CHAPTER 80: AN UNEXPECTED TEXT

Melissa looked up, surprised.

He rubbed his face tiredly. "Evelyn is our only child, our little girl and suddenly I felt like I was losing control over everything, especially her future and when Benjamin insulted her—" He closed his eyes and sighed, "Something snapped inside me."

His voice trembled for the first time in years.

"I only wanted to protect her and I went about it terribly."

Melissa’s eyes softened but she remained quiet, letting him speak.

Gregory took her hands and held them between his palms.

"When Margaret told me about the shares Evelyn was entitled to once she married into the Reid family, it felt like a shield, a weapon. Something that would give our daughter power in a house where I was afraid she might be looked down upon."

He looked at Melissa with raw honesty.

"I wasn’t thinking about manipulation or greed. I was thinking ’finally, something that ensures my child will never be treated as less.’"

Melissa’s throat tightened.

"I love our daughter," he whispered. "I want the best for her. She is the only child we were blessed with. Everything I do is for her."

Melissa blinked back tears. "Then why didn’t you tell me?"

"Because I was overwhelmed," he admitted. "And being an idiot."

Her lips twitched, not quite a smile yet but close.

Gregory leaned in, his voice gentle and coaxing now. "Come on, sweetheart. Don’t stay mad at me forever. You know I hate sleeping on that uncomfortable couch."

She finally cracked a tiny smile. "Maybe the couch will teach you a lesson."

"If you forgive me, I’ll buy you that designer bag you kept staring at last month," he grinned.

She narrowed her eyes. "You think you can bribe me with a handbag?"

"Absolutely," he said without shame. "And I will also take you shopping tomorrow. All day and no complaints."

Melissa let out a soft laugh.

Gregory beamed, scooted closer and kissed her forehead. "There she is. My wife, my sanity."

She shook her head at him. "You are impossible."

"But lovable," he added quickly.

She rolled her eyes but her smile had fully returned now.

Gregory relaxed for the first time in weeks.

After a few quiet moments, he asked, "Do you know when Evelyn will be home?"

"Alexander is dropping her," Melissa replied, leaning back slightly. "They must be on the way."

Melissa raised a brow but didn’t comment.

Gregory slipped an arm around her shoulders and said with a warm sigh, "Come on, love. Cheer up."

He squeezed her hand gently. "We have a wedding to plan."

....

[Alexander’s Car]

The night outside the window was soft, the city lights blurring into warm streaks as Alexander’s car rolled down the familiar road toward the Carter mansion.

Evelyn sat in the passenger seat with her hand resting loosely near the gear console.

Alexander’s fingers brushed hers every now and then with each shift and each curve of the road.

And each soft accidental touch made her heart warm.

They were talking about nothing and everything at once.

Evelyn was laughing about a story Patricia had told her earlier and Alexander was watching her more than the road by stealing glances with a softness that still caught her off guard.

"You are smiling too much," she teased lightly.

Alexander’s lips curved. "Am I not allowed to?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, you are but it’s distracting."

"Good," he murmured.

The air was filled with warmth and intimacy, the kind of quiet that made Evelyn feel like she was floating.

Just as she was about to speak again, her phone buzzed.

It was a message.

When she casually glanced down to see who it was from, she froze.

Her fingers went cold and the glow of the screen reflected in her wide eyes.

Alexander noticed instantly. "What is it?"

Evelyn didn’t answer immediately. She was staring at the message like it was something unreal.

Finally, she exhaled shakily and handed him the phone.

It was a message from Jack and Alexander read it.

Jack: Congratulations on the marriage. I genuinely wish you all the happiness in the world.

Take care of yourself, Eve.

The silence that followed was heavy, too heavy.

Evelyn felt his body go still beside her.

He passed the phone back calmly but she saw it, the shift behind his eyes and a flicker of something dark. It wasn’t jealousy but something deeper.

He faced the road again, jaw tight but he did not say a word.

Evelyn swallowed. "I—I didn’t expect him to message."

Alexander nodded once. "I know."

She glanced at him anxiously. "You are not upset?"

He took a deep steady and controlled breath and then said, "I trust you. What Jack does is irrelevant?"

It was a simple sentence but there was something clipped under it, something he wasn’t saying.

Evelyn heard it.

She hesitated with her phone in her hand. Then her thumb hovered for a while and she locked it, dropping it into her purse without replying.

And Alexander noticed. She didn’t need to say a word because her action alone eased something in him.

He relaxed but only slightly.

"You didn’t have to do that," he murmured.

"Yes, I did," she said softly. "I am not entertaining anything from him. Not anymore, not ever."

Alexander didn’t look at her right away but when he finally did, the tension in his eyes softened just a little.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Evelyn reached toward him, her fingers brushing his sleeve. "Hey, don’t overthink it, okay?"

Alexander gave her a faint, almost reluctant smile. "I am not overthinking."

"You are," she whispered knowingly.

He looked at her again but didn’t say anything.

The car rolled into the Carter driveway, headlights gliding over the familiar pavement but neither of them moved.

Evelyn broke the silence softly. "Alexander, whatever Jack says or does, it won’t change anything."

"Noted," he nodded.

She smiled and the tension in the air melted into something softer.

He leaned slightly toward her, not for a kiss this time, but close enough for her to feel his breath on her cheek.

"I will see you tomorrow," he murmured.

"Tomorrow," she whispered back.

She stepped out and he waited until she entered her house safely.

Only when the door closed behind her did Alexander finally lean back in his seat, exhaling slowly and letting the emotion he had held inside flicker across his face.

Something was wrong. Something about Jack’s message and the timing didn’t feel right.

He didn’t say it aloud but the thought settled in his mind like a cold shadow.

.....