The sound was like thunder, and the chill wind that followed seemed to freeze the room, the dark night and churning sea outside consuming Evangeline’s heart.
However, she did not rage. She laughed, a laugh that kept the tears at bay, and hurled her cup against the wall. “Walter, you bastard!”
Her inner rebel, long caged, shattered the facade she had maintained for three years. He had flaunted Julia in her face, a clear message to get out of the Gordon family. However, when she was ready to do just that, he balked?
She was not fooled. Walter was not the type to have second thoughts. He was always the one in charge, the mastermind. He would be damned if he was not the one calling the shots in their marriage, too.
He could walk away from her, leaving her to wear the label of a divorcee, but she was not allowed to challenge him.
He could suggest divorce, but she was supposed to stay silent.
Why was it that he could lavish all his love on the woman she despised most on New Year’s Eve, and she was expected to step aside, clearing the way for them?
She was determined to end that marriage. She was set on claiming half of the alimony, too. She would not let Julia get off with a windfall.
After one too many drinks, her head spinning slightly, she splashed water on her face in the bathroom.
When she stepped out of the lounge, the party on the yacht had wound down. Even Julia had vanished.
With an arch of her brow, she strutted off the yacht in her stilettos.
The night stretched out, vast and chilly, the wind biting.
Evangeline stood solitary by the shore, on that New Year’s Eve of farewells and new beginnings, gazing at the distant twinkling lights of countless homes.
She mustered her courage and dialed her uncle, James Foster.
30 minutes later, James’ sleek black Porsche, the epitome of understated luxury, screeched to a halt before her.
Evangeline, looking stunning despite the chill that had nearly numbed her limbs, climbed into the car. A wave of warmth enveloped her, and she finally dropped her defenses, looking up at James tearfully. “Uncle James… What took you so long?”
James Foster, the top lawyer at Halcyonia with a shroud of mystery around him, had risen to prominence in recent years. Ruthless in the courtroom and exceptional in his skills, he had a streak of wins so impressive that it was said he could turn the tide for the dead.
At that moment, his piercing gaze fixed on his niece, he chided her with a mix of frustration and affection, “So you finally thought to call me, kiddo? I was starting to think you’d forgotten all about us!”
Evangeline clung to James’ arm, looking pitiful. “Uncle James, I miss you.”
James’ brow furrowed as he gazed at her, his expression turning grave. “What’s going on? It’s the holidays, for crying out loud. Where’s Walter? Has he been giving you trouble?”
She had not felt that kind of warmth in ages, and she nuzzled against James’ shoulder. “Uncle James, can you be my lawyer? I want to divorce Walter. I can’t stand being with that jerk any longer!”
James could not stand by and watch his niece endure such mistreatment. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t come to me unless it’s serious. What were you thinking, falling for a loser like that? You’re so stubborn, but I bet you’re regretting it now, huh?”
A mix of heartache and anger surged through James. He flicked Evangeline’s forehead in a moment of frustration.
“If your grandpa and your other uncles get wind of this, they’ll want Walter’s hide.”
“No, we can’t let that happen! Uncle James, you’ve got to keep this under wraps for me. I’m scared it might break Grandpa’s heart… You’ve always been the best to me, please.”
She could not bear the thought of disappointing Cole.
“Your grandpa’s health is fragile. The doctor said he’s gotten worse. His biggest dream is to hold a great-grandson, and he’s been holding out for some good news from you.”
The weight of her Cole’s hopes made Evangeline’s heart heavy.
When the Foster family, once a powerhouse in the South, took a devastating hit, her grandpa fell ill. Her uncles, besieged by betrayal, struggled to keep the family afloat. To save the Fosters from ruin, she stepped up to marry Walter.
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