Chapter 124
Soren’s brow was drawn tight, anger simmering in his chest as he struggled to keep
it in check.
“Evangeline, do you even realize what you’re saying?”
She nodded, calm and unwavering. “I know exactly what I’m saying.”
Her tone was steady, almost stubbornly confident.
Soren let out a bitter laugh. “Just don’t regret it later.”
With that, he got to his feet, ready to leave. He was sure Evangeline was just lashing out. After all, she’d worked so hard to marry him–wasn’t her whole goal to have his child and stay by his side forever? Now that he was finally willing to let her have his child, there was no way she’d walk away so easily.
With that thought, Soren deliberately slowed his pace, giving her a chance to change her mind.
Evangeline saw right through him.
He was handing her a way out. He’d always done this, every time they argued–if she just offered a soft word, apologized, tried to make peace, Soren would forgive her and things would go back to the way they were.
There was a time when Evangeline thought maybe that wasn’t so bad, that if she just made herself smaller, their home would stay peaceful.
But she’d come to realize that all she was doing was begging Soren for scraps of pity.
And that wasn’t love.
Eventually, the day would come when she’d want something he couldn’t–or wouldn’t–give.
Like this child.
Evangeline stayed silent, watching Soren walk to the door.
He noticed she wasn’t calling after him.
Almost against his own will, his steps faltered and he turned around, looking at Evangeline.
Perhaps out of pity for the grief she’d suffered, for the lonely grave she visited so
Chapter 124
often, he decided to give her one last chance.
He took a breath. “Evangeline, I’ll ask you one last time. Will you—”
But before he could finish, someone knocked at the door.
Glenn’s voice carried through the heavy wood. “Evangeline? Are you back?”
Soren froze at the sound. He already knew, thanks to Gregory, that Glenn and Evangeline knew each other. That wasn’t a surprise.
What was odd was-
He glanced at his watch. Nearly eight o’clock. What was Glenn doing here at this hour?
Evangeline hadn’t expected Glenn to show up now, either. She hesitated, then walked over and opened the door. “Is something wrong?“”
Glenn was still wearing an apron. “I noticed you barely touched your dinner, so I made some soup. Thought you might want to try it.
Soren’s gaze lingered on Glenn’s apron, then shifted to the open door across the hall.
So Glenn was renting the apartment right next to Evangeline?
A sour feeling twisted in Soren’s stomach.
Before Evangeline could reply, Soren let out a cold, dismissive laugh. “Well, Mr. Carlisle, you certainly make yourself at home here. Living in a place like this, cooking for yourself, making soup?”
Glenn finally looked at him. “What a coincidence, Mr. Fawkes. Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Soren gave a sharp, mocking smile. “You know who I am?”
Glenn’s lips curled. “Of course. Evangeline mentioned you. And I got your business proposal not too long ago.“,
His tone was light, but the challenge underneath was unmistakable.
He knew Soren, and had still turned down his offer.
Deliberately.
Since their reunion five years ago, Evangeline had never seen Glenn so openly defiant, so willing to cut someone down in front of others.
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The tension in the room was thick and charged, like a live wire.
Worried Soren might lose his temper, Evangeline instinctively stepped between them, placing herself in front of Glenn, shielding him.
It wasn’t a dramatic gesture, but Soren saw it all too clearly. His temples throbbed with anger.
Evangeline sensed his mood and said softly, “If there’s nothing else, you should go. Poppy’s waiting for you.”
Was she really sending him away?
Soren let out another dry, incredulous laugh.
But what really got to him was how close the two of them were standing–far too close for his comfort.
