Chapter 194

Chapter 194

After finishing the meal, Evelyn rinsed her mouth before speaking.

"Mrs. Gray looked into it. The assassination was meant for me."

"I'm sorry. I dragged you into this."

"Don't talk nonsense!" Matthew carefully wiped the corner of her mouth. "You're my wife. When my wife's in danger, of course I step up. That's just how it works."

"I'm not..." Evelyn protested softly.

"You will be." His voice was quiet, but unshakable.

Evelyn opened her mouth. No comeback came.

She looked away.

As if something occurred to him, Matthew suddenly asked, "Did Chloe get back to the States?"

"You've been stuck here—won't she be worried?"

Evelyn froze.

She hadn't expected that Matthew, seriously injured, would wake up thinking about her daughter.

He didn't even know she was his.

Maybe he really meant it. That he'd accept everything about her. That he'd treat her child as his own.

A quiet warmth spread through her chest.

"Mrs. Gray's with her. You don't need to worry."

"Okay." He gently squeezed her hand.

...

That afternoon, Monica swung by with explosive news.

"You know what?" In the hospital lounge, she leaned in close, voice conspiratorial.

"Sloane's father hanged himself in the park yesterday. Someone jogging found him this morning."

Evelyn blinked. "How did you find out?"

"Gossip news. Saw it this morning and rushed over to tell you."

Monica peeled an orange as she spoke, popping a segment into her mouth.

Evelyn didn't react much.

She'd never known much about Sloane. Didn't care, either.

"I heard Matthew woke up? How is he?" Monica grabbed a piece of watermelon, munching as she asked.

"All his vitals are normal. He's just weak. Still needs rest."

Matthew was napping, so Evelyn had brought Monica to the lounge.

"That's good." Monica wiped her mouth. She didn't plan on visiting Matthew.

They weren't exactly close. Truth be told, she was a little scared of him.

When Matthew wasn't smiling, he radiated an aura that screamed 'stay away.'

After chatting a bit longer, Monica stood. "I'm heading out. Take care of yourself."

Evelyn sat there, dazed, her mind circling around the words "Sloane's father committed suicide."

When she returned to the room, Matthew was still asleep. Evelyn sat down and played on her phone.

The moment she unlocked it, a push notification appeared: Sawyer's suicide.

The reporter had been thorough. The details were specific.

According to the report, Sawyer's company had run out of cash and desperately needed capital. He'd borrowed from loan sharks, couldn't pay them back, and was being hunted by thugs.

Sloane couldn't bear to see him suffer. Over the past few months, she'd loaned him several million from her own pocket.

Sawyer favored sons over daughters. Sloane wasn't close to her family and didn't live with them, so she had no idea the money she'd given her father had actually been taken by her brother, Ryder.

Ryder had vanished with the cash.

Maybe Sawyer felt there was no hope left. In despair, he hanged himself in a grove of trees.

Supposedly, when Sloane went to identify the body, she wept inconsolably.

The report ended there, laying out the whole chain of events.

But something felt off.

Evelyn hadn't interacted much with Sloane, but instinct told her that given Sloane's personality—if her father really favored sons and mistreated her—there was no way she'd care this much about family.

Evelyn searched for more information and discovered the police hadn't officially ruled on Sawyer's cause of death.

The suicide claim was purely media speculation.

As she mulled this over, there was movement from the bed.

"You're awake?" Evelyn smiled, setting her phone aside. "Hungry?"

Matthew nodded.

Evelyn pressed the call button. The caregiver brought up the seafood porridge they'd ordered earlier.

This time, she fed him.

Matthew sat quietly against the headboard, obedient as a child, eating every spoonful until the bowl was clean.

"You've got a good appetite." Evelyn teased, wiping the corner of his mouth. "At this rate, I won't worry about your recovery."

"When you're feeding me, I can't let any go to waste." He smiled.

"Such a smooth talker." She pretended to be annoyed, but her lips curved upward.

She paused, tone turning serious. "But... this time, I really do need to thank you."

"From now on, you're my lifesaver. I'll remember this forever."

His brow furrowed. "I don't want to be some lifesaver."

"I want to be your lover."

"I don't want you staying by my side out of gratitude. I want you to stay because you love me."

Evelyn froze. This man was pushing his luck.

She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say before that as long as I stayed, anything was fine?"

His eyes reddened, looking pitiful. "So... are you willing to stay as my wife?"

Evelyn looked at him. Looked for several long seconds.

His eyes held hope. Uncertainty. Fear he couldn't hide.

Fear she'd say no. Fear she'd hesitate. Fear her answer wouldn't be what he wanted.

She let out a soft sigh, as if giving up some inner struggle.

"I feel like we must've had some kind of entanglement in a past life." Her tone carried helplessness, but beneath it was a softness even she hadn't realized.

"And I'm pretty sure we're going to be tangled up together for the rest of this one too."

His eyes lit up instantly.