Chapter 135
But with Soren bringing it up, neither she nor Poppy could keep pretending Evangeline wasn’t there.
Poppy lowered her voice and leaned toward Flora. “What’s Evangeline doing here? Flora, you didn’t mess this up, did you?”
She tried to whisper, but Evangeline heard every word.
Evangeline knew she’d done it on purpose.
Flora just shrugged off the comment. “Messed up? Please. I know my brother better than anyone. Poppy, you just focus on Soren–leave the rest to me.”
Without waiting for a reply, Flora nudged Poppy right up to Soren’s side.
“And you too, Soren. Enjoy Valentine’s Day with Poppy. I’ll take care of her,” Flora said, grabbing Evangeline’s arm and pulling her briskly toward the entrance of the amusement park.
Evangeline glanced back and saw Soren made no move to stop Flora.
She was used to it by now.
Between her and Poppy, Soren would always choose Poppy.
Flora didn’t slow down or let go until Soren and Poppy had disappeared from sight. Then, with a grimace, she dropped Evangeline’s arm. “Why did you even come here? Do you realize you almost ruined a perfect moment for my brother and Poppy?”
Flora eyed her suspiciously, certain Evangeline must have sneaked in somehow. It was impossible to imagine Soren bringing her here willingly.
But Evangeline met her gaze, calm and unruffled. “Your brother brought me himself.”
“No way.” Flora’s pretty brows knotted, but Evangeline’s steady expression gave her pause–she didn’t look like she was lying.
Could Soren really have brought her here himself?
Flora thought for a moment, then scoffed, “He probably just wanted to make sure everything was safe for Poppy. You know, test the rides before she tried them. Don’t flatter yourself.”
Evangeline let out a bitter little laugh.
Chapter 135
Maybe Flora was just guessing. Or maybe that was exactly what Soren had been thinking.
But it didn’t matter anymore. Flora was Soren’s sister, what she thought probably reflected what Soren felt, too.
Even though Evangeline had already decided to let go of her feelings, she still couldn’t help but ask, “Flora, why do you hate me so much?”
Flora had expected Evangeline to just give up and slink off, like she always did. She hadn’t expected the question, and for a second, she was caught off guard. Then she scoffed, “You ruined my brother’s relationship. You kept him and Poppy apart for years. You made him miserable. Of course I hate you.”
She was Soren’s sister, after all. Hating Evangeline was only natural, wasn’t it?
Evangeline gave a weary smile. “But if you forget about Soren for a second, have I ever done anything to hurt you? After all these years, have I ever made you
unhappy, or done anything wrong to you?”
Flora hesitated.
She wanted to say yes, that there were plenty of reasons to dislike Evangeline. But now that she was put on the spot, she couldn’t come up with anything concrete.
“Sometimes you just hate someone. It’s not about what they did–it just comes from the heart,” Flora replied, brushing it off.
Hearing that, Evangeline felt strangely lighter.
For years, she’d assumed she was at fault–that if only she changed herself, tried harder, maybe they’d accept her.
But now she realized it was never about her. No matter how much she tried, their prejudice wouldn’t change.
She nodded. “Alright. I understand.”
She didn’t hesitate any longer. She called a cab and left.
Flora watched her walk away. For some reason, her chest felt oddly tight.
She’d said things like that to Evangeline plenty of times before. So why did it feel so strange today?
But soon enough, spotting Soren and Poppy together again, Flora pushed the thought aside.
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Chapter 135
As long as her brother was happy, she decided, it was all worth it.
Chapter 136
Chapter 136
