Evangeline had not guessed Walter was only pretending to sleep. A wave of embarrassment washed over her. She had been about to cover him with a nket, and he had not been asleep at all! Her well-intended action then felt like a cruel joke.


    Evangeline snapped, "I was just looking at an animal."


    Walter narrowed his eyes, taken aback by the woman''s biting wit as soon as she opened her mouth. He clicked his tongue and pulled Evangeline close.


    He was curious to taste her defiant spirit.


    Their lips met in a deep, unexpected kiss.


    Surprisingly, her kiss was sweet, a stark contrast to her sharp words.


    The thought lingered in Walter''s mind,pelling him to kiss her more intensely.


    Evangeline had not seen iting. Walter''s lips had swiftly moved from hers to her neck, leaving a trail of fervent kisses that sent a wave of tension through the air. She snapped back to reality.


    Why should she let him have his way?


    She had wanted a child, and he had tly refused, leaving her humiliated. All that, and he just decided to kiss her on a whim?


    Evangeline shoved Walter away. "Get lost!"


    Her voice was unapologetically harsh as she turned and retreated to her bed.


    The broken spell left Walter''s face growing stern with annoyance.


    His pride would not let him grovel after being rejected. He massaged his aching temples, trying to regain hisposure.


    He had been fooled into thinking that Evangeline''s act of kindness, covering him with a nket, signaled a change in her demeanor. No, she was still the same unpleasant person. He settled his mind, tucking away thest traces of affection as if the


    put to bed.


    were a dreamBelongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


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    Come morning, the tension from the previous night lingered. Evangeline woke with a frosty look.


    "Leave today. I don''t want to see you here again," she told Walter icily as she walked


    away.


    Walter had gotten a good read on Evangeline''s fiery spirit and chose to stay silent.


    Evangeline stepped out, her day packed with tasks. The Foster family''s business deals were at a tipping point, and she had to keep a close watch.


    However, the moment she left, she felt something off.


    Driving through downtown, she could not shake the feeling of being followed.


    With a sigh, Evangeline rested her head on her hand, her eyes a picture of weary


    eptance.


    She had not thought Walter would be so paranoid as to still have her tailed.


    A few thoughtful taps on the steering wheel, and she veered left, taking a detour.


    Her destination was Crystal Waters House.


    Aria had been asking to see her for ages, and it was high time she paid a visit.


    Aria, known for her morning tea ritual at Crystal Waters, would be there. Evangeline made a beeline for the ce.


    Inside, she gave her name to the host, who showed her to a private room. Pushing the door open, there sat Aria, as expected.


    Aria was startled by Evangeline''s unexpected arrival, her eyes briefly betraying her


    distaste.


    "Have you no decency? Barging in on someone''s meal, you''re just like a boorish country bumpkin-so irritating!"


    Evangeline, unfazed and eyes brimming with silent frustration, took a seat across from the woman.


    "Unless I''m mistaken, you''ve been the one asking to meet, haven''t you? Me being here is already more courtesy than you deserve. So, what''s so important?" she said, tossing her bag onto the table with a nonchnt air.


    Aria dabbed at her lips with a napkin, her gaze sweeping over Evangeline in a cool,


    measured way.


    There was just something about her daughter-inw that she could not warm up to.


    After a brief moment of thought, Aria reached into her ourse and pulled out a document, sliding it across the table to Evangeline. "B. smart and sign this. Divorce Walter, and the Gordons will make sure you''re wellpensated," she said, her voice smooth as silk. Evangeline''s eyes sparkled with mischief as she took the paper, her curiosity piqued. She wondered just how much Aria disliked her that she always had such a document. at the ready. Reading through it, Evangeline had to concede internally- the offer was indeed tempting. However


    "Sorry to burst your bubble, but it''s not that I want to stay married to your son. He''s the one who won''t let go. Maybe you should try your persuasive skills on him first," replied Evangeline, her smile sweet and guileless.


    To Aria, however, it looked like sheer bragging. Aria''s eyebrows shot up, her eyes shing with irritation. "What are you bbering about? My son is a catch, and he wouldn''t be caught dead clinging to you!"


    Just then, Aria''s eyesnded on something at Evangeline''s neck, and her expression brightened as if she had struck gold. Pointing sharply, her voice took on an edge, "What on earth is that on your neck?" The hickey was unmistakable, and Aria had spotted it immediately.


    A wave of anger crashed through Aria''s chest. She knew better than anyone how her son Walter treated Evangeline-with utter disdain. He would not so much asy a finger on her, let alone get close enough for any real contact. That hickey on Evangeline''s neck could only mean one thing.


    "You''ve been messing around with other guys behind Walter''s back!"