Chapter Seventy-Nine.

Evelyn’s POV.

“Alex, wait….”

But he was already gone. I was left standing alone in the too-quiet living room, the ghost of his touch on my cheek.

The phone buzzed again, I snatched it up, my fingers cold.

“Hello?” My voice was unsteady.

“Evelyn.” Lucas’s voice was weak, tinged with a wet cough. “God, I’m sorry to call… I’m really sick. Fever, chills… I can’t reach my maid, and I think I need to go to the clinic, but I can’t drive…” He coughed again, a sound that seemed to rack his whole body.

“Where are you? At home?”

“Yeah,” he gasped. “I feel awful. I didn’t know who else to call.”

My eyes flew to the staircase where Alex had disappeared. My heart screamed to run up those steps, to bang on his door, to unravel every misunderstanding.

But Lucas sounded genuinely terrible, and he was alone. Alex’s confession had left me reeling, but this was a concrete cry for help.

“I’m coming, okay?” I said, already grabbing my keys and a jacket. “Just hang on. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”