Hearing Sylasâ report, Evander frowned as his gaze turned dark.
âWas it a coincidence?â
Back then, he told Sylas to pay the nurse a huge sum of money so she would keep it a secret. He also sent his men to keep an eye on her regularly.
It was normal for accidents to happen, but the nurse happened to die when he began investigating Florettaâs birth mother.
Hence, it felt like there was more to things than met the eye.
âMr. Golding, I sent our men to investigate the matter and discovered the nurse drank alcohol before she died. Besides, her carâs brakes werenât working. It seemed like a murder.â
Hearing that, Evander ordered sternly, âCarry on with the investigation.â
He knew trouble would ensue once someone revealed Florettaâs identity on purpose.
Besides, if the nurse was murdered, it meant there was something amiss about Florettaâs birth motherâs identity, too. It was clear that the matter wasnât as simple as he thought it was.
After the call ended, Evander took a long time to calm down. Leaning against the wall, he lit up a cigarette.
âItâs hotâ¦â
Right then, Angeline started sobbing inside the room.
Hearing her sobs, Evander tossed away the remainder of his cigarette and stomped on it with his leather shoe.
He then opened the door and went into the room.
Angeline was still lying on the bed, but her posture was different from before. She had kicked away her blanket due to her high body temperature.
Evander, who was standing in the doorway, frowned as he remembered something.
He recalled Angeline mentioning she hated the smell of cigarettes. Thus, he went to the bathroom and took a shower to wash away the smell that lingered on his body.
Only after making sure his body was clean and no longer reeked of smoke did he exit the bathroom.
Angeline was frowning in bed, seemingly disturbed in her sleep.
The light yellow sheets made her look extra tender, unlike her usual self. Evander sat beside the bed and gazed at her face.
She often wears a suit of armor to protect herself. However, sheâs fragile at heart. I want nothing but to protect her.
Evander recalled her expression when she was probing about the spokesperson contract and what happened afterward. A trace of warmth flitted across his eyes.
Oh, how time flies. Angeline barged into my life without warning and settled deep in my heart without me realizing it.
Angeline felt like she had been sleeping for over a century. Her body was thrown around helplessly, and she struggled to breathe as though she had fallen into the ocean. Despite her efforts to get ashore, she would be swept back into the sea when the shore was mere inches away from her.
In a daze, she sensed someone taking her temperature and tucking her in.
The sensation of someone caring for her felt warm, but she was still plagued by countless nightmares.
âDad, Mom, donât leave me,â she cried.
She had a flashback of the rainy night five years ago before she gave birth. Held captive in the village, she broke down after learning that her parents were involved in a car accident.
There wasnât any car in the village, so she had to walk all the way to the hospital in the city while holding her bulging stomach.
As the lightning flashed and thunder boomed, she couldnât hold on to her umbrella. It flew away, and she was drenched in the rain.
Overwhelmed by grief, she passed out on the streets. Fortunately, an elderly man saved her and brought her to the hospital, so her child was safe.
Alas, she didnât get to see her parents for one last time. When she regained consciousness, they had already been buried.
She rushed to the funeral, but Joseline refused to show her their parentsâ autopsy report or tell her about the details of the car accident. Instead, the Sorelle family called her a jinx.
Later, she nearly suffered from depression and moved to the countryside until she went into labor.
She had a difficult delivery that day, and she remembered sweating buckets from the anguish. Amidst the excruciating pain, she grabbed the nurseâs arm and pleaded, âPlease save my child.â
Soon, she finally gave birth to her baby. Hearing the babyâs cries, she felt as though a burden was lifted from her shoulders. She thought life was full of hope once again.
Alas, she had no idea the nurse would take away her baby when she didnât even get to see her face.
âN-No! Donât take away my baby!â she yelled in despair, flailing her arms about to grab the blanket that was used to wrap her baby in. However, she caught nothing but air.
It was a devastating feeling. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and woke up from her nightmare.
The noise from her nightmare faded away as she observed the room and gasped for air.
Slowly, she regained her senses and belatedly realized something. I was so engrossed in finding my babyâs whereabouts that I forgot about my parentsâ cause of death. Did they really die in a car accident?
As that thought struck her, Angeline felt her heart racing as cold sweat drenched her back.
âAre you okay?â
She was lost in her thoughts when a manâs deep voice rang out behind her.
Whipping her body around, she saw Evander in her bed. Scared out of her wits, she parted her lips and screamed out loud as her eyes turned as wide as saucers.
âWhy are you yelling?â Evander knitted his brows in displeasure.
âW-Why are you sleeping in my bed?â Angeline demanded as she gripped her blanket in fear.
Evander found her nervous reaction funny. âDonât worry. Iâm not a b*stard. Look at your clothes. They are still intact, right?â
Hearing that, Angeline calmed down and threw her blanket aside to see that she was still clad in the long dress she changed into after recording the show. No one had touched it.
She exhaled and relaxed.
âWhat happened to me?â She massaged her aching head as discomfort flared up within her body.
Evander got out of bed and got her a glass of water. âYou caught a fever and held my hand the whole night while talking in your sleep. Did you forget what you did?â
Angelineâs eyes went wide in confusion.
All I remember is feeling uncomfortable after jumping into the stream. I asked the director for a leave of absence and came back to my room to rest. Then, I fell asleep and slept for a long time. I had no idea Evander was the one who took care of me.
Angelineâs cheeks turned as red as a tomato. She wanted nothing more than the ground to open up and swallow her.
âIâm sorry for the trouble, Mr. Golding. I owe you a favor. I know you donât need anything, but if Golding Group needs me, I can shoot an advertisement for your company for free.â
She didnât have much to offer and could only do her best to make it up to him.
âAre you in such a hurry to distance yourself from me?â Evander questioned in a deep voice. His gaze was dark, and he seemed upset.
Angeline felt aggrieved to hear his accusing tone. Pursing her lips, she said sarcastically, âMr. Golding, didnât you remind me to stay away from the Golding family earlier? Have you changed your mind?â
Evanderâs sharp gaze landed on her as he replied without hesitation, âYes, Iâve changed my mind.â
âWhat?â Angeline gaped incredulously. She couldnât wrap her mind around his answer.
âI said, I take that back,â Evander explained patiently.
He then bent over to wrap her in his embrace.
Angeline stared at him in astonishment as her body stiffened.