As Evelyn was lost in thought, she suddenly heard him cough. Turning her head, she saw that his complexion had turned even paler, and a thin layer of sweat had started to form on his forehead. 

Her heart tightened, and she quickly handed him the glass of water. "Are you okay?"

Lincoln waved his hand slightly and replied in a hoarse voice, "It's nothing."

As he spoke, he handed her a paper bag. "If you're fine, we need to head back to D.C. right away. The government is holding an emergency meeting tomorrow morning."

The disaster situation was urgent, and Evelyn wasn't one to be overly delicate. During her previous missions on the border, she had endured much worse injuries, so this was nothing to worry about.

Thinking that, she reached out and took the paper bag, opening it to find—clothes and shoes. Upon flipping through, she realized that even the clothes inside were likely her size...

She paused, a faint blush coloring her delicate face as she suddenly realized that she was not wearing anything underneath, and she had just been holding him... 

Oh my god, how embarrassing!

She didn't dare look at him anymore, feeling mortified, and rushed into the bathroom with the clothes.

She had to admit, the man had a good sense of aesthetics.

There was a flowing navy blue long-sleeve dress with slits on both sides, simply tied at the waist with a matching belt. The design was simple, but it complemented her complexion and figure perfectly, highlighting her waist.

When Evelyn came out of the bathroom in the dress, Lincoln was talking on the phone, likely arranging and guiding the disaster response work. A nurse had appeared beside him.

After a short while, Lincoln hung up, turned, and exchanged a few words with the nurse, who nodded and handed him a folder and pen. He quickly signed the documents.

Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned and briefly scanned her with an indifferent gaze. However, a soft glint appeared in his deep eyes for just a moment before vanishing.

Evelyn’s blush hadn’t faded, and recalling the awkward situation just now, she felt embarrassed again. She was about to say something, but Lincoln had already stood up and walked toward the bed. He lifted the blanket and wrapped it around Glen Norman, carefully picking him up.

"Let's go."

Evelyn nodded, quickly packing her things before following him. 

The sky outside had darkened, and the howling wind swept through, with occasional sounds of things falling. The constant pitter-patter of rain echoed in the air.

A black sedan was parked at the front door.

Lincoln carefully placed Glen Norman in the car and turned to look at Evelyn. 

"I'll drive."

Evelyn glanced at him and replied, "I’ll drive."

With a simple sentence, Lincoln opened the door to the driver's seat and slid in. Evelyn, not wanting to argue further, sat in the passenger seat. As she glanced over, she noticed that the little one was tossing and turning in his sleep, so she gently lifted him into her arms, letting him rest there.

"Glen seems to like you a lot," Lincoln said after a long stretch of silence, breaking the stillness in the car. His voice was deep and hoarse, cold and distant, just like him—without any fluctuations or emotions.

Evelyn frowned slightly, thinking for a moment. "Uh… maybe he’s lacking some affection..." 

She hoped Glen wouldn't call her "Mom" again, though. It was just too awkward for her!

Evelyn knew the topic was better left untouched. She could sense the weight of the past lingering between them, especially regarding Lincoln’s sister, Samantha Norman. In all the years they'd known each other, he'd never once mentioned her, and she knew better than to bring it up now.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Lincoln’s cold voice broke through her thoughts. His eyes remained fixed on the road as he drove, his posture as composed as always, with an air of distant coolness.

"What...?" Evelyn’s mind briefly struggled to catch up with his words.

"I remember you were going to the prosecutor's office. If I hadn’t had you take Benjamin’s place, you’d probably be District Attorney Harrison by now." Lincoln’s gaze flickered briefly to her in the rearview mirror, his tone calm yet carrying an underlying curiosity.

Evelyn hesitated, a wave of past memories sweeping over her. She couldn't reveal the truth, not now. 

"Is it really so different? I just don’t like abrupt changes. It leaves me feeling lost," she said, offering a vague, neutral answer.

Lincoln’s brow furrowed slightly, and his eyes darkened with a quiet intensity. He let out a breath and muttered, "Almost forgot to congratulate you."

"Congratulate?" Evelyn was quick to connect the dots—he was referring to her engagement with Joseph, which she had taken a few days off for.

But that engagement was as good as canceled now, and she felt a strange sense of relief. No more ties to that man, and perhaps her life would finally find peace. As for the resentments she carried... they were far from over.

She remained silent, staring out of the window, her eyes darkening with cold resolve.

"What happened?" Lincoln’s sharp perception never failed. His voice held a certain certainty, as if he already knew the answer.

Evelyn turned away from the window, letting out a dry, self-deprecating smile. "The engagement ceremony fell through."

There was a brief silence before Lincoln responded, his voice less detached than usual. "Why?"

"It was never something either of us truly wanted. So, it’s fine that it didn’t work out." Evelyn answered with surprising calmness, though she knew that once they got back, there would be a mountain of issues waiting for her to sort out.

Evelyn’s mind was consumed by the relentless memories of the past—how she had been blind to Joseph’s betrayal. Chloe’s words, the ones she had spoken before her death, had been the final reveal. If not for Chloe, she would have never known the truth. The sheer weight of that betrayal crushed her heart. How had she been so foolish? How had she not seen through Joseph’s lies, his infidelity?

And Chloe, that venomous woman, who had pushed her into the arms of Arthur, only to destroy him in the end. Chloe’s manipulations had caused the downfall of the Harrison clan, and Evelyn’s heart burned with hatred at the thought of her. The pain, the regret, the resentment—everything swelled inside her, almost suffocating her.

The solution to her pain seemed simple, clear: revenge. There was no other way to end this. Those people—Chloe, Joseph—had to pay. They had caused so much suffering, and now it was time for them to face the consequences. She would make them regret every single thing they had done.

The coldness emanating from her was palpable, and Lincoln, though still focused on the road, could sense the change in her. The chill in the air seemed to rise from her very being. He knew that whatever had happened between her and Joseph—whatever had caused her pain—was far from over.

He hadn’t asked her about it, but the man she had been engaged to, Joseph, was a name he knew. Joseph was from the HuaDa Group, the young heir who had shown interest in meeting Benjamin a few times regarding the Nanling project. Lincoln hadn’t had time to entertain these small matters, but he had heard enough to form his own impression.

Still, he remained quiet, knowing Evelyn’s pain was deep, and perhaps too complex for simple words to resolve.