Chapter 72 A Liberating Moment

During that time, the novel was in the midst of its promotional period, and as the protagonist, Evelyn had no choice but to promote her work here. Surrounded by a group of reporters, she was dressed in heavy costumes under the scorching sun. After that promotion, Evelyn vividly remembered how she shed several layers of skin upon returning home.

She also remembered Étienne saying how much he admired her perseverance and determination. It was because of these qualities that she was able to go further on this path. If it weren't for Étienne's involvement in her life later on, Evelyn felt that she would not be in the state she was in now.

At least she wouldn't be a mother!

Because of this, an invisible responsibility had been added to her, but having a child accompany her during these years was truly a blessing.

"Evelyn?" Antonio looked at Evelyn, who was still lost in her memories. Luis walked up to her and said, "Mom!" It was only then that Evelyn fully snapped out of her trance. She looked at the two of them with blank eyes. "Huh? What's the matter?" She felt foolish and wondered why she still thought about those things.

Antonio said, "It's nothing. I just wanted to ask if you have any project ideas you'd like to pursue." Antonio restrained himself from mocking his own question. He had no idea what Evelyn was thinking. He believed it must be about those people she didn't want to mention but couldn't forget. Regardless, it had nothing to do with him, truly nothing.

Evelyn chuckled and replied, "I'm fine as long as it's not a high-altitude project."

Luis covered his mouth and laughed at Evelyn. "Haha, mom is scared of heights! She is timid!"

Evelyn remained silent and simply nodded in agreement with Luis's words.

Antonio looked at how Evelyn and her son interacted with each other and curled up his lips. "Evelyn, I would have never thought that you've been living a fulfilling life all these years!"

Evelyn raised her hand to ruffle Luis's hair and smiled. "For me, Luis is everything. Perhaps having him by my side all these years is what made my life so good."

"Have you ever considered... having a family?" Antonio wanted a family! He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't want to confess too soon. He didn't want to put Evelyn in a difficult position. It still wasn't the right time.

They arrived at the entrance of the amusement park, and only then did Evelyn breathe a sigh of relief. If it were any other amusement park, she would have truly lost her mind.

Evelyn always lacked courage.

The three of them wandered through the crowd, and Antonio somehow found a hat. As Evelyn put it on, she felt a sense of security. It wasn't that she was afraid of being recognized, but rather, she wanted to blend in with the crowd.

Evelyn had been somewhat afraid of crowds lately. She didn't know what psychological condition this was, but she felt very uncomfortable among people.

Someone had said to her once, "You've always been doing something difficult for yourself." It now seemed truly accurate. Evelyn realized that her thoughts had drifted again. She hated herself for this.

The three of them played a lot and experienced one amusement park attraction after another. By the time they were frolicking, it was already noon, and Luis was getting a bit tired. Antonio picked him up and held him in his arms. Luis lay on Antonio's shoulder, looking around with wide eyes.

Following Antonio, Evelyn squeezed through the crowd and finally got in the car. "No matter where you go, you can see crowds of people. It feels so good!" Evelyn sighed from the bottom of her heart without thinking too much.

When these words reached Antonio's ears, naturally, they carried something extra, but he still responded calmly, "That's true. The crowd makes it lively."

Amused by Antonio, Evelyn laughed, and without understanding why, Luis also laughed along.

For a while, the three of them laughed like this. Evelyn exchanged a glance with Antonio and felt that they were really strange people who found humor in odd places. Antonio coughed lightly and started the car. "Let's go eat. Luis, what do you want to eat?"

"I want to eat pizza!" Luis shouted.

Antonio turned back and smiled. "Pizza, huh? Alright, we'll go eat pizza!"

The car stopped in front of a seemingly low-key restaurant. It was a small space that was tastefully decorated. Everything looked good.

Luis looked around, glancing here and there, while Evelyn looked at him with eyes filled with love. Antonio sat down beside them and suddenly felt that this kind of life was simply the ideal state in one's lifetime.

Evelyn snapped back to reality and finally looked at Antonio. "Thank you." Her words were sincere. She was truly thankful for everything he had done, but all she could say was thank you.

Antonio smiled and didn't say anything. "I don't want her gratitude. I don't want her to thank me either. Those words have been suppressed for so many years. I couldn't say them before, and I can't say them now. It's truly sad," he thought.

Evelyn pretended not to notice his bitter smile. They ordered pizza and a few other dishes. Luis was really hungry now, but he sat at the table and waited for the food patiently. Antonio looked at Luis and Evelyn.

Sitting together, the mother and son looked truly alike in their gestures and charm. Noticing Antonio's prolonged gaze, Evelyn asked, "What's wrong? You're making us feel self-conscious."

