Chapter 146 Gave Everything Away, Without Reservation
"Edward, is this just bad luck or what?" William asked.
"Evelyn inside?" Edward frowned.
Hearing Evelyn's name, Nicole felt a chill and her heart tightened.
"What's the problem?" William sneered. "It's not your property."
"Edward's just asking!" Bart snapped.
"Just asking? I can't even listen to this," William said with contempt.
"You!" Bart shouted angrily.
"Enough, Bart," Edward scolded, then asked coldly, "What's Evelyn doing here?"
William glanced mockingly at Nicole, raising an eyebrow. "Whatever you are here for, Evelyn's here for the same."
Edward's expression darkened.
'So, Evelyn's interested in the rose garden too. But this time, I won't let her win!'
Evelyn had already lifted her skirt, stepping into the rose bushes, lively and vibrant under the sunset.
She squatted in the muddy flowerbed, using her delicate hands to knead the soil, carefully observing the rose stems and petals, taking photos and making notes on her phone.
Other girls came to enjoy the scenery and take pictures. Evelyn, though, was all business. No one would guess that such a beautiful lady was so pragmatic, focused solely on her career. Ambitious Evelyn, how adorable.
Gilbert stood patiently outside, waiting for Evelyn.
His eyes softened with a tender smile, murmuring to himself, "Evelyn, you're still the same as when you were a child. That's wonderful."
Just then, a call from Curtis interrupted his thoughts.
Gilbert's expression turned serious as he answered, "What is it?"
"Mr. Alexander, Edward is here," Curtis said quietly. "Someone from the Wellington family contacted me about a partnership for the rose estate. As you instructed, I didn't give them a definite answer. I didn't expect them to act so quickly, bringing people to inspect the project today. They really want to collaborate."
Gilbert stared at the busy Evelyn, his voice deep. "Besides the Wellington family, who else is here?"
"Edward even brought his fiancée. Their relationship must be really close," Curtis said, his tone full of irony.
Evelyn, surrounded by roses, was unaware of all this.
'Evelyn, is this the man you once loved? The man you hid your identity for, married beneath your station, just to stay by his side for three years? Evelyn, you were so foolish.'
Gilbert's heart burned with anger, his cold lips curling. "Is everything I asked for ready?"
"Yes, Mr. Alexander!" Curtis responded quickly.
"Bring it over, and have someone lead the Wellington family this way," Gilbert adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, a subtle cold smile flashing in his eyes.
Evelyn had been squatting for too long, her back aching, so she slowly stood up from the flowers, wiping the sweat from her brow.
When Evelyn got into something she loved, she lost track of time and space.
Suddenly, she remembered Gilbert was still waiting.
She turned quickly and saw him standing there with a basket of elegant pink flowers.
"Evelyn," Gilbert called out, walking towards her.
"Hey, don't come in! You'll get dirty!" Evelyn hurriedly stopped him, seeing how cleanly he was dressed.
But Gilbert didn't care, walking straight through the thorny bushes to reach her.
Evelyn bit her lip, feeling a bit shy.
"Evelyn, this is for you," Gilbert said, his deep eyes reflecting the soft evening light as he presented the basket.
"Gilbert, thank you, but I can't accept these flowers," Evelyn smiled gently, declining.
'Though it's just a basket of flowers, they're roses, with an ambiguous meaning, making it inappropriate for me to accept.'
Gilbert had anticipated her refusal, so he changed his approach, smiling, "Flowers for a beauty, that's one reason. More importantly, I saw you were very interested in the roses I planted, so I wanted to give you a basket to take home and study. You can transplant them with the soil to your garden and take care of them, and they'll keep blooming."
With that, Evelyn had no reason to refuse. She hesitated for a moment, then took the basket, "Thank you."
Gilbert suddenly leaned closer, his brows furrowing.
His handsome face grew larger in Evelyn's startled eyes, her breath catching, her long lashes fluttering.
"Gilbert, what's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
"Yes," Gilbert nodded seriously.
"Where?" Evelyn asked, confused, wiping her face, only to smear more dirt on her cheek.
Now, she looked like a complete mess.
Gilbert's eyes were full of affection as he took out a white silk handkerchief, naturally wiping the dirt from her face and forehead.
He moved so quickly that Evelyn only snapped out of her daze and returned to her senses, flustered, "I can do it myself."
"It's okay. Already clean," Gilbert said, looking deeply into her eyes as he swiftly withdrew his hand.
Gilbert was always like this, stopping just at the right moment when she felt their interaction was too intimate.
At that moment, footsteps approached.
Evelyn looked up suddenly, then froze.
A few steps away, Edward stood there, cold and imposing, neither excited nor angry, but his eyes burned with a hidden intensity.
Just now, Edward had seen everything between Evelyn and Gilbert, his fists clenched tightly under his refined sleeves, veins throbbing at his temples!
He watched as Evelyn accepted the roses from Gilbert, as she smiled brightly at Gilbert, as Gilbert gently wiped the dirt from her face. They were so in sync and intimate, like a couple deeply in love.
Edward's back was rigid, his head aching. He thought, 'So, Evelyn isn't here to sabotage the project, but to enjoy the flowers with Gilbert.'
But he would rather Evelyn came to fight, to compete, to torment him, and he would willingly give everything to her. Rather than see everything that once belonged to him, Evelyn now gave to Gilbert without reservation.
