Eleven Years All to the Wrong Man novel Chapter 39

Once back in bed, she picked up her iPad and resumed watching her show, showing no intention of engaging with him.

Evan closed the door and stood by it, watching the woman on the bed with a look of displeasure.

“Emma, I think we need to talk.”

He couldn’t stand her ignoring him like this any longer. It was eating him alive.

Emma’s finger swiped across the iPad screen. Without looking up, she replied, “Talk about what? Aren’t you tired? You’ve been working all day. Go wash up and get some sleep.”

She didn’t spare him a single glance, her eyes glued to the device in her hands, the picture of perfect indifference.

She wasn’t screaming and fighting like she used to, nor was she hysterical. She had become eerily calm, so calm it seemed like she didn’t care about anything anymore—not even him.

This realization deeply unsettled Evan. He had noticed the change in her recently but couldn’t understand the reason for it. Subconsciously, all he wanted was to drag things back to how they were, to make Emma ‘normal’ again.

“Emma.”

Evan took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to lash out. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching for her hand.

But before his fingers could touch her, Emma lifted her wrist, smoothly evading his grasp to pick up a glass of water from the nightstand. She took a small sip, then looked at him. “What is it?”

Her eyes were crystal clear, as if she hadn’t just deliberately dodged his touch.

“Can we… can we please talk?” Evan’s throat tightened.

Emma nodded. “Oh,” she said. “Sure. What do you want to talk about?”

Talk about what?

Evan didn’t know what to say. He just wanted her to go back to normal. He would even take her screaming and fighting with him like before. She could yell at him, hit him, anything—as long as she didn’t ignore him like this.

But the words wouldn’t come.

Emma picked it up. A message notification was displayed on the lock screen: [Mr. Cooper, are you free tomorrow?]

Heh.

Emma let out a soft, humorless laugh and placed the phone back where she found it. It hadn’t been long at all, and they were already eager to meet again tomorrow.

When Evan came out of the bathroom after a quick shower, the bedroom was lit by a single, dim lamp. A small lump was visible under the covers—Emma was already asleep.

In the warm, quiet night, among a city of countless lights, one was still waiting for him. At that thought, all the stress and frustration from his recent work instantly melted away.

With only a white towel wrapped around his waist, Evan dried his damp hair as he walked to the bedside. Looking at the woman sleeping peacefully, the anxiety that had been plaguing him for so long finally subsided.

Emma was still here, and she would always be here.

She loved him so much. She would never bring herself to leave him.