Eleven Years All to the Wrong Man novel Chapter 205

Evan slept for a long time. When he finally woke up and checked his phone, it was already seven in the evening.

He heard faint footsteps and other subtle noises coming from outside the bedroom.

At first, he thought he was imagining it, but then he heard the distinct sound of the stove being lit in the kitchen. Now he was certain someone else was in the house.

Evan got out of bed. Even before opening the door, he had a pretty good idea of who it was.

But as he gently pulled the door open, the warm, yellow light from the living area flooded into the dark room, and something stirred in his heart.

The house was filled with the savory aroma of cooking and the gentle scent of fresh rice—the comforting smells of a home-cooked meal.

He followed the scent to the kitchen and saw her instantly. In the open-plan kitchen, a girl with her hair in a low ponytail, wearing a warm yellow sweater and a light pink apron, stood with her back to him, stirring something on the stove.

The sight filled Evan with a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. He couldn't quite put a name to it, but it moved him deeply.

Outside, an extreme cold front gripped Averton City, but inside, the floor heating kept the house toasty, and the air was thick with the sweet fragrance of food.

Evan just stood there quietly, watching the busy figure in the kitchen, feeling something inside him slowly begin to melt.

After leaving Kingsbridge Park with the blanket that morning, Melissa had gone straight back to the hospital. Her father had a check-up that day, and she had to be there for him.

But while she waited, her thoughts kept drifting back to the exhausted Evan. She was worried about him but didn't know what to do.

The girl was still explaining anxiously, but Evan couldn't control himself any longer. A part of him that had been dormant was touched. Without thinking, he crossed the space between them and pulled the flustered girl into a hug.

“I…”

Melissa froze, the rest of her words catching in her throat. Her eyes widened, her mouth fell slightly agape, and for a second, her mind went completely blank.

Evan tightened his embrace, burying his face in her hair. He closed his eyes, a wave of sadness and sorrow washing over him.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this kind of warmth, this kind of care. For all these days with Emma, all he had received was coldness and indifference.