Evangeline headed straight downstairs.


    After being turned away twice already, she figured Soren wouldn''t bother humiliating himself by following her again.


    But, to her surprise, it wasn''t long before she heard footsteps trailing behind.


    She nced back and saw Soren standing at a careful distance, not too close, not too far.


    When she stopped to look at him, he immediately halted as well, pretending as if he just happened to be there. He looked around nonchntly, feigning interest in the potted nts nearby.


    Evangeline turned away, and, a few secondster, the sound of footsteps followed her once more.


    She couldn''t quite wrap her head around it.


    They''d been married for five years, and she''d always believed she knew Soren inside out. He was proud, cold, and it was always her chasing after him, trying to get close—only for him to brush her off with barely concealed impatience every single time.


    But this-this was the first time she''d ever seen him act so aimless, almost bored, just hovering around her.


    Still, even if she knew he was following, she walked her way, and he walked his. Soren wasn''t getting in her way, so she had nothing to say about it.


    Pretending not to see him, Evangeline turned and kept walking, doing her best to ignore his presence.


    Seeing her move on, Soren finally started walking again, trailing behind her.


    For a brief moment, even he wondered if he''d lost his mind.


    Since leaving the hospitalst night-after learning their child had been lost in the ident with Poppy-his thoughts had been in utter chaos.


    He couldn''t shake the image of her after the crash, blood everywhere, or the tiny gravestone in the cemetery.


    He couldn''t stop thinking about her leaving him, being with someone else.


    The more he thought about it, the more restless he became.


    He''d spent all night outside her building, and in the end, couldn''t help himself— he''d gone up, knocked on her door, and apologized.


    It was the first time he''d ever said he was sorry.


    He''d thought that, even if she didn''t forgive him, she''d at least give him a chance.


    But the Evangeline who once would have epted the smallest olive branch was, today, utterly unyielding.


    Still, he felt a faint sense of relief.


    When he''d seen her room this morning, there hadn''t been any sign of another


    man.


    Evangeline had no idea what was going on in his mind. She simply walked out of the apartmentplex and headed for the street.


    Just then, a car pulled up beside her.


    "Miss Whitmore, your car is ready." Gregory stepped out, polite and deferential.


    Evangeline didn''t spare him a nce. Instead, she walked right past the car and gged down a cab.


    She gave the driver her destination, and just as the cab was about to pull away, Soren came striding over, handing the driver a couple of crisp hundred-dor bills.


    Whatever Soren said to him, the driver turned around with an awkward expression. "Sorry, miss, looks like my car''s having some trouble. I''m going to have to ask you to take another ride."


    Evangeline knew instantly Soren was behind this.


    The "broken car" excuse was just a cover.


    Irritated, she snapped, "It was running just fine a minute ago. You''re really going


    to turn me away for his money? I should report you."


    The driver put on his best aggrieved look. "Come on, miss, don''t be unreasonable. Cars break down-just because it was fine a second ago doesn''t mean it''s fine now. Nothing you can do about it, and aint won''t change anything."


    "Unless you want toe with me to the garage?"


    Evangeline knew he was lying, but she wasn''t about to follow him just to prove a point.


    A quick nce at her watch told her she was runningte.


    In the end, she had no choice but to get out of the car.


    Two hundred dors, and her whole morning was derailed.


    Money really did make the world go round.


    Shame she''d spent so many years lost in a maze of love and heartbreak, blind to everything else.


    As she stepped out, Soren shed her a smile and walked over.


    "Come on. Let''s go," he said, arching an eyebrow and nodding toward where his luxury sedan was parked.


    Her frustration boiling over, Evangeline turned and strode in the opposite direction.


    "Don''t bother trying," Soren called after her, his voice calm but unyielding. "You won''t get another ride. Whoever stops next, it''ll be the same story."


    She stopped in her tracks, spun around, and red at him, unable to hold back anymore. "Soren, what the hell do you want?"


    Taken aback by the anger in her voice, Soren paused, then answered, steady andposed, "I''m taking you to work. Wasn''t it always your favorite thing, sharing a ride with me?"