Antonio pondered for a moment. "I think your genes are great. You've raised Luis so well." Upon hearing this compliment, her eyes were tinged with sadness. She knew that it was not easy to do it alone. She felt guilty for finding it difficult, but she also felt sorry for burdening the child. Hearing Antonio's praise, she was genuinely moved.

Evelyn looked at Luis and said, "It's all thanks to Luis being obedient." This child was truly different from others his age. He was very independent and required very little of her attention. As long as she was there with him, everything would be fine. He often sorted things out on his own. It was really effortless, but because of this, Evelyn felt even more guilty for not giving him a complete family.

"We haven't had a proper chat in a long time. Tell me everything that has made you sad or that you can't let go of. Whatever you want to say, I'll listen. Once we leave this room, I'll forget everything," Antonio said when he saw Evelyn momentarily lost in thought.

Evelyn felt helpless. "Actually, it's alright. It's just that giving birth to Luis was really painful for me. But everything is fine now." Evelyn casually brushed it off.

Only she knew the true story. Those times of great despair were something she never wanted to remember again, so she didn't want to bring them up or even mention them. Even though she couldn't forget, mentioning them was out of the question. Evelyn looked at Antonio and smiled. Antonio seemed much more cheerful, but he still didn't let his guard down.

Thankfully, the waiter brought the dishes just in time. Faced with a table full of delicious food, the awkwardness between the two dissipated.

Antonio watched Luis enjoying his meal nearby and suddenly felt his appetite increase. "Luis seems to love pizza. Have you been cooking for yourselves during these years abroad?"

Evelyn picked up some veggies and put them on Luis's plate. He immediately frowned. Evelyn's tone turned slightly strict. "You can't be picky. You promised me. Don't you remember?" Then she nodded and said, "Yes, I cooked everything myself. It's more satisfying this way."

Antonio looked at Evelyn and saw a gentle radiance. "I never expected you to be able to cook!" Antonio said, sounding genuinely surprised.

Evelyn was not pleased with his remark. "What's wrong with me cooking? Don't underestimate me," she said jokingly.

Luis, who was quietly eating beside them, looked up and said, "I like America."

Antonio asked him why, finding his statement rather nonsensical and hard to understand.

"Because she smiles a lot here. But back there, she smiled only when she saw me." Evelyn looked at Luis. Her heart trembled when he said those words.

Antonio felt a pang of sadness. Of course, he could imagine that Evelyn's life abroad was not easy, but hearing it directly from a child's mouth made his heart ache even more. He silently told himself, "I must take care of Evelyn. She is both strong and fragile."

After the meal, Antonio drove them home. When they got off the car, Luis was already asleep. Evelyn carried him and said goodbye to Antonio before going inside. Antonio watched them enter the building. He then smiled bitterly and drove off.

Vivian and Charles happened to pass by. Seeing Antonio's state, Vivian turned to Charles and said, "Antonio really likes Evelyn, but... it's a pity." They were on their way to have dinner with the Clark couple, but they hadn't told their parents about the pregnancy yet.

Charles was focused on driving and didn't respond to Vivian. After a while, Vivian also found it uninteresting and restrained herself, playing with the seat belt in her hands. Charles looked at her childish behavior and sighed.

Suddenly, Charles's phone rang loudly. He took it out from his pocket and glanced at it. Vivian leaned over, and when she saw Lena's name on the screen, her eyes widened, and she looked at Charles.

Charles answered the call calmly. "Hello."

It seemed like the person on the other end was crying. The heartbreaking sobs could make anyone feel distressed. Even Vivian felt sad. Charles, as always, maintained his cold tone and said, "What's the matter?" Vivian looked at Charles and whispered, "She's crying! She's really sad."

Charles only listened to the voice on the other end of the phone and replied intermittently. "Can you come pick me up at Don Company? All my assistants have left, and there are so many journalists here. I..." Charles probably understood what was going on. He turned to Vivian and asked, "What do you think?"

Lena understood immediately. Charles must be asking Vivian if it's okay. She didn't know they were together now.

Vivian was speechless. Charles was definitely doing this on purpose!

"Well, if it's inconvenient for you, forget it. I'll wait for my assistant a bit longer."

Charles observed Vivian calmly throughout the journey. He actually cared more than anyone else, and he couldn't stand seeing others in trouble. He wondered if his overly helpful nature was a good thing or a bad thing. Charles turned his head away, realizing he was overthinking.

Vivian pouted and said, "Why are you so eager to help? What do you want to achieve by doing this? Why do people come to you with their problems?" She continued to grumble incessantly. Was it because she brought a stray cat home and dirtied the carpet? She had used that as a lousy excuse to find someone who had compassion. Was she being pranked now?