As Charles drew near, his strong masculine scent surrounded her, mingling with the perfume Dahlia wore. The mix created an ambiguous aroma, both intriguing and slightly nauseating. "Ugh..." Evelyn felt her stomach churn.


    "Evelyn, don''t you dare!" Charles'' face shifted instantly, recalling thest time Evelyn had drunkenly vomited on him. He quickly let go and stepped aside.


    Evelyn managed to hold it together. She took the chance to move forward and plop down on a bench, leaning back against a pir to steady her dizzy head. Ignoring Charles, she pulled out her phone and opened a ride-hailing app, ready to call a car. Charles stood by, his gaze unreadable as he watched her.


    A momentter, he took out his phone, tapped it a few times, and then put it away. Just as Evelyn was about to request a ride, a notification from her banking app popped up on her screen. She tapped on it and saw a transfer from Charles. Evelyn''s eyebrows knitted together as she stared at the long string of zeros. What on earth was this?


    Her alcohol-clouded brain took a moment to catch up. Then Charles'' deep voice broke through above her. "The prize money for first ce in the designpetition. I''ve doubled it for you."


    Evelyn''s gaze on the numbers turned icy. After a few seconds, she looked up, her smile not reaching her eyes. "Is this hush money?"


    Her smile was all sarcasm, not an ounce of warmth. Charles watched her, his brows barely furrowing, not bothering to deny it.


    Evelyn''s smile widened, the mockery in her eyes more pronounced. So, he was admitting it. It was no surprise he was here instead of taking Dahlia home. He came to keep her quiet with cash. Charles had been with her for five years, providing just a modest monthly allowance for her and Charlie, yet he was now throwing around a big sum to protect Dahlia. How... generous.


    Evelyn felt as if her chest was stuffed full of cotton. It was stifling and ufortable. But she wasn''t about to refuse the money. After all the times she and Charlie had struggled, Evelyn knew that pride doesn''t pay the bills when you''re short on cash.


    When she epted the money, Charles'' brows rxed a bit. He bent down, offering a hand. "Let me drive you home."


    "No thank you." Evelyn brushed his hand away, staggering to her feet. She didn''t want to spend another second with him. Still tipsy, her steps were unsteady, and she wobbled, struggling to keep her bnce. "Careful." Charles stepped forward to steady her.


    Evelyn didn''t want his help. Her hand moved faster than her thoughts, swatting his hand away again. "I said, don''t touch me."


    Already unsteady, the force of her swat tipped her off bnce, sending her stumbling backward.


    "Ssh-"


    Evelyn tumbled into the shallow man-madeke behind her. The water only reached her waist, and she wasn''t hurt, but she was soaked. In the biting cold of deep winter, with temperatures below freezing, Evelyn felt the chill shoot up from her feet, freezing her limbs and making her shiver uncontrobly.


    Her lips trembled, teeth chattering as she stood up from the water. A gust of cold wind blew, clearing a bit of her drunken haze and bringing rity to her mind.