Staring at what was unfolding before her, listening to her daughter''s words, Evelyn felt as if her heart was being shredded.

    Tears welled up, blurring everything around her.

    Luna was twisting the knife in her soul.

    The dizzying joy of getting her daughter back-

    Turns out, it was just fate ying a crueler joke.

    Her Charlie was alive again.

    But she didn''t recognize her as "Mom" anymore.

    Worse-she looked at Evelyn as if she was the scariest viin in the world.

    Charles hugged his daughter close, his big hand gently rubbing her back, trying to soothe her.

    He''d dreamed of feeling her lean on him like this again.

    But there was no happiness in his heart.

    It was obvious-whatever happened to Charlie had Luna''s fingerprints all over it. She did this to hurt Eve.

    To make Charlie turn away from her real mother, to drive a wedge between them, and to have Charlie call the one person Eve despised most "Mom."

    It was pure poison.

    Seeing the heartbreak on Evelyn''s face, Charles felt something in him crack.

    Charlie was Eve''s whole world. She''d raised her on her own, pouring every ounce of love she had into that child.

    Charlie meant more to her than life itself.

    How much pain could one heart take?

    Charles gently brushed back Charlie''s sweaty hair, his voice as soft as a whisper. “Charlie, sweetheart, you don''t have to be scared. She''s not a bad person—she''s your mom. She loves you more than anyone in the world."

    But Charlie shook her head, refusing to budge.

    "She''s not! She''s NOT! I only have one mommy and that''s Luna!"

    The more anyone tried to tell her otherwise, the more upset Charlie became.

    ...

    Evelyn looked at her daughter, shattered and trembling.

    She herself had just survived a brush with death.

    Her body was weak, barely able to handle such an emotional storm.

    It tore Evelyn apart.

    This was her baby-her heart, her everything.

    Charlie''s rejection was a pain she couldn''t put into words.

    She desperately wished Charlie would remember she was her real mom.

    She couldn''t stand the thought of letting Charlie out of her sight.

    But when she saw how much her presence upset Charlie, how there wasn''t even

    a flicker of recognition or eptance in her eyes-

    Her mother''s love was too deep for her to gamble with Charlie''s health.

    She was the reason Charlie was suffering right now.

    I.ne

    "Charlie, sweetheart, don''t get upset. Mommy will go, okay?" Evelyn''s voice trembled as she forced herself to step away, her eyes never teaving her daughter.

    She barely made it off the bed before stumbling straight into Andrew, who hade running.

    Andrew had barely gotten any sleep, but as soon as he heard Charlie was in trouble, he rushed over.

    He took in the scene, momentarily stunned.

    "Dr. Nelson..."

    Evelyn grabbed his arm like it was the only thing keeping her afloat.

    "Don''t worry. I''ll do my very best," Andrew promised.

    He didn''t know the full story, but for Charlie, he''d move mountains.

    Inside, with Andrew''s help, Charles carefully got Charlie settled back on

    him, refusing to let go, only a little calmer.

    the bed. Even then, she clung too

    Andrew gave Charlie a full check-up and found nothing physically wrong-she was just deeply distressed.

    Charlie stayed curled against

    ???

    Charles like a terrified little rabbit eyeing everyone else with suspicion, only rxing when Charles spoke to her in a low, gentle voice.

    Andrew took the blood sample and headed straight for theb, determined to

    figure out what was really wrong with Charlie.

    After a long while under Charles''s soothing touch, Charlie finally drifted off to sleep again.

    The moment he was sure she was resting, Charles wheeled himself to the door and pulled it open.

    Evelyn had been waiting outside the whole time. The second she heard the door, her eyes shot toward Charlie''s bed, hungry for a glimpse.

    She looked like she wanted nothing more than to run in, but she didn''t dare take a step.

    Charles''s heart ached at the sight. Without thinking, he reached out and took Evelyn''s hand.

    Her hand was ice-cold, and the feeling twisted something deep in his chest.