Evelyn's lips curled into a soft, satisfied smile as she hopped down a low fence, landing gracefully on the other side. She dusted her palms and exhaled deeply.
She'd done it. Escaped.
No driver trailing behind. No curious eyes watching her every move. No weight of being Carlos' wife — just Evelyn, raw and unguarded. For the first time in what felt like forever, she was alone… and free.
She missed this.
Wandering like any ordinary woman, blending into the crowd, shopping without protocol or protection. Without fear. Without expectation. Today, she wasn't a name in the headlines. She was simply a soul craving a slice of lost normalcy.
She tugged a cap low over her head to shield her identity and stepped toward the city's busiest market. It greeted her like an old friend — buzzing with colors, scents, and noise. Spices danced through the air, fabrics fluttered from the stalls, and the kind of chaos that somehow brought calm pulsed beneath her feet.
Before crossing through the crowded entrance, she bought a large shopping bag and slung it over her shoulder. One deep breath... and she slipped into the river of strangers.
Elsewhere, across the city, Hanna stood still, a business card between her fingers. Her gaze lingered on it like it held more answers than names.
She chuckled to herself.
"Playing hard to get always does something to a man's ego…" she whispered with a teasing smirk.
But that smirk quickly faded.
The wind had begun to pick up, curling through her hair like a warning. Frowning, she checked her weather app—and froze.
Rain. Heavy. Fast. Dangerous.
Her heart skipped. She dove into her recent call logs.
—
Meanwhile, Evelyn stepped out of the market, arms full and eyes wide. The sky had shifted. The light had dimmed. She took out her phone and gasped. Fifty missed calls from the butler. He must've been losing his mind.
Just as she was about to dial back, her screen lit up again—Hanna.
She picked up immediately.
"What's up?" she said casually.
"You're indoors, right?" Hanna's voice was tense, too urgent for small talk.
"No. Why?"
There was a brief pause—then a shriek that nearly shattered her eardrums.
"EVELYN! Have you lost your mind?! Haven't you checked the weather?! It's about to rain in sheets—and there's lightning too!"
"I'm not scared of the rain," Evelyn said calmly. "I've walked in it a thousand times. Let it fall. Maybe the storm will wash something away."
"You don't understand!" Hanna's voice cracked. "There's going to be lightning, Evelyn! This isn't just some poetic drizzle!"
Silence bloomed between them. A silence so loud, Hanna could hear her own heartbeat in her ears.
Then Evelyn spoke softly, almost like a confession whispered to the sky.
"It's okay, Hanna. I need this. It's time I stopped running. It's time I faced it... all of it."
Hanna's breath hitched.
"You really think I'll let you go through this alone again?" she snapped. "Last time, I thought I'd lose you for good. I won't let it happen again. Where are you? Tell me—right now!"
Evelyn's voice was gentle but firm.
"Are you going to keep chasing me forever? Just... let me go. Please. I'll be fine."
And then the call ended.
Hanna stood frozen, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She stared at her phone like it might bring Evelyn back.
Then she growled softly, frustrated, and raked her hands through her hair.
"No. No, you're not doing this alone. Not again."
Without hesitation, she pulled up the GPS tracking app she'd secretly installed on Evelyn's phone. A guilty precaution—but a necessary one.
There she was. Evelyn's location blinked back at her like a heartbeat in distress.
Hanna grabbed her purse and dashed for the exit, but she halted at the door. The clock was ticking. The storm was closer than expected. Even the fastest taxi would take hours to reach her.
She stood there, helpless. Her fists clenched. Her heart screamed.
And just as hopelessness began to cloud her vision, something caught her eye.
That business card again. Sitting in her bag like fate had left it there for this moment.
Her hand trembled as she reached for it.
Maybe... just maybe, this was the key.