Realizing this, Charles felt as if his throat had been squeezed tight, as if someone was choking him.


    His lips parted, then closed again, struggling to form words, but in the end, nothing came out.


    Sensing something off in "Brooks" reaction, Evelyn lifted her head from his embrace, her tone soft and teasing, "Brooks, why aren''t you saying anything?" But the moment she saw Charles, Evelyn''s expression changed in an instant.


    Her gaze turned cold, icy. With a look of utter disgust, as if brushing off something filthy, she shoved Charles away and rolled back, putting distance between them.


    Her eyes were sharp, her voice frosty and dismissive. "Charles, why is it you?!” Evelyn''s attitude toward Charles was now a mirror image of the way he used to treat her.


    Evelyn''s raw and prized reaction felt like a knife twisting in Charles'' chest.


    "Eve, do you really wish it was Brooks?" Charles asked, still unwilling to give up, refusing to believe it.


    Eve and Brooks had only been together for half a year. She shouldn''t have epted him so quickly.


    He stared at Evelyn, searching her face for the tiniest hint that she might be lying.


    But...


    "Why do you even bother asking?" Evelyn replied coldly, her words slicing through him.


    Another stab to Charles'' heart.


    He thought of how naturally she''d clung to him when she''d first woken up-so familiar, so intimate, it was obvious this wasn''t their first night together.


    The realization that Evelyn had been intimate with Brooks sent a searing pain through Charles. He knew Evelyn. She''d always been conservative at heart. Crossing this line meant she had truly epted Brooks, body and soul.


    She had fallen for Brooks. She didn''t love him anymore.


    Evelyn couldn''t even stand to look at Charles. Her face remained cold as she sat up in bed, intending to leave.


    But as her feet touched the floor, her legs buckled.


    "Eve, careful," Charles said, reaching out just in time to steady her by the waist.


    Evelyn recoiled instantly, her body tense with resistance. Fighting through the difort, she pulled his hand away. "Don''t touch me."


    Charles slowly let go, watching as Evelyn forced herself to walk out. He didn''t try to stop her, only said quietly, "There are some clothes for you in the closet."


    Last night, her dress had been torn to shreds, her undergarments soaked.


    Evelyn entered the walk-in closet. Half the space was filled with clothes in her size, for every season, even essories to match.


    She nced at them briefly, then silently grabbed a random set to change into. She walked out, ready to leave.


    As she passed through the living room, her steps faltered as her gazended on the disheveled couch.


    Scenes from the previous night shed uncontrobly in her mind from the car to the sofa, how she had clung to Charles, unable to resist.


    She remembered that he had called Andrew for the antidote, but when there was none, Charles had be her only remedy.


    She''d been under the influence, her


    body betraying her, but she knew


    Charles too well-not even the


    strongest drug could have fooled her senses Still, the drug''s effect


    was


    overwhelming; her reason was suppressed, and she couldn''t push Charles away, letting the mistake happen.


    She remembered everything, but all she could do was pretend she didn''t.


    There could never be anything between her and Charles again.


    She knew she could never forgive him-for Charlie''s death, for all the pain he had


    caused. The gulf between them could never be crossed.


    Evelyn averted her gaze and walked toward the door.


    Just as she reached it, footsteps sounded behind her.


    It was Charles. He caught up to her, car keys in hand. "I''ll drive you home."


    Evelyn, slipping her shoes on, was about to refuse when Charles looked down at her, his voice low and


    steady. "Are you sure you''re in any shape to walk out of here on your own?"


    "Eve, you don''t have to treat me like


    poison. If you want to pretendst night never happened, I''ll respect that. Let me just drive you out of the neighborhood, okay?"


    Evelyn didn''t respond, but her silence was tacit agreement.


    She couldn''t force herself to be strong anymore. Getting out of here would take at


    least half an hour on foot.


    She hadn''t eaten anything all day, and after a night of turmoil, even standing was difficult. Her legs trembled with every step.


    She''d never make it on her own.


    ...


    They went downstairs together.


    Evelyn chose the back seat. Charles respected her choice and didn''t argue. Once they were outside the gatedmunity, Evelyn asked Charles to pull over. "Charles, I don''t want anyone else to know aboutst night," she said, her voice calm and final.


    With that, she opened the door and got out.


    A taxi happened to be passing by. Evelyn waved it down and got in.


    As the car drove on, they passed a pharmacy. Evelyn spoke to the driver, "Could


    you pull over up ahead? I need to pick up some medicine."


    Last night, Charles hadn''t taken any precautions.


    The driver stopped. Evelyn got out, went into the pharmacy, and bought a box of emergency contraception.


    She slipped it into her purse, got back in the taxi, and rode to her apartmentplex.


    After paying the fare, she didn''t go in right away. She sat for a moment in the small park by the entrance, taking out the medication.


    But just before she took it, she hesitated.


    Not far away, in a ck Mercedes, Charles watched her buy the medicine, watched her take out the pills. The hand resting on his steering wheel tightened, knuckles white.