Chapter 592 Failure
"Mr. Wellington, Mrs. Wellington, here we are. This is Anna May's home," Bart said while looking around nervously.
He also came from an educated family. Although he'd done plenty of tough jobs following Edward over the years, he'd rarely set foot in such harsh living conditions where ordinary people at the bottom struggled to survive. Coming here today without bodyguards made him inevitably tense.
However, Edward calmly got out of the car first.
It had rained earlier in the morning. The man stepped right into a muddy pothole, splashing dirt on his expensive, handmade leather shoes, but he didn't care at all.
"Mr. Wellington! Watch your step!" Bart quickly reminded him, but it was too late.
"It's fine," Edward said casually, his thin lips barely moving.
Just as Evelyn was about to get out, her vision suddenly shifted as she was lifted into the air. She let out a soft cry and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
Not wanting her clean shoes and pants to get dirty, the man had swept her up in a princess carry. His lips curved gently. "Why so nervous? When I'm holding you, how could you ever fall?"
"Well... you didn't give me any warning! You scared me!"
Evelyn lightly tapped his chest with her fist, seeing through his intentions. "Besides, it's just a puddle. I'm not that delicate. I went through plenty of hardships when I was abroad. I'm no hothouse flower."
"That was then. But now, you have me," Edward said as he slowly set her down, his arm supporting her slender waist.
"Bart, why did we take the long way to come to Anna's home first?"
Evelyn frowned in confusion. "The other girl's home seems closer. We could have gone there first and then come here. That would've been more convenient."
"Mrs. Wellington, that girl and her family refused to meet with you and Mr. Wellington," Bart said with a sigh, finding it hard to explain.
"What happened?" Edward's brow furrowed.
"No need to say more. I understand them."
Evelyn held his hand, her eyes soft yet steady. "We're not parents ourselves, so we can't truly understand their feelings. Right now, the victim must be very fragile mentally. Any disturbance would make them jumpy."
"Even though we mean well, our status is like a terrible threat to them. Plus, the Alexander family just pressured them recently. It makes sense that they can't accept us."
Edward's stern face grew thoughtful as he nodded.
Those ordinary parents, without prominent backgrounds or great wealth, couldn't imagine the Alexander family's power, let alone dare to oppose them.
They'd already used all their strength just to protect their child.
Thinking of this, the couple seemed to share the same thought, feeling a pang of sadness.
The three of them headed up to the top floor.
The peeling walls, garbage piled at the stairway corners, rude children running around wildly—every detail made Bart, a stickler for cleanliness, feel like his skin was crawling. He felt so uncomfortable, he wished he could float in mid-air, touching nothing.
"Hard to accept?"
Edward put his arm around Evelyn's shoulder, his expression calm and composed. "Before I returned to the Wellington family as a child, the slum where my mother and I lived had even worse conditions than here."
"No, Mr. Wellington... I..." Bart's heart jumped, feeling awkward and at a loss.
"Conditions don't matter. What's important is being with the people you love. Back then, wherever my mother was, that was my home. After she passed, no matter how luxurious Riverside Villa was, it wasn't my home. I actually miss those days more when my mother and I depended on each other."
Perhaps moved by the scene, Edward's deep eyes grew moist. His hand around Evelyn's waist tightened unconsciously, his voice low and hoarse. "Fortunately, now I have Evelyn. I finally have a home again."
Being powerful and commanding—what did any of that matter?
All he'd been desperately seeking was a simple, warm home with a loved one by his side. That was all.
Evelyn lifted her clear eyes, meeting his passionate gaze.
She understood him deeply. Everything was unspoken between them.
The three reached the top floor, walked through the narrow corridor, and came to the innermost apartment door.
Before they could knock, an old woman with a cane came hobbling up the stairs from below.
Seeing them dressed in fine black suits, the old woman seemed triggered, shaking with anger and pounding her cane on the ground. "You... you dare come back? Bullying them because they're just a mother and daughter with no man to stand up for them—you think you can do whatever you want? They already said they won't press charges. What more do you want? Are you trying to drive them to death?"
Edward and Evelyn exchanged glances, instantly understanding.
People from the Alexander family had come before to threaten Anna and her mother. They could easily imagine their bullying, arrogant behavior!
"No... ma'am, please calm down. We're not those people from before. We're here to help them!"
Bart hurried forward to explain, but she wouldn't listen at all. She swung her cane right at him!
"Get out! I'm not afraid of your threats! I'll fight you! I've watched Anna grow up since she was little... she's so good and kind. To me, she's like my own granddaughter! I won't let you bully her anymore... get out!"
The old woman was hysterical, ready to fight them to the death!
Bart couldn't dodge in time and got hit on the arm, making him gasp in pain.
Edward quickly stepped forward and caught the cane before the second strike could land.
"Edward! Don't hurt her!" Evelyn's heart jumped as she called out urgently.
"Ma'am, we mean no harm."
Edward slowly lowered his hand, his expression gentle and his eyes sincere. He spoke calmly, "We're here to help Ms. May. We're not with those people who came before. Please trust us."
