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
Celina stood up in surprise and blurted, "Mr. Walter Gordon, Mr. Yale Foster is inside. Should I let him know you're here?"She barely knew Walter, and any time they crossed paths, it was through David, the go-between. She was not naive enough to think Walter had come out there just for her.Out of the blue…"Ms. Morris, can we talk for a minute?" Walter gestured for Celina to join him.He was supposed to have left with Trey after saying goodbye, but something inside him was restless. He ended up driving back to the funeral site.He had expected Cole's funeral to be a long affair, but when Walter got back, the place was deserted. Weird, he thought.Just as he was about to ask someone what happened, he spotted Celina squatting by the lounge entrance, zoning out.It was like stumbling upon the very thing he had been searching for without even trying.He had been wanting to talk to Celina for ages but never got the chance. At last, she was right there, and he was not about to walk
The funeral home was huge and quiet with Yale standing in black attire, a solemn figure in front of Cole's memorial. His face was a mask of seriousness as he stood silently. Walter edged closer, positioning himself just behind Yale."Why are you here?" Yale's voice was a low rumble, his question direct, not bothering to look back."Didn't you already pay your respects? Or is it that the Gordon family's heir has nothing better to do today, so bored that you're crashing my funeral for a bit of drama?"Yale's tone was sharp, and Walter could not hide his surprise.Everyone knew Yale as the stoic head of the Foster family, a man who rarely let his emotions show, so why was he openly rebuking someone at this moment?There had to be a backstory."Mr. Yale Foster, did I... upset you?" Walter asked cautiously.He was aware of Cole's passing and Evangeline's fragile mood. He had left the funeral early, not wanting to cause her any more distress.If he still managed to get on Yale's bad
The moment everything changed was…Yale's gaze snapped upward, but Walter, who had just been there, was then nowhere to be seen.That guy sure knew how to make a quick exit.…Walter was already speeding toward Avalon City General Hospital. His hands shook as he drove, Yale's words echoing in his head.'You think a few months into a pregnancy means the baby is safe?'Meaning, Evangeline's baby was gone. Their baby was gone.How? The baby had been so strong, its kicks so powerful. How could it just be gone?Walter raced to the hospital, bursting into Evangeline's room. There she was, pale as a ghost on the hospital bed.Evangeline had always been stunning, but at this moment, she looked frail. Her hair was a mess, her chin pointed, her cheeks sunken, her eyes dull, and her lips colorless.She was poring over a stack of papers, her hands visibly shaking with each page.As Walter moved to rush to her side, Roslyn blocked his path, standing like a sentinel before Evangeline."Y