It was a request for a meeting.


    Evangeline didn''t need to guess why. Helena wanted her to drop thewsuit against Poppy.


    The thought made her question things herself. Before, she had been certain she would seed, convinced that the Fawkes family wouldn''t get involved for Poppy''s sake. But now things were different. Poppy was pregnant with Soren''s child, and the family was protecting her for the child''s sake.


    Though she was no longer the old Evangeline, her resources were limited. And having crossed Victor, her life was constantly at risk.


    Could she truly get justice for her child?


    The more she thought about it, the more her heart sank. With a sigh, Evangeline decided to go downstairs for a ss of water.


    It waste, and the vi was dark and silent. Guessing Finn was already asleep, she didn''t want to wake him, so she turned on her phone''s shlight and tiptoed downstairs instead of flipping on the lights.


    As she reached thending, she heard a faint meow. She paused.


    Evangeline followed the sound, stopping in front of a room where the meowing wasing from. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard a tter from inside.


    Finn''s exhausted, pleading, and helpless voice drifted out.


    "You''re going to wake her up."


    "Can you please stop? You little monster, I''m begging you. Just go back in the cage, please?"


    He sounded like he was at his wit''s end. Evangeline pushed the door open.


    The scene inside left her


    momentarily stunned. Things were


    strewn all over the floor. Finn, dressed in an elegant robe, had messy hair and was sprawled on the ground, panting. Less than two meters away, a tiny kitten stared back with wide ck eyes, its front paws on the floor and its rearend slightly raised, tail twitching with excitement.


    As Evangeline opened the door, the kitten shot toward her like a furry missile. Halfway there, it seemed to get spooked, did an abrupt about-face, and with an excited leap, kicked Finn.


    Finn was speechless. Evangeline was speechless. The two of them stared at each other.


    Seizing the opportunity, the kitten zipped past Evangeline''s feet and out the door.


    Finn''s vi had its bedrooms on the


    second floor, and the railing along


    ???


    thending was an openwork design for aesthetic appeal. Worried the overexcited kitten might leap right off the second story, Evangeline quickly stuck out her foot to block its path, then b?nt down and swiftly scooped it up by the scruff of its neck.


    The kitten immediately went limp, its body stiff and straight. It stopped struggling, stared up at her with its round eyes, and let out a soft meow.


    Evangeline''s heart melted.


    "Where did this little thinge from?" she couldn''t help but ask.


    Finn decided not to mention he''d been scammed. "A friend gave her to me,” he said casually. A friend he had paid was still a friend, after all.


    and


    The day he learned Evangeline had been kidnapped, he had panicked and sent the kitten to Arabe''s. He had almost forgotten about it, but today Arabe had shown up. disdainfully returned the ugly little thing. Perhaps fearing he wouldn''t take it back, she had also included a massive, three-story cat vi as a gift. After a few days, he thought the cat was even uglier Worried Evangene might question his taste, he had locked it in his room, nning to find someone to take it off his hands the next day. But during feeding time, it had escaped and started its mad dash around the house.


    Finn was even thinking of which friend to me it on in case she didn''t believe him, but Evangeline clearly wasn''t interested in his answer. She just nodded with an "Oh," then pressed the kitten to her shoulder, rubbing her cheek against its soft fur.


    "She''s so cute. What''s her name?"


    Hearing the sweet, gentle tone of her high-pitched voice, Finn couldn''t help but stare. Was that really how she sounded? It was the first time he had ever heard her speak like that.