Mr. Wellington had been halfway through his pursuit when he caught sight of Soren. Guilt pricked at him, and he ground to a halt. 

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Evangeline standing protectively behind Soren, an itch of longing gnawing at his insides, mingling with bitter regret. 

So close. He’d almost had her–just a little bit further and she would’ve been his. 

But no matter how much he resented this turn of events, there was no way he dared take another step forward now. 

He knew all too well what the situation between Evangeline and Soren was. He also knew Soren didn’t care for her–at least, not in any way that mattered. 

But dislike was one thing. She was still his wife. If Soren ever found out Mr. Wellington had tried to take advantage of her, he’d be a dead man. 

Quickly regaining his composure, Mr. Wellington pasted on a polite smile and addressed Soren in a falsely pleasant tone. “Mr. Fawkes, I have no idea who drugged Miss Whitmore, but out on the street she suddenly grabbed me, insisting I hold her. I was worried something might happen, so I thought it best to help her get settled first, then reach out to you.” 

“Now that you’re here, I can rest easy.” 

“I’ll just see myself out.” 

Without waiting to see whether Soren believed a word of it, Mr. Wellington made a hasty retreat, slipping out the door as fast as he could. 

Soren shot an unspoken look at Liam. 

He didn’t need to say a word; Liam immediately understood. Turning on his heel, he caught up to Mr. Wellington, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Not so fast, Mr. Wellington. After doing such a good deed, shouldn’t we at least show our appreciation?” 

“That’s really not necessary,” Mr. Wellington replied with a nervous chuckle, trying–and failing–to wriggle free. 

Liam simply grabbed the scruff of his neck and hauled him out of the hotel like a misbehaving pup. 

Once Liam was gone, Soren finally looked down at Evangeline, still clutching his sleeve in a death grip. 

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11:40 

Chapter 96 

She was nothing like the woman he remembered. Tonight, her dress was bold, almost flamboyant, and her makeup was flawless–utterly unlike the quiet, reserved Evangeline he’d known for years. 

A strange heat flared in Soren’s chest. 

All those years together, she’d always dressed so modestly. Now she refused to come back to the house, and on top of that, she was out here like this. What exactly was she trying to do? 

Irritating as it was, once his anger faded, Soren bent down and scooped her into his arms, turning to carry her outside. 

The front desk clerk, who’d been frozen in place by Soren’s good looks for several long seconds, finally snapped out of her daze after he’d left. Fumbling for her phone, she whispered excitedly, “Girl, you won’t believe what just happened…” 

Outside, Soren settled Evangeline in the back seat of his car. 

Liam returned a moment later, shaking out his sore hand and grumbling, “That guy’s built like a brick wall. I nearly broke my knuckles just clocking him once.” 

“But seriously, Soren, don’t you think this is just a little too convenient?” 

Mr. Wellington just happened to take Evangeline to a hotel, and Soren just happened to find them. 

As her husband, Soren obviously couldn’t leave her passed out on the street. If anything happened, it would be the Fawkes family’s reputation on the line. Even if nothing happened, if anyone recognized her, their name would be dragged through 

the mud all the same. 

So, Soren had no choice but to take her back to the house. 

When Liam first heard Evangeline had volunteered to leave the family estate, he’d thought she’d finally turned over a new leaf. But after all her talk of never coming back, here she was, using a stunt like this to force her way in. 

And that wasn’t even the biggest problem. The real issue was that if Soren brought her back like this, Poppy was bound to get the wrong idea. 

After all the trouble it took for Soren and Poppy to reconcile, this one incident could drive a wedge right between them. 

The more Liam thought about it, the more impressed he became. He almost 

wanted to give Evangeline a standing ovation. 

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. 

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11-40 

Chapter yo 

She was every bit as cunning as her mother. 

At this rate, how could Poppy possibly compete? 

Just as Soren reached for the driver’s side door, Liam blurted, “Soren, with her in this state, bringing her back to the house probably isn’t the best idea.” 

Soren paused, realizing the truth of it. 

Helena was at the house tonight. If Evangeline returned like this, it would only stir up unnecessary trouble. 

He might not care much for Evangeline, but he hated drama even more. 

The estate was out of the question. 

He’d have to take her back to her apartment. 

Evangeline stayed surprisingly quiet during the drive. Soren planned to settle her in and leave as soon as possible, but the moment he carried her inside, she threw up 

all over him. 

Soren, notorious for his obsessive cleanliness, was utterly horrified. 

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