Evelyn knew Brooks was more than willing to splurge on her, but she just couldn''t, in good conscience, dump her responsibilities onto him and have him shoulder her load.


    Brooks didn''t push it, nor did he reim the spare card. "Keep it handy, just in case."


    Evelyn epted it and tucked it into her wallet, but she had no ns to actually use it.


    That evening, Evelyn whipped up a cozy dinner with three dishes and a hearty soup. After they ate, Brooks headed into the kitchen to tackle the dishes.


    Evelyn leaned against the counter, watching him. "Hey, Brooks, I need a favor."


    Hearing those words lifted Brooks'' spirits, sweeping away the earlier disappointment when Evelyn had turned him down. Even though he understood she wasn''t wrong, it still stung a bit how she kept such a clear boundary between them. It was a reminder that he hadn''t yet made his way into her heart. To her, he was still someone to appreciate, not someone to have feelings for, let alone love.


    Brooks'' eyes sparkled. "What do you need?"


    Whatever she wanted, whether or not it was doable, he''d bend over backward to make it happen.


    "Could you help me get my designs over to Mabel?"


    Ah, Mabel. The city''s socialite extraordinaire.


    She was the fashion queen of the city. Anything she wore or any jewelry she unted could instantly be the next big thing.


    She rarely opted for big-name brands; most of her jewelry came from up-and-ing designers she discovered. Her keen eye meant any designer she took a liking to would quickly gain recognition in the fashion world.


    Every year, on her birthday, she would extend an olive branch to a designer. From eighteen to twenty-five, every designer who''d been lucky enough to create her birthday outfit and jewelry had carved out a niche in the design world.


    Because of this, every birthday saw a throng of designers vying for her attention. This year, all eyes were on Dahlia.


    The Foster and Moore families had strong business ties, and Dahlia was known as Charles'' fiancée. Plus, in 、 the past couple of years, Dahlia had already made quite a ssh in the desigh scene. Rumor had it that Mabel admired Dahlia''s work, making it seem like this year would be her shot.


    Dahlia certainly thought so too.


    On the day of the big reveal, Mabel hosted a shindig at the Anderson estate.


    Charles was at Dahlia''s side as she rolled in on her wheelchair, yet even so, with him beside her, she was still the center of attention.


    Mabel greeted Charles with her usual straightforwardness. Seeing that everyone had gathered, she made her announcement, "This year''s birthday jewelry will be crafted by Evelyn, Designer Su."


    As Mabel''s words hung in the air, Dahlia was already impatiently pressing the button on her


    wheelchair. Everyone around hem et


    had assumed she''d be the chosen one, so they naturally cleared a path for her.


    But then...


    The name announced wasn''t hers.


    It was a name she detested with every fiber of her being.


    Her smile faltered, freezing in ce, as Dahlia shot a nce up at Mabel. Following her gaze, she turned to see Evelyn-who was supposed to be dead for two years-standing right there.


    Charles was equally floored, staring at Evelyn as if she were a mirage.


    In that moment, he couldn''t tell if he was dreaming or if this was all too real.


    But as she walked closer, undeniable in her presence, Charles realized it was truly Evelyn.


    She wasn''t dead.


    She was very much alive!