The Day Our Promise Breaks

For this project, Brooks knew he had to handle the negotiations himself.

"Weren't you supposed to be gone for at least two weeks? Brooks, don't push yourself too hard just to come back early. I'm doing fine, so don't worry about me." "No, everything went smoothly, so I'm heading home sooner than planned."

Brooks wasn't being completely honest; he didn't want Evelyn to stress. The moment he found out Wesley had suddenly turned against them, he was itching to jump on the next flight back to the Capital to be with Evelyn.

How could he not be worried?

Hearing Brooks's explanation, Evelyn didn't press further. "It's already late there. Get some rest."

With a seven-hour time difference, it was already past midnight for him.

"Alright. Remember, if anything happens, call me anytime. My phone's on 24/7."noveldrama

"Okay."

Brooks kept chatting for a bit until the takeout arrived, making sure she promised to eat something before they ended the call.

Evelyn was too worn out to have much of an appetite, but Brooks had ordered all her favorites. So, she managed to nibble on a little.

Afterward, she headed to the hospital to visit Josephine.

Evelyn had collected herself. She hadn't breathed a word to Josephine about her plans to avenge Charlie. She wanted to shield her mother from any additional stress until things were more certain. Her mom's health couldn't handle the strain. Stress would only worsen her condition.

Walking into the hospital room and seeing her mother's health visibly improving, Evelyn couldn't help but smile.

It was such a relief.

"Mom, promise me, no matter what comes your way, just stay calm and focus on getting better," Evelyn urged gently.

"I know, honey. Don't worry," Josephine assured her.

After chatting for a bit, Josephine needed to rest, so Evelyn didn't linger. She checked in with Andrew about her mom's condition before leaving the hospital.

...

The apartment complex wasn't far from the hospital, so Evelyn was home in no time. She parked her car and made her way inside.

As she stepped out of the elevator, she noticed a tall, imposing figure standing at her door.

Hearing her approach, Charles looked up. Their eyes met, and Evelyn's expression immediately turned frosty.

She didn't bother asking how he managed to get up there. She moved forward, stopping just a step away, and coldly said, "Move."

He was blocking her way home.

Charles locked eyes with Evelyn, then suddenly wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

The smell of alcohol was overpowering. He'd been drinking. A lot.

"Charles, let me go."

Charles's grip was like iron, but instead of fighting it, Evelyn kept her cool. She knew there was a big difference in their physical strength; struggling would only cause unnecessary friction. swnovel

With Charles being drunk, Evelyn was worried he might lose control. Charles's rugged face pressed against her neck, his alcoholtaden breath warm on her ear.

belongs to swnovel

After speaking with Dahlia, he had left the hospital. He'd been deep in thought but couldn't make sense of it all.

Why, when he clearly loved Dahlia, was he so unfazed by her betrayal? Even ending things with Dahlia didn't leave him feeling any regret.

But Evelyn...

Charles couldn't quite pin down his feelings for her. When he thought of her, the only thing that came to mind was that he didn't want her to

belong to anyone else. He wanted her all to himself.

to swnovel

Unable to figure it out, Charles decided not to dwell on it any longer. He was certain now that he and Dahlia were over.

And as for Evelyn, there was no way he'd let her end up with Brooks. Whether it was love or not, he wanted to be with her.

"Eve, let's start over."