let what happened at the cafe occur again."Boss, they were out of your favorite cream of chicken and rice soup, so I grabbed some creamy wheat cereal instead..." David, carrying the takeout dinner, was rushing back to the office and mumbling to himself when he caught sight of the scene in front of him.The creamy wheat cereal he was holding dropped suddenly, spilling everywhere.Did he just see his boss and Minnie wrapped up in an embrace?The thud of the packing box echoed loudly in the deserted office, jolting Minnie out of her cozy moment with Walter. She let out a shriek, realizing who had just walked in."Ah!" Like she had been zapped by a bolt of lightning, Minnie leaped off Walter and scrunched up, ducking behind him for cover.
The mere mention of 'running the show' had Minnie blushing even harder, if that was possible. A sharp glint passed through Walter's eyes as his smile grew wider, a clear sign he knew exactly what he was doing."David, let's call it a day. Could you set up dinner for Ms. Kast? I've got stuff to do, so I'm heading out."Walter did not even pause as he got up to leave, but Minnie, still buzzing from the new thrill of romance, was not ready to let go."Walter, it's our first day as an item together. Can't you hang out just a bit longer, pretty please?"She was still floating on cloud nine from Walter's earlier affection, but the guy could flip a switch so fast. It was like one minute he was there, and he would be gone in the next, leaving her in a daze."Look, you're not exactly out of the picture with the whole cafe news scandal. If we're seen out together now, it's like we're asking for trouble. Plus, I'm still technically engaged to Evangeline. Getting too cozy with you isn't great
"I'm sorry..." Evangeline muttered an apology without thinking, accidentally stirring up Julieta's own heartaches."Don't worry about it, Ms. Evangeline. Beyond our jobs, we're both just people, right? If you ever want to get something off your chest, I'm all ears."Evangeline glanced at Julieta, noticing the tears welling up in her eyes, and shyly looked away. "Is that true?"Julieta, I lost my mom when I was little, and even though my grandfather and uncles are super sweet, they're guys. They don't really get the whole 'heart-to-heart' thing. You're the only one I can talk to about this stuff."Evangeline inhaled deeply, feeling overwhelmed by life's curveballs.Her best friend Roslyn was a whirlwind of energy, not exactly the type to grasp those fragile feelings. Why bother dumping all that on her and dragging her down too?Julieta offered a soft smile. "Anytime you need to talk about anything, I'm here for you.""I guess I know talking won't change much." Evangeline's gaze d
However, Evangeline just could not let go!They had shared nights of fiery passion, deep conversations that bared their souls. She had once held the heart of the man she adored. How could she just erase such treasured memories?…Before she knew it, winter had crept into Avalon City.Minnie had used the excuse of delivering documents to Walter to camp out in the CEO's office all day. The secretaries were murmuring their disapproval, but David smoothed things over.David did not want to clean Minnie's messes, especially when Walter doted on her way more than he did on Evangeline from the Gordon family, or even Julia.However, there he was, dealing with the fallout, all because Walter's office was the coziest spot during the biting winter. Minnie, always playing up how frosty she was, had ditched all pretenses and practically moved in, spending her days with Walter and David.David was sick of her constant chatter, her relentless pursuit of their boss' attention. Nonetheless, Walt