Chapter 53 Simple Pursuit
Evelyn clenched her jaw and kept pacing around the room.
Finally, her eyes shifted toward the bathroom.
Because it was a suite, the bedroom itself had no windows.
But that didn’t mean the bathroom didn’t.
Finished
Southville was in the South, where the weather stayed damp almost all year. The air always felt sticky, like it carried drops of water.
That’s why most houses were built with a small bathroom window to keep the moisture from getting worse.
Thinking of this, Evelyn pushed the bathroom door open.
Sure enough, there was a small square window high on the wall.
It wasn’t very big, but if she squeezed, she could make it out.
No way was she staying here, letting Austin toy with her.
She had already said what she needed to say-whatever happened next was his problem.
As far as she was concerned, the smartest move was to get out.
She dragged the vanity stool over and began her little jailbreak.
Half her body was already out when she suddenly remembered something-Austin and his brother had been in the other room all this time, and neither of them had said a word.
They couldn’t just sit there, staring at each other in silence, could they?
Just picturing it almost made her laugh. What a scene! it would look like there was some kind
of romantic tension between them.
Shaking her head, she forced the ridiculous idea out of her mind and wriggled the rest of the way through.
She landed softly in the back alley behind the arcade. It was empty-perfect for slipping
away.
Meanwhile, in the outer room, the two men had heard the faint sound of her landing.
1/5
8:16 pm MMA
Chapter 53 Simple Pursuit
Philip, silent until now, finally spoke. “You’ve got someone in there with you?”
Finished
Austin raised an eyebrow, his deep-set eyes full of teasing. “Just a naughty kitten. You want to go take a look?”
Philip knew exactly who that kitten was, so he let it drop.
He said, “I’m heading back to the estate earlier next month; I’ll come here to pick you up.” That was the real reason he’d come.
Then, without waiting for a reply, he stood and headed toward the door.
The message was delivered-that was enough.
Austin stood too, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. “Why bother? You know I hate going back to the estate. It makes me sick. Philip, you’d be doing the world a favor if you let me skip it.”
“It’s not my idea,” Philip said flatly. “He asked for it. I’m just the messenger. Don’t waste your time trying to convince me.”
He didn’t have to say who he was. They both knew.
Philip’s gaze faltered, old painful memories flashing through his mind.
By the time he snapped back to the present, Philip was already out the door.
Austin stayed behind, his chest tight with unspent anger.
He glared at the coffee table for a long moment, then kicked it hard.
The glass top shattered into glittering pieces, scattering across the floor like a river of broken
tears.
That house had never been a home for him.
It took Evelyn a lot of effort to escape from the bathroom and wind her way through a narrow alley before finally stepping back onto the main street.
She couldn’t help but grumble to herself.
No wonder Austin had turned that place into a lounge. If someone ever had to flee through that bathroom, catching up to them afterward would be nearly impossible.
2/5
8:16 pm MMA
Chapter 53 Simple Pursuit
Just as the thought crossed her mind, a car horn sounded behind her.
She turned and saw Philip.
He was still in uniform, sharp and striking, so handsome it was hard to look away.
Finished
But today, the sparkle in his eyes was gone, replaced with a quiet heaviness, like the stillness of the deep sea.
“Philip, you don’t look too happy,” Evelyn said plainly.
She never wanted to play guessing games with him.
Philip raised a hand and gently tucked back the loose strands of hair that had slipped across her face from running.
His deep voice carried clearly to her ears. “Not too happy, no. But now that I’ve seen you—it’s better.”
To him, she was the cure. She could chase away every shadow.
Evelyn felt the tips of her ears grow warm.
How had she not realized in her past life just how smoothly he could flirt with her?
She opened her mouth to reply but noticed they weren’t far from the arcade.
It had been sometime, and Austin had likely realized she’d slipped away. If he came looking now, they might run into him.
“Do you have time? Can you drive me somewhere?” Evelyn asked.
Philip simply nodded and told her to get in.
They shared the ride, talking casually, until they pulled up in front of Jeremy’s house.
During her stay at Brookhaven Quarters, Evelyn hadn’t been able to visit him. She simply instructed Jeremy to rub some massage oil on his injured leg.
Now that she was back in town, she wanted to check whether he’d actually listened.
She knocked on the door, but no one answered.
“He probably stepped out,” Evelyn said with a small smile, pressing her lips together. “It’s my fault, really. I didn’t come at the usual time, so I missed him.”
3/5
8:16 pm
Chapter 53 Simple Pursuit
Finished
When she smiled, her little white teeth peeked out, making her look playful and sweet.
Philip, as always, was patient. If Jeremy wasn’t home, he would simply drive Evelyn back.
Just as they were about to leave, a raspy but excited voice called out from down the street. “Dr. Schmidt! You’re here! Quick, quick, come try the roasted chestnuts I just bought!”
Evelyn turned toward the voice and saw Jeremy hobbling as fast as he could on his cane, limping toward them with surprising energy.
She rushed over, heart pounding, and quickly grabbed hold of him. Taking the heavy bag of chestnuts from his arms, she scolded, “Jeremy, did you forget what I told you? Did I give you the permission to wander around? Your leg isn’t fully healed yet. If you pull something, it’ll be even harder to fix!”
Her words were sharp, but Jeremy only grinned, soaking it in as if it were music to his ears.
The three of them walked back inside together, and he finally explained himself. “This house is too small. I couldn’t even stretch out. So I thought I’d walk around the yard a little. Then a neighbor mentioned there was a guy selling roasted chestnuts out front. I figured I’d buy some, and of course, that’s when you caught me.”
He paused, then raised his hand like a boy making a promise. “I haven’t gone out before, not once. This was the first time.”
With that look on his face, he seemed more like a child than a grown man.
Evelyn couldn’t stay mad at him.
She crouched down to check his leg.
In just a few days, the muscle had filled back in, and the skin looked healthier, with a healthy flush of color. The circulation seemed to be almost fully restored.
From here on, it would just take steady massage and exercise. With time, he’d walk like anyone else-maybe even run.
Jeremy was thrilled. While Evelyn examined his leg, he cracked open a big pile of roasted chestnuts and shoved the whole plate into her hands. “Without your help, I’d probably still be sitting on the street selling popcorn. But now my life’s going to be different.”
“How different?” Evelyn asked.
Jeremy straightened his back, strutted a few steps around the living room, and declared loudly, “From now on, I’ll be able to stand while selling popcorn!”
4/5
8:16 pm M MA
Chapter 53 Simple Pursuit
Evelyn and Philip exchanged a look, both of them speechless.
After all the hard work to heal his leg, all he could think about was selling pop
48
B
Reborn for Love and Revenge
