Inside the car, silence reigned. The driver kept to himself, steering the vehicle. Hank, out of habit, smoothed out his suit sleeve and gazed out the window.Out of the blue, his phone blared to life. Hank glanced at the caller ID and his brow creased in annoyance.The ringing grew more insistent, practically screaming at Hank to pick up.He finally gave in and answered."What took you so long, you little troublemaker? What are you up to out there?" scolded the voice on the other end."Nothing much." Hank let out a forced laugh. "You're always saying I don't cut it, right? How am I supposed to get better if I don't get out and get my hands dirty?"Hank knew exactly what his dad, Grant Tarp, was about to lay on him, so he played his cards right, leaving his father without a comeback.As expected, Grant's smooth talking stopped."Look, I know I've said it before, but you've been out there for what, seven or eight years now, Hank? It's about time you returned to take the reins, do
"Walter, why are you creeping around and following me?" demanded Evangeline with her arms folded, before Walter could even get a word out."I..." Walter stammered, his face a mask of stiffness, words failing him as he faced Evangeline's frosty demeanor.He was oblivious to the fact that his behavior only reminded her of a different, more painful reason for her coldness."Did you think you hadn't embarrassed me enough earlier? Is that why you're shadowing me, to add insult to injury?"She would never be able to erase the memory of what Walter had done to her.In the backseat of the car, he treated her as if she were nothing more than an object for his amusement.At the restaurant, he had the nerve to call her out in front of everyone, labeling her as someone who flirts too much.So then, she was determined to confront Walter and find out what game he was playing."Evangeline, you've got it all wrong, I never...""Never what?" Evangeline cut him off without a hint of politeness.
Evangeline fretted over the idea of visiting Cole alone. She feared it might make him overthink things, maybe even worry unnecessarily. She was almost convinced it was better to stay away.Walter had to go and mention Cole, giving her a reason she could not just brush off."Are you threatening me?"Was Walter really using her love for her grandpa as leverage, making sure she could not keep her distance?"No." Walter's reply came sharp and clear. "Forget about us for a second. He's my elder, too. Of course, I want him to live a long, healthy life."His answer was so perfect that it made Evangeline feel like she was the one making a big deal out of nothing."If you really mean that, then thanks."She was honestly thankful that Walter could still be decent when it came to her grandfather.When it came to the idea of visiting Cole…Evangeline's gaze fell. "I haven't reassured Grandpa Cole since the car accident. If you're up for it, let's go together."She knew that despite Yale'
Somewhere overseas, in the basement of a swanky villa.The room was bathed in shades of silver and white, with only a tiny window near the ceiling offering a glimpse of the outside world.Tucked against the wall was a modest single bed.In the middle of the room stood a matching set of silver-white furniture, a table, and chairs.On one of those spindly chairs sat a man. He was lean, his skin ghostly pale, his face etched with exhaustion and a rough stubble.Evangeline would have instantly recognized him. That man was her and Julia's father, Andrew. His eyes were empty, his presence like a shell devoid of a soul, as he sat there, going through the motions.Jack, decked out in comfy clothes, his ocean-blue eyes narrowing, stretched out on his chair with a yawn before speaking at his own leisurely pace, "Andrew, how's it been, not seeing you around for a few days?"Andrew's lips parted, dry and cracked. "How do you think it feels to be cooped up here without any idea why, for who
Andrew was no fool. He picked up on Jack's icy tone and quickly switched to sweet-talking."Okay, okay, I won't bring her up again. Still, I've told you everything I could, and look at me now—my family's gone, and I've got my just desserts. Can't you just let me off the hook?"He was practically pleading."If you hit me with those questions one more time, I'm going to go crazy!"The questions were the same, day in, day out. He could not even use the same answers. He was at his wit's end, clueless about what to say next.Jack's eyes flickered, and he gestured dismissively at Andrew. "Andrew, I didn't come here to grill you today. You said it yourself that rehashing those questions is a drag, and I'm over it. So today, I've got a little surprise for you."A spark of hope lit up in Andrew's eyes, a break from the tedium of his life. "What's the surprise?"Jack pulled out his phone, found a recording, and held it out to Andrew with a smirk. "Trust me, you're going to like this."He
Jack's brows were raised, and his deep blue eyes sparkled with mischief, making him look especially striking. "Come on, why'd you go silent?"He watched Andrew with a mischievous glint, his lips curling into a sly smirk."What did I say?" Andrew, realizing he had slipped up, tried to play dumb. "You must've misheard. I didn't say anything!"He knew Jack was not easy to fool and wanted nothing more than to wrap up their chat so he could have some peace and figure out how to wriggle out of that lie."Okay, have you grilled me enough for one day? Can we call it quits? I'm beat..." said Andrew, attempting to rise and head to bed. However, Jack remained seated without the slightest intention of getting up."Odd. You usually beg me to stick around, to grab a bit more so you don't die of boredom, but you're actually shooing me away now…"You know the saying, 'When things get weird, there's usually a monster lurking'? Ever heard that one?"Andrew kept up his clueless act. "What are you
Cole's voice was raspy, carrying the weight of a man who was just starting to bounce back from a serious illness."What else? Work and the usual company stuff."Yale dropped what he was doing and answered with an easy smile. "Dad, are you feeling under the weather or something? How about I swing by in the next couple of days?"Cole was getting on in years and had become pretty clingy, always hoping his kids, especially Evangeline, would come around to the family home for a visit.That call was a wake-up call for Yale. He had been so wrapped up in Evangeline and Yessica's business that he would put the old man on the back burner. That was not appropriate."You scamp, if I didn't ring you up, you'd never think to drop by, would you?"Cole's voice was teasing, but Yale could hear the smile in his words. He was not really mad; he just wanted them to come and hang out with him."Too caught up in work, huh?"Yale chuckled awkwardly.Grown-ups could act like kids. There was his dad,
If Evangeline was not affectionate enough, Cole would definitely get suspicious. However, if she laid it on too thick, how would she handle her own feelings?She had just managed to steady her heart…She absentmindedly rubbed her belly.The baby was too little to interact with her yet. However, she could feel every beat of her baby's heart. The bond of blood was just that powerful.All of a sudden, she realized…Perhaps it would be appropriate to say she was playing a part in a drama.She might not be in love with Walter, but that did not mean their kid should not love his dad. She could not deny her child the right to his father's love…Winter mornings sure liked to take their sweet time showing up.By seven, the sky was barely blushing with the first light. Walter's ride, there to scoop up Evangeline, was already waiting downstairs, far ahead of time.In the biting cold of winter, he just stood there, silently watching the window of Evangeline's room.Julieta was notified o