Unmasking the Heiress (Evangeline and Walte)

The laughter was just for show, a mask to keep the grown-ups from worrying.

Evangeline's eyes darkened with another wave of sadness.

"You're doing great, getting through this," said Roslyn.

She gazed at Evangeline's face, streaked with tears, her lips so pale and cracked that they looked like they might split.

Just then, a waiter in uniform walked by with two steaming cups of milk.

Roslyn stopped him, grabbed a cup, and handed it to Evangeline. "Drink some milk. You've got a baby to think about, remember? So try not to be too down, okay?" Roslyn knew how close Evangeline and Cole had been, and it hurt her to see her best friend so broken.

However, her words, meant to comfort, were like opening a dam. Tears flooded Evangeline's eyes, and she began to sob uncontrollably. "How can I not be sad?"

Memories came rushing back. She clutched Roslyn's wrist, and when she looked up, her face was wet with tears.

"Roslyn, do you know? It's my fault Grandpa is gone! If I hadn't been so set on getting David to the hospital, if Julia hadn't kidnapped me, Grandpa wouldn't have worried about my health... he wouldn't have..." Evangeline's voice broke into sobs.

Roslyn finally understood why Evangeline had been so devastated at the funeral, and it made her heart ache even more. She held Evangeline's hand tightly, offering silent support.

"How could you even think that? If Mr. Foster knew you were beating yourself up over him, he'd be so upset. Evie, everyone goes through birth, aging, sickness, and death. It's just the way life is. It's not your fault, okay?" Roslyn's words gently prodded the tenderest part of Evangeline's heart.

The image of Cole's contented smile in his final moments flashed before her. Maybe for him, leaving that world to be with his wife was the ultimate joy.

The weight that had been crushing her heart finally lifted, but then Evangeline's thoughts took a sudden turn.

"Roslyn, what's your take on my Uncle Yale?"

She had been mulling over those two people.

If two people who clearly cared

about each other had been around that long without making it official, something was missing. She wanted to help them get past whatever was holding them back. FindNovel

Roslyn's face went pale with a revealed secret, then flushed a deep red. When she faced Evangeline again, she was so flustered that she hardly knew what to say. "Look... Evie, you know you can't just decide who you fall for, but I swear, there's no way I'd get involved with your Uncle Yale. Don't even think about it..."

Evangeline was feeling all mixed

up,

and Roslyn could not guess her thoughts. However, if it came down to choosing between a guy and her best friend, she would pick her friend in a heartbeat.

"What are you even saying?" Evangeline cut her off. "Roslyn, 10 really want you and Uncle Yale to be

together. I'm just a little worried

D.UMS

about the age gap, that's all.

"Age doesn't matter, you know."

Roslyn's cheeks turned a deep shade of pink, and she hid her face behind her hands as if she could shield her emotions from the world. Her reaction said it all.

"But wouldn't that make you mad, Evie?"

"Why would it?" Evangeline replied, her brow furrowed in confusion.