Chapter 633
While Charles stood there frowning, lost in thought, Evelyn wriggled out of his arms, stumbling as she got to her feet.
“Eve…”
Charles quickly followed, getting up as well.
“I won’t scare Charlie.”
Evelyn’s voice was rough, almost a whisper.
She didn’t look at Charles-not even a glance. Her eyes were locked on Charlie,
who was getting farther and farther away with every second.
Leaving that one sentence behind, Evelyn hurried after her daughter.
Charles had told her that Charlie’s health wasn’t great, so Evelyn was scared to get too close and risk upsetting her. She hung back, keeping her distance, trailing behind like a shadow.
Charles followed, his strides long and anxious.
All the way, Evelyn couldn’t take her eyes off Charlie, not even for a heartbeat. She didn’t care where she was stepping.
Charles stayed right beside her, just in case.
They kept this careful, aching distance as they left the mall, watching as Charlie climbed into the car waiting for Luna.
The car pulled away, rolling into traffic.
Knowing how crushed Evelyn must feel, Charles tried to soothe her, his voice low and gentle. “Eve, wait a second.”
He pulled out his phone, calling the bodyguard to bring the car around so they could follow.
But Evelyn barely heard him. All her attention was fixed on Luna’s car, her world shrinking to that one spot.
While Charles made the call, Evelyn took off after the car on foot, just hoping for one more glimpse-even a split second would be enough.
In the backseat, Charlie leaned quietly against Luna.
She hadn’t looked back once, but she could feel it-the woman who claimed to be her mother was still following her.
That gaze was impossible to ignore, heavy and intense. It made Charlie feel wanted in a way that almost hurt.
Finally, Charlie couldn’t help herself. She peeked out the back window.
Ever since they left the mall, that woman-her-so-called mother-had been staring at her with a look Charlie couldn’t help but like. Every move every word was filled with a kind of love Charlie hadn’t known in years.
But if she loved her so much, why had she sent her away to another country? Why let her suffer alone?
If it weren’t for Luna, she would have died long ago.
It’s all fake, Charlie told herself.
Just another performance to fool her.
The only one who truly cared was Luna.
Charlie pulled away from the window, curling up tighter against Luna’s side.
…
Luna ran her hand over Charlie’s hair, then glanced back at Evelyn, still chasing after their car.
Like she was toying with a stray dog, Luna kept the car crawling forward, slow enough that Evelyn could almost keep up.
Once Luna spotted the steps ahead, she shot the driver a look, and the car sped
up.
Evelyn, desperate to keep up,
quickened her pace too. But with her
eyes locked on the car, she never saw the step-her foot slipped, and
she pitched forward, about to
tumble down the stairs.
If she didn’t break an arm, she’d at least come away battered.
Let’s see her try to compete after that, Luna thought.
Just as Luna expected, Evelyn missed the step entirely. But before Luna could even smirk, she saw Charles leap forward, moving faster than seemed possible.
He cut through the air like an arrow, and just as Evelyn lost her balance, his arms locked tight around her waist.
With every bit of strength he had, he yanked her back into his embrace, twisting so his broad back took the full force as they crashed and rolled down the stairs-shielding her from every blow.
“Ugh!”
The dull thud of bodies hitting stone mixed with Charles’s stifled groan of pain.
The moment they stopped rolling, Charles didn’t even hesitate-ignoring the pain in his arms and back, he gently pushed Evelyn just far enough away to see her face.
His hands trembled, but he quickly brushed her forehead, her cheeks, her arms, her back—checking, desperate to make sure she was all right.