Evelyn's mind was a storm of one name, Axel Knight.
What if he already knew?
What if he had tracked her down to this quiet little hideout?
For a long moment, she stayed rooted to the spot, staring at the door like it might explode.
'Did he find me through Aunt Martha?'
The thought flashed through her mind like a bad headline.
But no... Aunt Martha wasn't connected to her work life. They'd met years ago under bizarre, sudden circumstances, and Aunt Martha wasn't exactly the "accidentally sell you out to a billionaire enemy" type.
She was just about to ignore the doorbell when a faint, familiar voice carried through.
'Oh, brilliant, Eve! Nearly had a heart attack over your own aunt. Very dignified.'
Relief loosened her shoulders as she hurried to the door.
There stood Aunt Martha, smiling warmly. Of course, she could access the fifth floor; she still had her keycard. She'd been the one to find this place for her in the first place.
"Aunty, sorry to keep you waiting," Evelyn said, stepping aside.
"It's fine, dear…"
Evelyn led her toward the living room, guilt nibbling at her.
"Aunty Martha, you don't need to exhaust yourself to come here. I promised I'd visit later this afternoon."
Not that she's complaining, but Evelyn feels terrible about letting this old lady come here again after she did so many things for her in the last few days.
Instead of answering, Martha simply took Evelyn's hands. She guided her to the sofa, as if she were about to break some terrible news.
One look at Martha's worried eyes was enough for Evelyn to read her mind.
Still, she stayed quiet, letting Martha speak first.
"Eve, please… don't go outside right now," Martha said gently, her hands warm and steady over Evelyn's, like she could physically keep her from doing something reckless. "It's not safe. Too many people might recognize you. Just… stay here for a little while, okay?"
Evelyn couldn't help but smile at that.
She guessed it right. Clearly, Aunty Martha had already seen the morning news; the Walters family drama was still plastered all over TV and gossip sites like the world had nothing better to talk about.
"You saw it, didn't you, Aunty?" Evelyn asked, her voice soft as a faint smile emerged on her lips.
"Yes," Martha admitted as she gave Evelyn's hand a gentle pat. "Eve, I'm so sorry for what happened to you."
"Thank you, Aunty…" A faint smile tugged at Evelyn's lips, more to ease Martha's worry than anything else. "But you don't have to feel sorry for me. I'm fine. Seriously... I'm fine now, Aunty."
Martha gave a slight nod, as if she wanted to believe it.
"Eve, I don't know why your father would do such terrible things to you… But I want you to know you are not alone."
Her wrinkled hands closed around Evelyn's, warm and steady.
"I'm here, as your real family, Eve. You can't refuse me. Your blood runs through me. You're my lifesaver. If you hadn't donated your rare blood to me, I might not be here right now."
As Martha's eyes glistened with tears, Evelyn felt a quiet warmth settle in her chest.
Her mind drifted briefly to that first meeting in the hospital; Martha pale and bleeding, the nurses scrambling, and the shock of realizing they shared the same rare blood type.
"Aunty, you don't have to say all that," Evelyn whispers. "I've already thought of you as my real aunt. That's why you were the first person I called when I needed help. So… thank you."
Without warning, Evelyn found herself wrapped in Martha's warm embrace.
"Thank you, Eve… I'm always grateful to have you... and grateful you chose to settle in this small town."
When she felt the quiet tremor of Martha's silent crying, Evelyn's own eyes began to sting.
They stayed like that for a long moment before finally easing apart, their conversation flowing again.
This time, no tears fell.
They both knew this was a blessing; a chapter worth cherishing, not mourning.
And then, casually, almost like mentioning the weather, Evelyn said, "Oh… and I'm pregnant, and want to keep the baby."
Silence hung in the air.
Martha didn't blink or breathe. Her hands froze in midair, eyes fixed on Evelyn as if the words had just exploded in the room.
The seconds dragged on.
Finally, Martha's lips parted, her voice a soft, trembling whisper.
"Eve… oh, dear… I won't ask anything about it. But I want you to know how happy I am to hear this. Congratulations, Eve..."
Relief spread through Evelyn. She'd been bracing herself for questions, maybe even judgment, but Martha's calm acceptance was precisely what she needed.
"What are you going to do now, dear?" Martha asked.
"Not much. All I want to do is simply enjoy staying in this beautiful place, Auntie… and raise my baby in peace here."
"Yes, yes, this is the right place for you, Eve. No worries, dear, I'll help you," Martha said warmly, patting her hand with affection.
"Thank you, Auntie."
A small smile touched Martha's lips, but it quickly faltered. The reminder that Evelyn had been kicked out of her family with nothing still weighed heavily on her.
"Oh, right… What about work? Do you have a plan for that?"
"I haven't thought about it yet," Evelyn admitted with a faint, wry smile. "But later, when they stop talking about me, I will find something to make me busy..."
She wasn't in a rush. For now, she had enough money to live comfortably for a few years. The rest could wait until the storm settled.
Martha's gaze lingered on her, concern deepening in the fine lines around her eyes.
Then, as if deciding something, she leaned forward. "Eve, when there's no more news about you… Come to my café. You can help me there."
Evelyn blinked.
"Oh, Auntie… you're running a café now? Your very own café?" She had always thought Martha only owned her flower shop.
"Yes. I opened it myself. It's a small café, just me and another staff member. I opened it about a year ago, right beside the flower shop. Anyway, a week ago, my staff quit unexpectedly, so now I'm juggling both. So you know where I'm going with this, right?"
The exhaustion was plain on Martha's face.
But before Evelyn could respond, she quickly added, "But Eve, don't feel pressured, dear… You don't have to help. Just come if you feel lonely. And if you do help, I won't pay you like an ordinary staff member. That would be an insult to you."
Evelyn smiled. She didn't mind working there.
Martha added, "Or... Eve... would you be my shareholder? You can invest..."
Evelyn thought it over. She needed something to pull her away from the shadows of her past.
And a café? That was something she'd never imagined for herself. But strangely, it sounded perfect.
A smile tugged at her lips as she reached her hand to Marta, offering a handshake.
"Auntie… I'm happy to become your new partner."