"No way," Linda said, waving her hand dismissively. "It wasn''t expensive. I had a coupon and got a great deal online. Just eat and get better."


    "Oh, look at the time! It''s one in the morning. We should get to bed."


    With that, Linda grabbed Tabitha and practically dragged her out of the room.


    Once the door was closed, Linda leaned against it, clutching her chest. "That was close. My quick thinking saved us. Otherwise, our cover would''ve been blown."


    "Our cover is already blown," Tabitha said with a weary sigh.


    "What?" Linda''s eyes widened.


    Tabitha exined, "None of those snacks or fruits are sold online, let alone with coupons. Also..." She leaned closer to Linda and sniffed. "You were standing too close to Mr. Lockridge earlier. You smell like his cologne."


    Linda was speechless.


    "And," Tabitha continued, "she''s mentioned Finn''s name to us before. You should have remembered it. Your reaction was way over the top."


    Linda gaped. She thought she''d acted just like they do in the TV dramas.


    "So, what do we do now?" she asked.


    Tabitha shrugged. "As long as Evangeline doesn''t say anything, we pretend we don''t know."


    She admitted she had also been careful at first, trying her best not to slip up. But after observing Evangeline for a while, she suspected she''d been on to them from the start. After all, no one living in a shared apartment carries a thousand-dor handbag, takes cabs to work every day, and eats perfectly bnced, nutritious meals like Linda did. Every time Tabitha raised an objection, Linda woulde up with some flimsy excuse.


    Tabitha had worried about being exposed, but then she figured Mr. Lockridge probably never expected to keep it a secret forever. It was likely just a little game between the two of them. As long as the money kepting, they could y along.


    Seeing Tabitha so calm, Linda felt


    her own panic subside. She even started to doubt Tabitha. Who would notice such tiny details? And if Evangeline really knew, why wouldn''t she have said something by now?


    Linda shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it, and they both went to their rooms.


    Back in her bedroom, Evangeline looked at the pile of snacks, the ss of warm water, and all the other small tokens of care, and a small smile touched her lips.


    A few secondster, she sent a text to Finn.


    *"I''m feeling much better."*


    *"Thank you."*


    She put her phone down andy back on the bed. The bitter, spicy taste of the soup still lingered in her mouth, but what she felt most was a profound sweetness. For the first time in years, she felt a warmth she had long forgotten, a feeling of not beingpletely alone in the world.


    Just as Tabitha had predicted, Evangeline sweated through the night. By the next morning, she felt significantly lighter and healthier.


    The next day, a message from Finn arrived as usual. It was a single kissing emoji.


    He wasn''t denying her thanks from the night before.


    Evangeline smiled and set her phone aside.


    In the days that followed, she threw herself back into her work at UME. After learning that her grandmother was awake, she made time to visit a few more times. When Old Mrs Fawkes heard about what had happened, she didn''t me Evangeline for giving up the nheritance in her deal with Soren.


    She simply took her hand and


    wished her sess.


    "Evangeline, I''ve never been wrong about people in my life. You will seed," the


    old woman said warmly.


    Evangeline didn''t offer any false modesty. She just nodded with solemn determination.


    "I will, Grandma."