Chapter 203 Identifying the Culprit
'Edward's still outside? What's he up to? Trying to trick me? Does he think I'm that gullible?' Evelyn fumed, turning to head back to her room but stopped after a few steps.
'It's not summer rain anymore. It's late autumn in Mugden, and it can freeze at night. Edward's been out there for hours in thin clothes. If he stays, he might freeze to death. Then I'd have to deal with the police. What a hassle!' With that thought, Evelyn rushed back to her room to call Edward, but his phone was off, leaving her puzzled.
His stunt didn't earn her sympathy but piqued her curiosity. She grabbed a big black umbrella and headed to the door.
When Edward saw her coming, he thought he was hallucinating from standing in the rain too long. It wasn't until she stood in front of him that he realized she was real, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.
"What do you want? When will you stop?" Evelyn's voice was sharp.
"Aren't you cold in those clothes?" Edward asked calmly, his hands trembling as he tried to take off his soaked coat for her but stopped awkwardly.
"Why is your phone off?" Evelyn demanded.
"Dead battery," Edward replied honestly.
"If I hadn't come out, were you planning to stand here all night?" she asked.
"Yes, I have something to tell you," he answered.
Evelyn laughed angrily. "Edward, why do you always do things that make me despise you? Can't you come up with something better than a trick? You're the president of the Wellington Group, not some rogue."
"Any means necessary, as long as I can see you," Edward's voice was cool, but his eyes were bright.
Evelyn's anger made her chest heave, catching Edward's attention. But he was a gentleman and a disciplined former soldier.
"Didn't sleep well tonight?" he asked.
"What?"
"I remember you never used to get up at night, always slept until morning," Edward said.
Evelyn's heart trembled, gripping the umbrella handle tighter. She thought back to when they first got married and shared a bed for about half a year. Edward always gave her his back, keeping a distance. She knew he was a light sleeper but didn't realize he noticed her habits.
"Didn't you say you had something to say? Hurry up. It's cold!" Evelyn shivered.
"In the car." Edward took the umbrella, opened the car door, and pushed her inside without a word.
Inside, the air was damp. In the dim light, Evelyn noticed Edward's pale, trembling lips and his hands turning purple from the cold. She pursed her lips as he wrapped a blanket around her.
"I found out who's behind it. It's a woman named Dorothy, Mike's daughter. She's seeking revenge."
Evelyn looked up in shock. "You came just to tell me this?"
"Yes. But not entirely," Edward's voice trembled slightly. "I wanted to see if you were emotionally affected by this."
With no need to pretend in front of Edward since she no longer loved him, Evelyn laughed out loud. "You think something so trivial would upset me? The daughter of the Taylor family isn't that easily defeated. You underestimate me."
"That's good," Edward said, a hint of relief in his eyes.
"Why did you really come to tell me this?" Evelyn asked, finding him increasingly strange but never considering that Edward might have fallen for her.
'For three years, I gave him countless chances to fall in love with me. He couldn't be moved now, could he?' she thought.
"Evelyn, I owe you. Our three-year marriage was in name only, and I wasn't good to you," Edward said hoarsely. "So, if there's a chance, I still hope to make it up to you."
"If that's the case," Evelyn said, her deep eyes cold as a cave. "Just promise me. From now on, don't appear in front of me unless necessary and don't meddle in my affairs. That's it."
Edward frowned, his heart aching as if being twisted by a knife, almost unable to beat.
Evelyn took off the blanket, glaring coldly at him. "And don't ever talk about making it up to me again. I'd rather you say it's to fight Debra; that I'd be more willing to listen to."
Watching Evelyn quickly enter the villa through the wind and rain, his chest felt empty, filled with the bleakness of the storm outside. Deep down, he still foolishly hoped that she had some lingering feelings for him. Unwilling to give in, yet he was powerless.
'Was this the mindset Evelyn had during those three painful years, loving me with difficulty?' Edward thought.
Evelyn returned to the villa, leaning against the door and taking several deep breaths to calm her emotions. Hearing the faint roar of a sports car engine outside, Evelyn knew he had left and slowly walked to the bed, looking out the window.
At that moment, a pair of warm hands rested heavily on her shoulders. She panicked at first, then smiled bitterly. "Landon, you scared me. How do you walk so quietly?"
"It's not that I walk quietly, but that you were too focused," Landon sighed, wrapping his arm around Evelyn's shoulder, standing with her by the window. "He's gone?"
"Sorry, Landon, for disturbing your rest," Evelyn said, shyly lowering her long lashes and leaning on Landon's broad shoulder. "Just now, Edward came to tell me that he also found out about Dorothy."
"Oh? Just that?" Landon asked.
"Just that," she answered.
They fell into a tacit silence. After a while, Landon squeezed Evelyn's shoulder, smiling slightly. "If Edward fell in love with you—"
"Landon!" Evelyn frowned, her tone reproachful.
"I mean, if Edward fell in love with you, willing to give, sacrifice, Evelyn, would you give him another chance?" Landon looked at her seriously. "After all, he's the man you loved with all your youth."
"No," Evelyn's firm answer carried a hint of bitter pain. "Landon, at this point, it's not about forgiveness. I'm scared that I have suffered enough from love because of lingering too long between disappointment and hope. I don't want to be emotionally tied to his moods anymore, don't want to stay up all night waiting for him, and don't want to cook a nice meal only to get no praise. Landon, I'm so tired. I don't want to go through those days again."
"You're right. Edward treated you that way. He doesn't deserve to regret it," Landon said, holding Evelyn's cold hand tightly and sighing with pain. "He's not worthy of you. If he regrets, he should regret it for a lifetime."
