Soren froze for a second.
Then, with a faint, dismissive laugh, he said, “Did Evangeline put you up to this?”
It sounded like a question, but his tone was certain.
There was no way his grandmother would bother with something like this unless Evangeline had run to her, complaining and asking her to intervene.
Over the years, Soren had grown to despise how Evangeline always dragged the elders into their conflicts, using them to pressure him.
Before Old Mrs. Fawkes could respond, he deliberately added, “Yes, I do like Poppy. And if Evangeline is right there with you, could you please tell her that next time, she should ask me herself, face to face-”
He didn’t even finish before Old Mrs. Fawkes cut him off. “Very well. As you wish.”
With that, she ended the call.
What the hell did that mean?
Soren was left utterly confused.
Still, it wasn’t the first time his grandmother had indulged Evangeline’s whims, so he didn’t dwell on it. Pocketing his phone, he remembered what Evangeline had said earlier about the child. A moment later, he dialed Gregory.
“Tomorrow morning, first thing–meet me at Evergreen Memorial Park.”
Back at the Fawkes estate, Old Mrs. Fawkes set her phone aside and let out a long, weary sigh.
The warmth and kindness that usually softened her features were clouded now by deep worry.
A maid entered quietly, bringing her evening medicine and a glass of water, helping her take them with gentle care.
Watching her troubled expression, the maid hesitated, then ventured, “Ma’am, if you don’t mind me asking… why did you have the staff prepare two separate rooms for Mr. and Mrs. Fawkes tonight? There’s not much of a bond between them, after all.”
She paused, then added quietly, “If they had a child, maybe things would be different.”
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The maid had raised this before, urging the old lady to encourage Evangeline and Soren to start a family. She’d always believed that a child could change things between a husband and wife.
But every time she’d brought it up, the old lady would simply smile and say nothing, never pressing them.
This time, though, Old Mrs. Fawkes didn’t remain silent. She nodded thoughtfully. “You have a point. But suppose they have a child–what then?”
The maid hesitated. “Well, after that… for the child’s sake, Mrs. Fawkes might not pursue a divorce. And if they stay together, maybe they’d have a real chance to grow closer.”
Old Mrs. Fawkes gave a wry smile. “It’s been five years. In all this time, they haven’t managed to develop any real affection. Do you really think a child would change that?”
“And even if they do find some love, if it’s just a sliver of affection forced out for the sake of a child–can you really call that love?”
The maid was silent for a moment, then said softly, “But I’ve noticed that Mr. Fawkes isn’t entirely cold toward Mrs. Fawkes. Sometimes, I see him show
concern for her.”
Old Mrs. Fawkes let out a quiet sigh. “Yes, he’ll give her the cold shoulder one minute, then toss her a crumb of kindness the next. He flaunts his affairs in public, leaves his wife to face gossip and humiliation at home, then comes back and puts on a show of tenderness, pretending he truly cares. It’s a classic move–make her suffer, then make her hope. It’s the kind of trick a scoundrel uses to keep a naive girl hanging on, and it fools the bystanders into thinking there’s still hope for them.” The maid was startled to hear Old Mrs. Fawkes speak so harshly about her own grandson. After a pause, she said quietly, “But I don’t think Mr. Fawkes is really that bad.”
Old Mrs. Fawkes nodded. “You’re right–he’s not a monster. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t hurt Evangeline. Hurt is hurt. It doesn’t have to be dramatic to matter.”
“Evangeline knows exactly what she’s doing. She’s the one who understands her own heart best.”
“We can’t do much to help her. But at the very least, we shouldn’t stand in her way.”
Back when Evangeline first mentioned wanting a divorce, she’d considered giving her grandson another chance, maybe even pushing for it herself.
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But Evangeline wasn’t a foolish child. If she’d made up her mind, she must have her
reasons.
And now, she’d lost faith in her foolish grandson too.
The rain fell all night.
Evangeline barely slept. Maybe it was Soren’s talk of children earlier, but her dreams were haunted by a child who had never been born.
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Chapter 119
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