The laughter was just for show, a mask to keep the grown-ups from worrying.Evangeline's eyes darkened with another wave of sadness."You're doing great, getting through this," said Roslyn.She gazed at Evangeline's face, streaked with tears, her lips so pale and cracked that they looked like they might split.Just then, a waiter in uniform walked by with two steaming cups of milk.Roslyn stopped him, grabbed a cup, and handed it to Evangeline. "Drink some milk. You've got a baby to think about, remember? So try not to be too down, okay?"Roslyn knew how close Evangeline and Cole had been, and it hurt her to see her best friend so broken.However, her words, meant to comfort, were like opening a dam. Tears flooded Evangeline's eyes, and she began to sob uncontrollably. "How can I not be sad?"Memories came rushing back. She clutched Roslyn's wrist, and when she looked up, her face was wet with tears."Roslyn, do you know? It's my fault Grandpa is gone! If I hadn't been so set
"You know I'm your best friend, and now I've gone and fallen for..."Roslyn trailed off, too shy to finish, but she was sure Evangeline would get it."What's so bad about having a crush? And honestly, I've always thought you're too awesome to just hand off to anyone. If it's Uncle Yale... I guess that's not too bad."Yale was all about his job, and she could not even begin to imagine what a relationship with him would look like."You really think that?"A glimmer of hope shone in Roslyn's eyes, but it was quickly clouded by sadness. Yale had turned her down before, saying the age difference and Evangeline being in the mix was too much. How could they ever work?However, Evie seemed to be saying she was fine with them as a couple. So, Yale's reasons were just excuses to push her away."Evie, don't stress about me and Yale. You've got your own thing—taking care of the new Foster family addition!"Roslyn tried to sound nonchalant. "As for us... we'll just see where things go."De
Amid the turmoil, the spot where Evangeline had just sat was littered with the remains of a milk-drenched cup. A waiter, clad in uniform, tightened his white gloves and carefully collected the fragments, pausing only to dial a number."Ms. Rearden, the funeral has gone haywire, and Evangeline is en route to the hospital..."Julia's voice crackled with excitement on the line. "Did that wretch lose the baby?"Julia had been waiting for days for some shred of good news, and it seemed to have arrived. How could she contain her glee?She had loathed Evangeline, wishing her dead at first. However, after Walter's cruel treatment, her wishes took a darker turn.She relished the thought of Evangeline enduring a fate far crueler than death.Evangeline was head over heels for Walter. If she lost the baby she was carrying, would that not just crush her?The funeral for that old man from the Foster family? She could not care less. It was not her beloved grandpa, and she would not see a dime
Cole's funeral was out in the open, but the chill-out and eatery spots were under those fancy pop-up tents.Thanks to the Foster family's power, even those temporary digs that were coming down later looked lavish, complete with a plush, dark red carpet underfoot.Logically, when a carpet got a milk spill, a quick spot-clean was all that was needed until the party was over. However, that server scooped up the whole milk-splotched carpet, bundled it up quickly, and made to cart it off.Celina eyed him curiously,He had a face as big as a palm, skin like porcelain, and a thin frame, yet he hoisted a carpet heavy as a sack of bricks without breaking a sweat."You've got some muscle on you, kid," she noted.The server shot her a look, his eyes crinkling with a grin. "It's nothing special. I'm always doing stuff like this, so I'm used to it."Celina pressed on, "Which outfit are you with? You're hauling off the whole carpet for a bit of milk. You got a thing for cleanliness or what?"
The doctor theorized that maybe it was Evangeline's heartache, her rollercoaster emotions, that caused such a massive bleed, putting the baby at risk.However, how could Holden, her uncle, ever bring himself to say that to her?"Evie, maybe it just wasn't meant to be with this baby. And hey, you're about to kick that jerk Walter to the curb with a divorce. Keeping the baby wouldn't be the best for you."Holden eased down next to Evangeline, gently pulling her into a half-hug, letting her rest against him. "Sometimes things end, but you've got your whole life ahead. Why tie yourself down with Walter's kid? One day you'll meet someone amazing, and you can start a family then. Wouldn't that be so much better?"Holden's words were careful, but Evangeline got the painful message loud and clear.Without Walter, any child she had would grow up fatherless, and it could mess up her chances of finding happiness with someone else down the line.Maybe it was better to let go then, to one day
Once the call ended, James turned to Evangeline and said, "Your Uncle Yale is really worried about you. He even called to check in."Yale's concern for Evangeline was a given, so neither Holden nor Evangeline thought much of it.As the two comforted each other, James slipped out of the room, making up an excuse to call Yale back without delay. "What's going on, Yale?""Evie didn't get suspicious, did she?" Yale was always protective of his niece, and she was his first concern."Nope, I'm far enough from the room now. You can talk.""Okay." Yale let out a sigh of relief. "I'm starting to think that Evangeline's baby didn't just die. Someone might have... you know.""Julia."James did not wait for Yale to finish; he had the same hunch."I've been thinking the same thing. Evie's pregnancy was smooth sailing—good food, and good sleep. Nothing that should've hurt the baby, especially not like that sudden bleeding.""Yale, did you find any proof?" James knew his brother too well. Ya
Roslyn, noticing James was not budging, hurried over to him and whispered urgently, "Why aren't you leaving? Evie just managed to fall asleep. She wakes up so easily, we shouldn't wake her..."James got where Roslyn was coming from; she always put Evangeline first. However, he had no choice but to disturb her sleep.He gave Roslyn a reassuring wave and crept over to Evangeline's bed.Her eyes were closed tight, still damp with the remnants of tears.Without thinking, James reached out and gently wiped away the wet streaks beneath her eyes. "Evie, if you're not sleeping, come on and sit up. I have something to tell you."He swallowed a sigh, his gaze fixed on Evangeline with quiet intensity.Slowly, Evangeline's eyes fluttered open, red and veined with tiny threads, glistening with unshed tears. "Uncle James, I..."She could not finish her sentence before a wave of sobs took over, and tears began to fall like raindrops.Evangeline tried to push down the wave of hurt that rose in
She hurried closer and was shocked to see a thick tube already inserted into Evangeline's mouth.Unable to speak, Evangeline could only wave to Roslyn, giving her a reassuring look.Roslyn trusted that James would not harm Evangeline, but it broke her heart to see her in such distress.Why did Evangeline, the cherished princess of the Foster family, blessed with a prestigious background and remarkable talents, have to face such trials?Luckily, there was not much left in Evangeline's stomach, but they managed to retrieve a trace of milk.James saw the sample and immediately ordered it to be sent for analysis.In an instant, the once bustling hospital room was left eerily quiet.Julieta had gone back to the family's old house to make some healing chicken soup for Evangeline, leaving her alone with Roslyn and James."Uncle James, how did you guys even start suspecting Julia?" said Evangeline. No matter what Julia did, Evangeline would not bat an eye.However, James, with his leg