The woman studied this handsome young man, then looked at the beautiful girl who'd been standing with him—so beautiful you couldn't look away.
The two of them looked well-matched and kind. They really didn't seem like those people from last time, who were full of hostility and bad intentions!
As the atmosphere grew tense, their door suddenly opened.
Evelyn was closest to the door and immediately met Anna's mother's eyes.
"Who... are you?" Anna's mother looked at her with both wariness and fear.
"Hello,"
Evelyn placed her hands together in front of her and bowed deeply, her tone gentle as water. "Please don't be afraid. We're not bad people, and we're definitely not from the Alexander Group.
We've learned about what happened to Anna. We're here for one reason only—to get her justice."
"You... want to get justice... for my daughter?" Anna's mother's haggard, pale face froze.
"Yes. To make the person who hurt her face the law and pay a heavy price." Evelyn's eyes were bright and determined, emphasizing each word.
Anna's mother's pupils dilated!
But the Alexander Group had put too much pressure on her. Days of fear made her still unable to relax her guard. "Who... exactly are you?"
"My name is... Evelyn." Evelyn suddenly hesitated, not knowing how to introduce herself.
No matter which identity she revealed, it would create too much pressure and distance for this poor mother and daughter.
"Evelyn?"
Anna's mother's temples immediately throbbed, her chest heaving violently, her face darkening. "You're that daughter of Hameen's richest family? You're the one... who fixed Randy's leg?"
Evelyn's heart tightened. "I..."
"You're on that devil's side! You were actually sent by him to hurt Anna, weren't you?"
"No! I..."
"You're not a good person either! Actually doing surgery for that bastard... you're helping evil! Get out! Stop harassing Anna!" Anna's mother glared with bloodshot eyes, shouting at Evelyn in anguish.
Just as she was about to slam the door, Evelyn panicked and quickly grabbed the door edge. "I really am here to help Anna! Please give me a moment to explain!"
The angry mother grabbed an open bag of laundry detergent from the windowsill and threw it right at Evelyn's face without a word!
Evelyn's forehead broke out in a fine sweat. She wanted to dodge, but it was too late!
Suddenly, her body was pulled away by a strong force, then surrounded by a steady, warm presence.
The arm around her waist was firm and powerful. She heard Edward's heavy, magnetic breathing by her ear!
Evelyn's heart was still racing when, the next second, there was a smack.
The bag of detergent hit the man squarely on the back of his head. White powder like snow scattered over his head, shoulders, and back. His black suit was instantly ruined, looking completely disheveled.
"Mr. Wellington! Are you alright?" Bart's face went nearly transparent with fear as he rushed over to check.
Evelyn's heart pounded like thunder. Her fingers trembled as she helped brush the detergent powder from his head, still shaken.
"I'm fine, as long as Mrs. Wellington is okay,"
Edward saw her panic and smiled slightly, catching her cold little hand and holding it tight. "Evelyn, you're scared? Your courage has gotten smaller."
"Fool! I'm worried about you!"
Evelyn felt both heartache and anger. She smacked his strong, firm chest hard. "You think I was thinking about myself?"
Thank goodness she only threw a bag of detergent.
What if it had been a pot, plate, or basin? What if it had been a brick? What if it had been a kitchen knife?
How could she not be afraid?
Edward's eyes crinkled warmly. Being loved and cared for by her, his heart felt like it was melting.
Just then, there was a loud bang behind them.
Anna's door slammed shut, hitting them with a cold gust of wind.
"Well, Mr. Wellington, Mrs. Wellington, looks like we're going home empty-handed today. She has absolutely no intention of talking with us," Bart said, extremely dejected and discouraged.
"Of all times, this is really unfortunate timing."
Evelyn rubbed her aching forehead with worry. "We actually had a good chance, but Calvin exposed that I did Randy's surgery ahead of time, tarnishing my image. Now in their eyes, I'm no different from the Alexander family."
Then she gave a self-mocking, bitter smile. "Ha... can't really call it tarnishing though. I really did do Randy's surgery. This time, I really did help the wrong side."
"Evelyn, don't say that,"
Edward wrapped his arms around her, his gaze full of warm comfort. "Medicine is a healing art; doctors have compassionate hearts. Your intention at the time was just to save lives. You couldn't consider all those other complications.
Besides, your families hadn't fallen out yet, and Randy's true nature hadn't been revealed. Your choice at that time was right in my view. Even if there are other voices now, you can't be blamed."
"That may be true, but what good does it do if only we know the real story? I don't care about having a good reputation, but without one now, pushing forward with our plan has become extremely difficult." Evelyn rested her forehead on the man's shoulder, her voice revealing frustration and disappointment.
"It's okay, we'll take it step by step."
Edward gently stroked her back, coaxing softly, "Don't lose heart. Stay positive. Let's go back first and think about whether there are any other ways forward."
...
With no other choice, the three returned to the villa.
By the time they got home, it was already evening.
The two got out of the car, hand in hand, about to enter when a gentle, timid voice called out behind them:
"Evelyn..."
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