Unmasking the Heiress (Evangeline and Walte)
Bitten Once Shy Forever 289

her questions die in her throat.

"Alex, I'll always be nice to you. Don't worry about that, okay?"

Alex had been incredibly brave, more than Evangeline had realized. If she had to switch from being healthy to relying on a wheelchair just to get around, she was not sure she could have handled it. Seeing Alex, her heart ached even more for him. "Hey, how about we go for a little adventure outside? Back when you were at Avalon University, I was still in high school. I always wished we could've been on the same campus."

While talking, Evangeline started wheeling Alex toward the door. His voice, full of surprise and happiness, stopped her. "You wanted to be at the same school as me?"

"Of course! You're amazing. If you taught me just one or two of your tricks, I'd be the queen of my class in no time," she joked, but inside, she was determine lift his spirits.

Avalon University's music department had a touch of artistry to it, which showed in the campus's creative layout. There were murals, secluded woods, and the soft purple of lilacs blooming in every nook and

cranny.

Evangeline adored the smell of lilacs. She pushed Alex to a blooming bush, stretched her arms wide, and inhaled deeply. "Ah, that's the stuff!"

Alex looked at the flowers, but his eyes lingered on Evangeline. With a wistful tone, he said, "Evie, sometimes I wish things could stay just like this forever."

It took her a moment to catch on, but when she did, she locked eyes with him. "Stay like this? What's the

fun in that?"

She moved closer to Alex, leaned down, and gently flicked a petal off his shoulder. "We've got to mix it up. For starters, you need a gorgeous gal by your side, and I need a dashing guy. We all deserve our own slice of happiness, right?" Whenever that subject came up, Evangeline's thoughts inevitably drifted to Walter.

Walter was handsome, but too bad the chances of him being by her side were slim to none. She might as well hope for their son to grow up and be her constant companion.

Alex's gaze was distant, lost in some private contemplation.

After a moment, he offered a small smile. "Yeah, being blissfully happy is what it's all about."

Noticing Alex's brow eased slightly, Evangeline quickly guided the conversation toward something that piqued her interest.

"Alex, tell me about your adventures overseas. You've been away for so many years, on your own... It must've been tough." Evangeline was clueless about the ordeal the Gordon family had gone through back then.

"I know, it's just.... I'm not ready to let go."

*25 BONUS

The feeling of being wronged washed over her like a wave, and Evangeline could not hold back the tears any longer.

She had tried so hard to be with Walter, and it was bad enough not to live up to Julia, his cherished first love, but to be surpassed by Minnie, a latecomer...

"So Alex, I'm begging you, can you fill me in on everything you know?"

Alex's heart softened as he looked into her tear-filled eyes.

"To be honest, I don't have all the details about Minnie's family, just that she's got some heavy hitters in her corner, a family with influence and mystery, who keep to the shadows unless it's absolutely necessary. Chapter 290