CHAPTER 49: GONE

[Carter Mansion]

Evelyn woke with a heaviness in her chest that sleep had done nothing to soften.

The sunlight slipped through her curtains. It was soft and warm but she felt none of it.

Her mind kept replaying Alexander’s face. The disappointment in his eyes, the hurt he didn’t bother to hide and the way he turned and walked away before she had even found her voice.

She sat up slowly, hugging her knees to her chest.

He had asked her a question, a painful and vulnerable one.

And she froze, unable to explain herself. She failed to make him feel better and that was killing her since last night.

She didn’t freeze because she wanted Jack or she doubted what she felt. She froze because his tone had caught every breath in her throat.

And now he thought her silence was an answer.

Her heart squeezed painfully. But she wasn’t going to let it go.

She reached for her phone with her hands trembling slightly as she unlocked it.

She opened Alexander’s contact info and pressed the green button.

The line beeped once, twice, thrice and then the robotic voice made something inside her crack—

’The number you have dialled is either switched off or not reachable, please try again later’

She pulled the phone away, staring at it with disbelief.

He always answered and his phone was rarely switched off.

She tried again and the same response greeted her.

A shaky breath escaped her mixed with hurt and frustration.

"Really, Alexander?" she yelled.

She stood abruptly and started pacing the room.

"What does he think of himself?" she muttered under her breath.

He didn’t even give her a chance and now was trying to ghost her.

After a minute, she grabbed her coat and bag followed by her car keys.

If he wouldn’t answer her calls, she would talk to him face to face.

She headed downstairs where her parents were having breakfast.

Melissa looked up. "Evie? You are up early."

"I need to go out," she said quickly, trying to keep her voice steady.

"You have something to do?" Gregory asked, folding his newspaper.

Evelyn nodded too fast. "Yes. Something urgent came up."

Melissa frowned. "But you haven’t even eaten—"

"I’m not hungry," Evelyn said, forcing a small smile. "I’ll eat later."

"Evelyn—" Gregory stopped her. "Why was Alexander here last night?" he asked.

There were a few people who could enter the property without prior permission. Patricia and Alexander were one of them.

Why was Alexander included? Because Melissa insisted after she learnt about Evelyn and Alexander’s little dinner date.

But when his guards informed him about Alexander’s late night visit, he found it a little odd given what had happened earlier that day.

He wanted to ask Evelyn but was waiting for her to come down.

"Not now dad," Evelyn answered, rushing outside. "I will explain later."

Before either of them could probe further, she slipped out of the house.

.....

[OUTSIDE REID ENTERPRISE]

The city was already awake.

Cars honked in the distance, heels clicked against pavement and business suits moved in efficient lines across the plaza.

The morning rush outside Reid Enterprise was a sight. Employees dressed in formals surrounded the entrance. Some were running and some were chatting their way in with a morning coffee in their hand.

Evelyn stood still for a moment, staring up at the building as if it were a wall she needed to climb just to breathe again.

Then she inhaled deeply and marched toward the revolving doors.

She barely made it up the steps when someone called her out.

"Evelyn—"

Lucas quickly approached her with hastened steps. "Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked, surprised.

Evelyn blinked, startled and suddenly unsure how to speak. "I—I am looking for Alexander."

Lucas’s smile faded instantly. "Oh," he said softly. "So you don’t know?"

Her throat tightened. "Know what?"

Lucas hesitated just long enough for her stomach to twist painfully.

"Lucas," she whispered. "What are you talking about?"

"Evelyn, Alexander is not here."

She blinked. "Where is he then?"

"He left the country." Lucas said.

She stared blankly, not comprehending. "W–What do you mean?"

Lucas exhaled through his nose, rubbing the back of his neck. "He flew out early this morning for a business trip."

"Business trip?" she frowned.

"Yes, he called me in the morning and told me to drop by and help with something."

Evelyn stared past him at the tall building. He left without calling, texting or giving her a chance to explain.

Lucas watched her carefully. "I am guessing he didn’t tell you," he said softly.

Her laugh was small and broken. "His phone is switched off so I thought I would come here and talk to him but—

Lucas’s jaw ticked. "That idiot—"

She swallowed, blinking fast. "When will he be back?"

"Two weeks." Lucas hesitated. "Maybe more. He didn’t say."

Evelyn’s chest tightened painfully with a slow ache building beneath her ribs.

That was two weeks of silence and thinking he walked away because he believed she wanted Jack.

Lucas took a step closer, studying her face with concern.

"Evelyn, are you okay?"

She forced a small smile that was so unconvincing it physically hurt Lucas to look at.

"Yes," she whispered. "I am fine."

But she wasn’t, she wasn’t even close.

Lucas opened his mouth to say something more or maybe to comfort her but she stepped back.

"I should go," she said softly.

"Evelyn—"

"Please," she whispered. "Not right now."

She turned away before he could stop her and walked down the steps slowly

Lucas watched her go with his jaw clenched.

"Damn it, Alexander," he muttered under his breath as he took out his phone from his pocket. "You are such a dumbf*uck."

When he had talked to Alexander in the morning, he had understood that something wasn’t right. But when he tried to ask, Alexander just shut him off.

Lucas now regretted not pressing harder.

He tried calling his cell a number of times but it went straight to voice and that just increased his frustration.

He then left a tone of voice mail and dropped several messages telling him that he was an idiot and to call him as soon as his plane landed.

Meanwhile, Evelyn disappeared around the corner, her hands were shaking.

She had come here to fix things instead, she had learned he was already gone and now she was unsure what future, if there was one, held for them.

.....