Chapter 199

[Third-Person’s POV]

“Where’s Evelyn?” Alexander asked Ian.

He didn’t bother to hide the desperation in his voice. He needed to see her. He needed to find out if she was truly alright.

As he fully anticipated, the palace takeover had gone down without a single issue. According to Oliver, there were hardly any casualties on their end. And even Ian was able to cleanly patch up anyone who needed it.

Over the last couple of hours, he’d been trying to let his earlier demeanor recede back into the recesses of his mind. That darker version of himself had to be tucked away for a much later date. There was no way he’d be able to get anywhere close to Evelyn if she still thought that he wasn’t in his right mind.

He would never hurt her—that much he knew.

However, it had gone without saying that Alexander was aware of the effect his presence had when he was in that particular state. He was frightening and downright formidable.

When Gregory had her by the throat, she was forced to see him for what he truly was at that moment. The look of her own fear would forever be branded on the inside of his mind. With a heavy heart filled with worry, Alexander moved through the palace in search of Ian.

The doctor gave me a curt nod and gestured toward the open drawing room. “Her wounds were, thankfully, meager considering the last time we met,” he said. “However, she’s still in a bit of shock.”

Of course, she is. How could she not be?

Anyone in their right mind would have been deeply traumatized over what had taken place. But what was really eating away at him was not knowing exactly what Evelyn was more troubled by. The ongoing carnage or him?

Alexander nodded and he turned to head into the drawing room. He ignored the various spots of blood that still covered the floors while the cleaning staff were hard at work, trying to get everything back to the way it originally was.

When walked into the room, he swiftly spotted her, sitting near one of the large windows, watching the sunrise above the horizon. His eyes were immediately drawn to the white patch of gauze Ian had used to help aid her wound. His heart twisted in his chest. Would there ever come a day when she would not be in the line of danger?

He spoke her name wistfully. “Evelyn...”

She turned her head to meet his gaze. The second he made a move, he watched her entire body tense up. He stopped while his heart seized in his rib cage.

Oh my God. She’s afraid of me.

He could tell she was trying to get herself to calm down but her eyes still couldn’t fully meet his own. It made him want to drive a knife through his own heart.

Alexander cautiously made his way over and took a seat next to her. He made the brave move to reach for her hand. Evelyn hadn’t pulled away.

“I’m sorry you had to see me like that,” he said softly.

Her words came out tremulous at first. “I’ll admit, it was a bit unnerving. You...truly possess the ability to kill without hesitation.”

“Only when it’s extremely necessary,” he told her. “When I saw that Gregory had you in the same position, I lost it. I was prepared to do anything in order to ensure your safety. You were right before. I would have killed Gregory—I wanted to. But it would have defeated the purpose of having spent all that time gathering evidence.”

She nodded her head. “So, what happens now?” she asked quietly. “You overthrew the King which, technically, makes you the new King by default. Are we expected to live here now?”

Alexander hadn’t missed the strained tone of directness as she spoke. He let out a sigh and absentmindedly stroked the top of her hand.

“Now, we take all our findings on Gregory’s illegal business dealings and hand them over to the media. We let him make a public spectacle of himself and explain why the takeover was necessary.”

Evelyn’s eyes were filled with so much uncertainty. Alexander was prepared to hand over anything to ensure her peace of mind.

Perhaps, it would be best to have her return to the manor. She needed to rest while he would stay back for a little while longer and tie up any last loose ends.

Suddenly, the two were joined by Oliver. “Sorry for the interruption,” he said. “Evelyn, I have Dr. Cawfield on the phone. He’s been trying to reach you for the last couple of hours.”

“What?!” Evelyn’s eyes bugged as she scrambled to stand up. Oliver handed his phone over for her to take. “Henry?! It’s Evelyn, what’s going on?”

Even Alexander was starting to feel a bit worried on her behalf. In the back of his mind, he always feared that Evelyn’s brother would never fully recover. He watched his wife’s expression shift from fear to that of wondrous disbelief.

“...W-What?” Her eyes glossed over with tears, causing Alexander to stand up and rush to her side. “I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

She ended the call and promptly handed the phone back over to Oliver.

“Evelyn, what is it?” he asked.

“It’s Edward,” she whispered. “He’s awake.”

[Evelyn’s POV]

A lot had gone unsaid between Alexander and I.

When I told him about my brother, he all but insisted that I go to him. At first, I was hesitant. For Christ’s sake, the man had literally just finished launching a rebellion against the King...

Granted I was still shaken up over everything that had happened, but there were a slew of new troubling thoughts that continued to pester me.

As soon as I reached the house, I practically jumped out of the car and burst through the doors. I was immediately met by a small group of staff who looked just as jovial and excited as Henry sounded on the phone.

I swiftly raced down the hall to Edward’s room. When I turned the corner, I noticed Henry was there speaking to the guard who was stationed outside of the door. The two noticed me instantly and greeted me with a smile.

“Evelyn!”

“How is he?”

“All his vitals are strong. Right now, he’s just resting.”

I fiddled with my hands. “Can I...Can I see him?”

Henry nodded his head reassuringly. My heart caught in my throat as I pushed my way into the room. Every nerve in my body was standing clear on edge. When I turned my head toward Edward’s bed, I was met with a pair of familiar blue eyes and a small smile.

A strangled cry became stuck in my throat. “Oh my God,” I gasped. I sucked in a deep breath of air and stepped over to the side of the bed. “Edward, you’re awake.”

I felt his eyes search over me as though he were trying to piece together an identity. A flash of worry crossed my features.

Oh God. Does he not remember who I am?

“Evelyn...What happened to you?” he asked weakly.

My heart swelled from just hearing the sound of his voice. Something I thought I would never hear again. The tears I’d been fighting to hold back had finally sprung from my eyes.

“You mean my scars,” I said with a laugh. “Oh, Edward. It’s a long story.”

“Lucky for me, I...Have the time...” he breathed through a light chuckle.