Chapter 109

[Evelyn’s POV]

I had a feeling in my stomach that Alexander wasn’t planning on heading to his office to continue working. There was a certain glint in his eyes that begged the question as to what he was really up to.

Then again, that brought on a whole other feeling I wasn’t prepared to deal with. So, I ultimately decided to let it go.

Nina had caught up with me as I was making my way back to the bedroom.

“Evelyn, why don’t you come by Wendy’s room and sit down with us for some tea?” she asked.

The last twenty-four hours had felt like a complete shit-show and I wasn't entirely sure what to make of most of it. A big part of me wanted to crawl back to bed and shut out of the world for a little longer.

There was just too much for my mind to work through, I had no idea where to begin. Not to mention—my emotions were terribly scattered.

I didn’t know if I wanted to scream or laugh. Did I want to cry from the anger or jump with joy? I felt betrayed and used all the while feeling valued and deeply wanted.

Yes, I found myself battling all of it. It was too much.

However, the other side of me was looking to shove all of it down and find a way to get back to the house so I could check in on Edward. As much as I trusted Oliver to properly look after the safety of my brother, I still didn't feel right leaving him behind.

I actually considered confronting Alexander about the possibility of, maybe, returning if only for a few hours. But I was fairly certain that I was going to be met with an immediate refusal.

I could just imagine what he would say in response.

“Have you lost your friggin’ mind?! You want to go back to the house where you were drugged and nearly taken advantage of?! NO! That is completely out of the question.”

Even though I hadn’t gotten the actual chance to ask him, I knew that the answer would have been no. And, really, who could blame him?

Now that I knew Michael wasn’t going to be an issue, my only other obstacle would just have been Isabella. Amazingly enough, I was quick to uncover that when it came to her, my emotions weren’t as confused. I hated her. I wanted her to pay for what she’d done to me and what she tried to do to Edward.

Growing up, I tried to be a kind and respectful Stepdaughter. I constantly kept myself out of the way and allowed them to walk all over me.

Too many lines had been crossed. Although I wasn’t sure what was to happen to Michael for his own crimes, Isabella deserved to face her own brand of consequences. And I wanted to be the person to ensure that it would happen.

I softly cleared my throat. “I don’t think I have the energy to do tea today,” I told Nina. “Maybe tomorrow.”

Nina’s expression filled with obvious disappointment, yet she hadn’t pushed. I was, at least, grateful for that. “Alright, perhaps you should rest then,” she suggested. “You look as though you’ve had a long night.”

I felt myself flush.

Yeah, you could say that.

As I watched her turn to head back toward Wendy’s wing of the house, one of the other staff members slowly approached me.

“Evelyn? I have Oliver on the phone. He’s looking to speak with you about your brother,” they said.

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head as I practically pounced on them. I graciously took the phone from them and gave a silent ‘thank you’.

“Hello, Oliver? It’s Evelyn. Is everything okay?” I questioned breathlessly.

“Everything is fine,” he said evenly. “I mainly called because I wanted to let you know that your brother’s main physician is here to look over his vitals. The doctor is, frankly, stunned that Edward was able to make a complete turn-around. From what I’ve been hearing, it sounds as though your brother is going to be just fine.”

I fought to suppress the joyful cry that wanted to tear from my throat. Oh, God. I felt so relieved, so filled with happiness and relief that I wanted to cry tears of joy.

I sucked in a sharp breath and managed to level out my breathing. “Thank you so much for staying with him,” I said.

“It’s no problem. I told Alexander this last night, that I’m going to have his room placed under surveillance going forward. There will be a guard keeping watch twenty-four-seven. Once they arrive and I give them their instructions, I’ll be back to the manor shortly after.”

“I understand, thank you for telling me.”

The second the call ended, I handed the phone back and made the effortless decision to head toward Wendy’s room. I know that I had just declined the offer of tea from Nina. Much of my mental and emotional exhaustion had fizzled away after that call from Oliver.

Knowing that my brother was going to be okay, made me feel utterly rejuvenated.

...

“Wait, so, let me get this straight...Your own Stepmother slipped you an aphrodisiac with the hopes that Michael would end up sleeping with you—all so that it could generate a rumor that you were cheating on Alexander and destroy your reputation?”

I took a long sip from my tea cup. “Yeah, that pretty much summed up what happened in those last few minutes before the drug took effect.”

Nina and Wendy were stunned when I told them everything that had gone on since Wendy was called away due to that false call. Poor Wendy was trying to take the blame for what occurred with Isabella slipping me the aphrodisiac into my tea.

I was quick to shut down any feelings of guilt and shame.

“There is no way that any of what happened is your fault,” I told her sternly.

The two of them had remained solely attentive when I spoke, not wanting to miss out on a single detail.

Wendy was purely appalled by Isabella’s behavior. “Oh, to think that woman had essentially bought that awful aphrodisiac for her own daughter. It makes me sick.”

I merely shrugged my shoulders. “Honestly, it’s none of my business what goes on between Samantha and her own marriage. I just hope that Isabella knows I don’t intend on letting her get away with what she’s done.”

They both nodded their heads in agreement. Suddenly, the mood of the conversation shifted and I could tell that Wendy was just too eager to discuss the elephant in the room.

“So, you finally know the whole truth about Alexander’s situation,” she said with a knowing smile.

“I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it all. I don’t think I’m going to be used to seeing him walking, let alone standing up on his own, for quite some time,” I told them.

“That’s understandable,” Nina commented.

“What are Alexander’s plans for the rest of the day?” Wendy asked. “Did he mention anything to you this morning?”

“Just that he had a few files in his office that he wanted to finish reviewing, I think. Why?”

A mischievous yet playful smile played on the older woman’s lips.

“Because I think it’s time that the two of you finally have a real dinner together, face-to-face, as husband and wife,” she explained.

Nina was quick to jump on board with the idea. “Oh! Like a real romantic evening,” she gushed.

“Exactly,” Wendy confirmed.

I glanced between the two of them for a long moment before ultimately tossing my hands in the air and agreeing. The thought of a romantic evening with Alexander excited me as much as it intrigued me.

Without an aphrodisiac thrown into the mix, would he still want to touch me as intimately as he had before?

One way to find out..