Chapter 245
Seeing Soren’s face grow darker by the second, Macy’s heart sank even further.
Honestly, now that Evangeline wasn’t here, she could easily claim that, except for the fish, she’d cooked everything else herself. But she was terrified: what if Soren didn’t believe her and told her to whip something up right then? Her lie would unravel instantly.
She couldn’t figure out why Soren suddenly cared about such trivial matters. Still, her mind raced, desperately searching for a way to get herself off the hook.
She could say Evangeline insisted on cooking and that she was just the helper, or flip it around and claim Evangeline forbade her from entering the kitchen. Either way, with Evangeline gone, Soren was bound to believe whatever she said.
But before she could open her mouth, Soren’s voice cut through the air, cold and sharp. “Is that all p>
“That’s all! Only those were done by Miss Whitmore. I’ve handled everything else with the utmost care,” Macy replied, her tone firm and decisive.
Yet Soren caught the flicker of panic in her eyes.
He suddenly remembered the sunflower seed shells left scattered on the floor a few days ago, and the fruit peels piled up in the trash, never taken out.
A furious, mirthless smile tugged at his lips. “If that’s the case, I’ll have someone pull up the security footage from the house. Let’s see just how seriously you’ve been working, Macy p>
“Security footage?” Macy’s face drained of color, sweat instantly breaking out on her forehead.
She had no idea there were cameras in the house.
Soren seemed to read her mind and let out a cold snort. “Two years ago, someone broke in. Evangeline was scared, so she had cameras installed. They were meant for protection, not for this sort of thing-but looks like they’ll come in handy today p>
At that, Macy’s composure completely shattered.
She’d heard about the break-in, but never realized Evangeline had gone so far as to install surveillance. If all Soren discovered was her laziness, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. The real problem was all the things she’d smuggled out of the house behind his back.
If he found out about that p>
A shiver ran down her spine. In a panic, she clung desperately to the hem of Soren’s trousers, bursting into sobs. “I’m sorry, Mr. Fawkes! I swear I’ll never do it again p>
She choked on her tears, confessing everything in a rush. “It’s true-Miss Whitmore’s been managing the house all these years, but it was Mrs. Fawkes’s orders! I was just following instructions p>
Sure, she’d wanted to slack off, but the main reason was Helena’s support. Years ago, Helena had told her to let Evangeline toughen up a bit, and with that blessing, Macy had dared to take things easy. Without Helena’s say-so, she wouldn’t have had the nerve, not in a million years.
Macy sobbed harder, spilling every secret to Soren.
A pounding ache throbbed in Soren’s temples. He clenched his jaw so tightly his ears rang.
“Get out,” he said at last, voice guttural with rage as he pointed toward the door. The anger radiating from him made him seem almost dangerous.
Macy froze for a split second, then scrambled away, tripping over herself in her haste to escape.
Soren dropped onto the sofa, feeling as if his entire body had been drained of strength.
That old, suffocating fear crept over him again, squeezing his chest so tightly he could barely breathe.
No wonder Evangeline never wanted to come back.
No wonder she was so desperate to cut ties.
He knew he’d been distant, especially after everything with Poppy. Maybe he’d neglected her emotionally, but at least he’d always thought he’d provided for her materially.
But now?
The accident.
The baby.
Money for daily living.
Even the housework-he’d turned a blind eye and left her shouldering it all.
And his mother p>
Soren rubbed his brow, feeling as if a heavy weight pressed against his chest. He’d never realized how much Evangeline had endured in silence.