Chapter 271

“Dahlia, I’ve got this. You can’t go looking for Eve.” Charles’s tone was firm,
leaving no room for debate. He had finally pieced everything together and realized why Evelyn was so adamant that Dahlia was to blame for Charlie’s death. Evelyn’s hatred ran deep, and Dahlia showing up would only make things worse. Most importantly, he couldn’t let Evelyn discover that he was the one responsible for Charlie’s death. If she ever found out… Evelyn would never forgive him.
“Charles, ever since I found out about Charlie, I haven’t had a moment’s peace. I feel so guilty and want to make it right with Evelyn.” Charles’ face darkened at the mention of making amends. “I’ll make it up to her,” he promised.
“Charles, how do you plan to do that? Is there anything I can help with?” Dahlia was eager, genuinely wanting to make things right. Charles replied softly, “I’ll marry her and give her the rightful place she deserves.”
The sudden declaration left Dahlia stunned, her tears forgotten. The words “What about me?” lingered in her throat. She gazed at Charles with eyes full of unshed tears. For a moment, she couldn’t tell if Charles was genuinely remorseful for indirectly causing Charlie’s death or if he had always wanted this and was just waiting for the right moment to act on it. Maybe he had been holding back because of his promises to himself. Today seemed like the perfect chance to let it all out.
At that moment, she couldn’t even bring herself to question him. Charles walked away with a simple “I’m sorry,” which spoke volumes of his resolve. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision; he truly intended to break his promise to her for Evelyn’s sake, dedicating his life to making amends. Dahlia never expected things to turn out this way. Watching Charles leave, her tear-streaked eyes were filled with anguish.
Over at Maple Garden, Evelyn called Brooks to check on his recovery. Brooks mentioned he didn’t have much of an appetite. Remembering the meals she had prepared for which he had enjoyed, Evelyn
decided to whip up something el
bring it over. Brooks suggested,
“How about I come to your place for dinner?” It dawned on Evelyn that Brooks’s lack of appetite was his way of wanting to spend time with her. She didn’t say no.
Brooks had the food delivered to Evelyn’s place, and by the time it arrived, he was there too. Evelyn told him to relax on the sofa, but Brooks joined her in the kitchen. She
expected someone with his
background to be clueless in the kitchen, but to her surprise, he was quite skilled. Together, they made dinner, chatting as they cooked. After they finished eating and tidying up, it was nearly 9 PM. Brooks didn’t linger and soon left.
As Evelyn closed the door, ready for a relaxing shower, there was a knock. Assuming Brooks had forgotten something, she opened the door, “Did you leave something behind?” To her surprise, Charles stood at the doorstep. Evelyn’s smile vanished. Without a second thought, she moved to shut the door, but Charles stopped it, “Eve, I need to talk to you.”
“Get lost!” Evelyn snapped. Ever since he refused to help her investigate Dahlia,
she had no interest in wasting words on him.
“Eve, please hear me out. I really want to make things right. Let’s start over; we can have another child…”