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
Julieta was a whiz in the kitchen and always took the time to whip up delicious meals, so even though Evangeline was dealing with morning sickness, she never missed a meal.She managed to keep down more food than she lost, so she was feeling pretty okay.Walter lounged on the living room couch, perfectly positioned to watch Evangeline eat. Seeing her enjoy her meal so much made him feel much better.At least their drama had not messed with her pregnancy; that was something to be thankful for.That being said, Evangeline's breakfast smelled amazing…Evangeline was chowing down when she heard a stomach growling. It was the kind of noise that only a hungry belly could make.She glanced at Julieta, who quickly shook her head—it was not her.So, both their eyes turned to Walter, who was still sitting on the couch.Had Walter skipped breakfast? Evangeline thought she had heard wrong until the growling came again, and Walter's red face confirmed it."Walter, if you haven't eaten, com
Yale was pondering all that, already plotting to get the information from Evangeline later.Meanwhile, Cole, who had been anxiously waiting in the living room, caught a glimpse of Evangeline and Walter looking cozy on the surveillance feed and felt a wave of relief wash over him. His mood lifted, and it showed.So when he finally joined the crowd, Cole seemed in much better spirits than usual.Before anyone knew it, the living room was buzzing with people. The Foster brothers made sure to warmly welcome Walter, their nephew by marriage, acting like the whole divorce drama was just water under the bridge.The warmth of the family gathering was infectious, and even Evangeline, who knew the truth of the matter, could not help but be moved.As they ate, Cole's eyes brimmed with tears, a testament to a lifetime of memories. He reached out, taking Walter and Evangeline's hands and tenderly joining them together."Evie, Walter, knowing you two are so blissfully happy gives me peace of m
Evangeline wanted nothing to do with Walter.She was even somewhat scared of getting too close. She feared that if Walter was too tender with her, she might forget the pain that had once been forced upon her and fall back into a hopeless crush on him.The car roared to life, and the two in the back sat worlds apart, one to the left and the other to the right.The driver, focused on his job, was so spooked by the tension behind him that he barely dared to take a deep breath.Evangeline was never one to stand an awkward silence. Though she wanted to keep her distance from Walter, her ingrained politeness would not allow the silence to linger.The words of her bodyguard echoed in her mind, and Evangeline's eyebrow raised as she eyed the man before her. "Walter, I've heard... you're on the hunt for Minnie?"Walter's face lost color for a moment, but he quickly masked his shock with a neutral expression.It was no shocker to Evangeline that he was searching for Minnie. After all, the
Evangeline fought the urge to clutch at the hollow space over her heart."Forget it, I'm never going to let you have Minnie."Yale had let her know that Minnie was indeed Julia, one of the culprits who plotted with the Andrews to take down her mother."How could someone like her just give herself up so easily?"Besides, it was not up to her to decide where Minnie went.The enemy of Julia's family was not just Evangeline—it was the whole Foster family."Why? Evangeline, don't you realize how much she means to me?" Walter blurted out in a rush, grabbing Evangeline's hand.In his mind, he was screaming at her, 'Don't you see? This woman's fate is linked to the survival of both the Foster and Gordon families!'"Yeah, I get it." Evangeline pulled her hand away, her voice calm and steady. "Minnie means a lot to me, too."She almost brought up Minnie's real identity to Walter, but she swallowed her words at the last second.After all, the moment Walter stood up for Minnie without a
What?Walter's voice echoed in Evangeline's mind, but she could not wrap her head around it.Was he genuinely relieved she survived that massive car accident? If he was, it was probably more about the baby she was carrying, right?Evangeline was caught up in her thoughts when suddenly, she felt a weight lift off her.She was no longer trapped—she was free.A big, strong hand helped her open the car door as a voice came to her, reminding, "Be careful, Evangeline."Walter spoke like they were just strangers exchanging polite words.However, Evangeline did not care anymore."Got it, thanks," she replied politely, stepped out, and walked away.Actually, she had stopped caring a while ago.She had almost given up her life to save Walter once. However, Walter had given her a new life in return, so they were even.After parting ways with Walter, Evangeline did not head back to the villa. Instead, she went straight to the Foster family's security office.Three of her uncles showed
"Evie, Yale and I have been talking for a while, and we decided it's up to you whether to learn the truth. If you'd rather not know, leave it to us. We'll make those two scoundrels pay."Holden's face was overtaken with hatred and rage, finally turning into a look of determination. Yale stayed quiet, simply nodding to show he agreed.Both men looked at Evangeline with concern.Yale, however, still seemed uneasy. "Evie, you're not on your own anymore. You have to think about others too."Evangeline got the hint. Yale was reminding her she was about to become a mother, so she could not act on impulse.She also figured out what the other happy news Yale referred to was. Finally uncovering the truth about her mom's death was definitely big news.Her vision started to blur, but memories in her mind became sharper.Evangeline was so young when her mother was sick, and she could only recall her pale face and brave smile.After all the time that had passed, there was no way to investig