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
Evangeline's eyes briefly touched the medical report before she smoothed it out on the bed, angled for Walter to see.She had just gone through the wringer, enduring a painful procedure to help the doctors with their tests. The results were in, and the thick 30-page report seemed to end too quickly for her liking.The doctor's final verdict, after comparing her new results with the previous ones, was a bombshell that rocked her world.As she glared at Walter, the source of her misery, her heart seethed with hate.If only she were not so drained, she would confront him, demanding to know what he would give for the lives of Cole and their baby.Evangeline knew better than to let her anger take over. She closed her eyes, trapping the fury behind her dark lashes. When she opened them again, Walter had the report in his hands.Roslyn hovered anxiously by Evangeline's hospital bed, her eyes locked on her friend with unwavering intensity.Out of the blue, Evangeline's voice cut through
However, Julia on her own was powerless. What could she do without the shadowy backers who made it a breeze for her to strike at Evangeline's unborn child without anyone catching on? Evangeline was seething with hate.She hated that Walter had let a predator into their lives, hated that she was not strong enough to protect her own baby."Who else could it be but Julia, your devoted girlfriend?" she spat out. "Walter, I've told you over and over, and I've told her too. Why can't you two just leave my child alone?"The miscarriage was tragic, not so much for the physical toll it took on her, but for the tiny life within her that had begun to stir, then never to see the light of day."Evangeline, I... I had no idea..."Evangeline's revelation blindsided Walter.Since Julia's daring escape from that forsaken warehouse, Walter's crew had not caught even a whisper of her whereabouts.As for Julia's motives? He was clueless.Still…"How could I ever harm my own child?""I get it, yo