Chapter 51: Chapter 57

Angeline blushed as she pulled on the undergarments and dress.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Angeline caught sight of Floretta’s sleeping form on the bed.

She could not help walking over to the little girl.

Floretta’s eyelids were twitching in her sleep. Angeline reached out to wrap the blanket tight around the girl. Then, she ran her fingers along Floretta’s forehead, smoothing down her hair and tucking stray strands behind her ears.

Angeline twisted on her heel and was about to leave quietly when Floretta’s sleepy voice called out, “Angel…”

Angeline thought that she had woken up the girl and quickly swiveled back to check on her.

However, Floretta’s eyes were still tightly shut. She was tossing about the bed restlessly, her little arms waving about as if she was reaching out for something. “Angel, don’t go! Hug me…”

Angeline’s heart melted at the sight. She wondered whether she should climb into the bed next to the little girl.

At that moment, a deep male voice said, “Just sleep here tonight.”

Angeline turned to look at Evander, who was walking slowly toward her from the door. Surprised by his words, she asked carefully, “Aren’t you afraid I might do something to Floretta?”

Evander slipped his hands into his pockets casually. He smelled faintly of tobacco.

“You wouldn’t dare to do anything under my watch,” Evander retorted arrogantly with a smirk.

Angeline did not reply. She gently sat down on the bed and pulled Floretta into her lap. “Don’t be afraid.

I’m here,” she whispered to the girl, patting her shoulders lovingly.

Floretta clung onto Angeline’s shirt and buried her face in the woman’s chest. She sniffled for a while before falling back into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Angeline leaned back against the headboard. She let her eyelids slowly shut, but her hands never stopped patting the girl.

After the eventful day, her exhaustion was finally catching up to her.

In her sleepy state, she felt someone taking Floretta away from her lap. Then, she felt a hand gingerly touching the wound on her thigh.

The hand left behind an icy-cold sensation that brought relief to her pain. Angeline wanted more of the cooling feeling.

She opened her eyes and was stunned to see Evander looking back at her.

He was sitting uncomfortably close to her bare legs. The situation felt wrong no matter how Angeline tried to look at it.

“Mr. Golding, w-what are you doing?”

“Applying some medication. Sit still,” Evander replied simply, gesturing at the first aid kit laying open next to him.

Applying medication? Why is doing that for me himself?

Angeline snapped out of her sleepy haze immediately. Her eyes widened in shock as she finally wrapped her mind around what was happening. “Please don’t trouble yourself, Mr. Golding. I’ll do it myself.”

“Stop moving. Just sit still,” Evander commanded in a low voice.

His eyes, as always, were icy-cold and stern.

Angeline bit her lip helplessly and willed herself to sit still. She watched as he rubbed a cotton bud in medicated cream and gently dabbed at the wound on her thigh with it.

“The doctor says this cream will ensure that no scar remains, so you don’t have to worry about that,”

Evander explained as he smeared the cream on. “I’m only doing this because you saved Floretta. I don’t like owing anyone favors. Besides, I know you really want to get out of jail.”

Angeline’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean by that, Mr. Golding?”

“I can make sure that the charges against you are dropped. We can forget about what happened in the freezer room,” Evander replied casually.

Angeline stared at Evander’s indifferent expression. Her face paled. “Mr. Golding, are you rich and powerful people always like this? Deciding on someone’s fate at your whim and fancy?”

Evander met Angeline’s eyes with an icy stare of his own. He thought that she was playing games with him. After all, he had seen this sort of drama play out with plenty of other women.

However, Angeline’s face unexpectedly cracked into a smile. “I really want to accept your help, but if we just pretend the freezer room fiasco didn’t happen, you’ll take away my ambassadorship, won’t you?”

Her straightforwardness took Evander by surprise.

Well, she’s right! How can I continue to allow Floretta to be around someone who might hurt her again?

Angeline might not just lose her ambassadorship; her entire career in the entertainment industry might come to a premature end.

“That’s why—” Angeline pressed her hands into the bed and leaned toward Evander, her eyes staring earnestly into his, “—even if you withdraw this lawsuit, I will still fight to the end for my innocence. I must clear my name!”

Fight to the end…

Evander studied Angeline through narrowed eyes.

Such bold words! I would call her brave if she actually had anything to back up those words, but she has nothing! Where does her courage to say those words even come from?

After Evander was done applying the medicated cream, Angeline stretched luxuriously and squeezed in next to Floretta. Then, she wrapped her arms around the girl and fell asleep as if nothing had happened.

Evander, on the other hand, was still wide awake. He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing into the distant mountains. His face, like the mountains, was draped in an icy mist.

The mist seemed to be morphing as if something was growing beneath it. The man’s eyes slowly shifted to the figure of the woman sleeping on the bed.

Angeline had a very deep sleep that night.

A tickling sensation on the tip of her nose disturbed her. She reached out and batted at the air with her hand. “Go away, bug!” she shouted, still half-asleep.

Then, she heard the sound of a stifled giggle. Just as Floretta was about to tickle Angeline’s nose again, Angeline suddenly turned around and enveloped the girl in an embrace.

“Floretta, are you being naughty again? I’ll show you what happens to naughty little girls!”

“Angel, please, don’t tickle me! I’m very ticklish! I’m sorry!”

Angeline wiggled her fingers in Floretta’s armpits, inducing peals of involuntary laughter. The two of them rolled around the bed, wrestling and giggling.

Evander had just returned from buying breakfast. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, bathing the room in warmth and light. It was a beautiful morning.

However, when he caught sight of the tussle between the woman and the girl, his eyes darkened with disapproval. How is it possible for a grown woman to get into a fight with a child?

“It’s time for breakfast.” His commanding voice rang loudly through the room.

Only then did Angeline notice Evander’s presence. She quickly pulled Floretta upright, and the two of them immediately sat up primly.

“Let me help you,” Angeline offered, reaching out to grab the bags of food from Evander’s hands.

Evander, who was used to being waited on, did not protest and simply handed the food over to her.

Then, he went to sit next to Floretta. He slung his arm casually along the back of the couch.

“How are you? Do you feel any pain anywhere on your body?”

“No,” Floretta replied, shaking her head. She turned to face her father, an excited sparkle in her eyes as she asked, “Daddy, can I go to the park with Angel later?”

Evander could not help glancing at Angeline after hearing his daughter’s request.

Angeline had also been looking at him, and their gazes met. Panic flashed in her eyes before she quickly looked away.