Unmasking the Heiress

Trey's illness had taken a toll on his appetite, Evangeline made him some oatmeal. and carefully fed him, then gently washed his hands and face. By the time she was done, it was already the middle of the night. Once Trey was sound asleep, Evangeline could finally relax. She headed to her old room to wind down.

After a quick wash, she was so wiped out that she passed out the moment her head hit the pillow.

Walter got in from the airport well after midnight, worn out from his trip and a nasty stomach bug. He barely made it to his bed before collapsing.

Then, out of nowhere, he caught a whiff of something familiar.

It was Evangeline's signature scent.

Was he so tired he was hallucinating, or was her scent really lingering in the room?

His fingers brushed against something unexpectedly soft, and without thinking, he gave it a gentle squeeze.

Evangeline, who had been sound asleep, woke up with a start, her hand flying to her face as she cried out. She had been dreaming that a monster was pinching her cheek with such force that it yanked her out of her slumber. Blinking in confusion, she noticed a dark figure on the bed, which made her panic. She quickly snapped on the bedside light.

"Walter?"

"Evangeline?"

They both shot up, their voices overlapping in surprise.

"Why are you here?" They echoed each other once more.

Evangeline stared at Walter, too shocked to speak. Any trace of drowsiness hadExclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

vanished in an instant.

Walter adjusted his rumpled clothes, fighting off his own weariness. "What's this? You were talking about divorce two days ago, and now you're here in the Gordon. Tarily home trying to charm me

"Seduce you? Evangeline toughed densely 'Maybe you should take a look in the mirror Though, I admit, the Wather in the error might just be tempting enough.

It was you who crept into my room while was asleep, taking liberties, she accused, pointing to her reddened cheek Look at this, my face is swollen. You're nothing but a creepi

Walter's face flushed with embarrassment. He had been half asleep and had mistaken the situation for a dream, not realizing his own strength.

"Should I check it for you?" he offered, leaning in close almost immediately.

In her fluster, Evangeline's hand brushed against the bedside lamp, and the plug came loose, plunging the room back into darkness. Moonlight streamed through the window, bathing the two in a soft glow.

The moonlight softened Walter's chiseled features, and Evangeline felt the warmth of his breath as her other cheek blushed a deep crimson.

"No, no, stay back," said Evangeline, her voice faltering as she scooted back, nearly falling off the bed.

Walter quickly caught her, pressing her back against the pillow, their bodies. awkwardly entangled.

She tried to shove him off, but he was as immovable as a boulder.

"What are you even doing back here? Hiding out and avoiding a divorce, too cowardly to face anyone?" Evangeline, clearly outmatched in strength, fought back with her words.

"You have the nerve to mention that? Did you forget our deal so quickly? You were hell-bent on this divorce, making a spectacle for the whole town. Feeling triumphant seeing the Gordon Group heir dumped in the headlines?" Walter's grip on her hand was firm, pinning her down, his gaze intense and unyielding. "Is that how badly you want to be rid of me?"

Evangeline averted her gaze, dodging the heat in Walter's eyes. "Didn't you get your answer to that a long time ago?"

It was Walter who never wanted the marriage in the first place, who had been aloof

and distant. He had treated her like a servant in the Gordon household for three years, nearly stripping away her spirit, her happiness, and her pride.

"So why show up now? You're nothing to the Gordons after the divorce," Walter demanded, his voice heavy with accusation, Beneath him, Evangeline squirmed, her skin brushing against his through the thin silk of her nigh own, an unintentional provocation. "I came to see Grandpa, not you. Why do you always have to make it about yourself?" Evangeline snapped.

"You can't fool me. You've got to feel something for me, or why go after Julia? You're trying to get back at me, right?" challenged Walter before leaning in to kiss her.

He could not shake the doubt. If Evangeline hated him that much, why had she stayed with the Gordons for all those years? Why had she once cared for him so deeply?

He longed for the old Evangeline, the one who might have looked at him with something like affection. He did not like the new her, the one he was holding. It felt like trying to hold onto sand when he held her, slipping through his fingers.

Lost in his turmoil, Evangeline kicked with all her might, sending Walter tumbling off the bed.

"Who's getting revenge on whom? Julia is my business, and if it ever involved you, that's history. I'm begging you, just stay away and don't make me hate you more," she said with a sneer.

Her frigid words snuffed out Walter's burning desire like a doused flame.

He grabbed his suit jacket from the sofa, his back to Evangeline, and said, "Just don't come to regret your choices."

With that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.