The Day Our Promise Breaks

"Eve!"

Seeing Evelyn standing there safe and sound, Charles's eyes reddened at the corners. He strode forward, overcome with emotion, and pulled her tightly into his

arms.

The thrill of getting back what he'd thought lost made Charles's embrace almost desperate.

He pressed his chin to the crown of her head, finally able to let go of the fear that had been strangling him since last night.

Thank God. His Eve was alright.

Charles moved so quickly that Evelyn didn't have the chance to dodge him.

The moment he wrapped her up, Evelyn's beautiful face, buried against his chest, turned cold.

She pushed against him, her expression full of rejection. "Let me go, Charles!"

But his arms only tightened, like vines refusing to release her, desperate for the warmth of her body.

"Eve, just let me hold you for a moment. Just one moment, please?"

Charles wouldn't let go, his voice pleading.

He didn't want to let go.

All he could think of was last night-rushing into the fire, seeing Evelyn lying there, barely breathing, her fate uncertain.

The image haunted him, filled him with a terror so deep it made his blood run cold.

He couldn't bear to imagine what if he hadn't made it in time last night?

If something had happened to Ms. Josephine and Eve...

The thought that he'd almost lost the most important people in his life made Charles want to pull Evelyn right into his very bones.

Only with her in his arms did he feel real.

"Charles, what's wrong with you? I said let go! Didn't you hear me?"

Evelyn was unmoved by Charles's desperation.

No matter how he begged, her heart was like still water-untouched, unmoved.

Every time he lowered himself to plead with her, she remembered all those years together-how she'd begged him, again and again, to spare some time for Charlie.

If only, just once, he'd softened and shown Charlie a little fatherly love, maybe Charlie wouldn't have left with so much regret.

She remembered Charlie's last moments-how sad she'd been.

She had known that Charles had broken his promise to be with her, choosing to be with Sandy instead.

Maybe, in that moment, Charlie understood her father never really loved her.

No matter how much time had passed, thinking of Charlie always cut Evelyn to the core-and made her hate Charles even more.

She struggled harder to break free.

Her resistance made Charles's face go even paler.

But his arms around her showed no sign of letting go.

Aiden stood outside the door, watching the scene with his heart in his throat.

Mr. Jenkins had burns all over, wounds covering his body. With Ms. Evelyn struggling like that, she was rubbing right against his injuries.

Aiden wanted to speak up, but Charles silenced him with a cold glare.

He could only stand in the doorway, worry written all over his face.

Charles's overcoat concealed the hospital gown beneath, stained red with fresh blood.

Evelyn caught the faint scent of blood, but she was too focused on breaking free from his hold to think much of it.

Even if she realized Charles was hurt, she wouldn't have cared.

Now that she'd seen her mother was safe, her mind was consumed with thoughts of Brooks.

On the way to the hospital, as she drifted in and out of consciousness with an oxygen mask on, she remembered hearing Brooks call her name over and over, his voice thick with worry.

He'd begged her to hold on, to stay with him.

He'd said he couldn't live without her.

Brooks had saved both her and her mother.

Without Brooks, they would have died in that fire.

The flames had been so fierce, but Brooks had risked his life to rescue them.

But when she woke up, Brooks was nowhere to be seen.

If his injuries weren't serious, he never would have left her side.

How could Evelyn not worry?

All she wanted was to break free of Charles's arms and find out how Brooks was

doing.

"Eve..."

Evelyn's rejection was like a knife to Charles's heart.

But let go? Not after last night.

After nearly losing her, Charles knew more than ever how much he loved Evelyn.

Letting go-never!

"Eve, please, give me another chance. I love you so much. I can't lose you."

"But I don't love you anymore,

Charles, stopped loving you long ago. There will never be anything between us again. Give up and stop pestering me."

Evelyn's voice was icy, her refusal merciless.

"Eve, I'm not asking you to love me like you used to. I just want a chance to make

things right, to make it up to you. Please?"

If she'd just give him a chance, he believed one day Eve would see his sinceritynoveldrama

and open her heart to him again.

"Charles, I don't need your apologies.

I just need you to leave me alone

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understand? Now you onenet

go!"

Evelyn's words were cold and sharp, leaving no room for hope.

"Eve, I'll never let go!"

Charles only clung to her more tightly.

He lowered his head, unable to resist pressing a gentle kiss to her hair.

The moment his lips touched her, he froze.