Semua Bab You Watched Me Break, Now Watch Me Rise: Bab 201 - Bab 210

A sharp scream pierced Beverly's ears. She jolted awake just as the door swung open. Her panicked eyes met James', though his were deep and steady."Did you have a nightmare?" he asked.Beverly sat up and hugged her knees. Then, in a shaky voice, she replied, "It's nothing."James studied her for a moment, then softly gave the household staff some instructions. Before long, a maid brought in a cup of chamomile tea."Ma'am, please drink this."The maid, an older woman named Kathy Gourd, gently brushed away the cold sweat from Beverly's forehead. As she spoke, she glanced toward James. "Something must've spooked her. It would be best to have someone keep watch over her tonight."Beverly cradled the cup in both hands, her clear eyes reflected in the dark chamomile tea as she quickly regained her composure."I'm fine. I just had a dream."James stood at the doorway, neither leaving nor entering. He waited until Beverly finished her chamomile tea and Kathy took the cup away so that

Beverly hadn't seen Taylor all day, and her calls were going unanswered as well. She'd learned from the Bronson family's driver that Damien and Timothy hadn't been picked up yet, which had made her a little uneasy. So, she'd decided to come and get them herself.When she walked up to the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows, she saw that the first floor of the villa was pitch black, but the second floor was brightly lit. Just as her hand reached for the door handle, she heard the sound of a flowerpot shattering in the backyard.She assumed it was Timothy playing hide-and-seek with her.Smiling, she circled past the windows and headed toward the back garden. In a low voice, she called out, "Timmy, Mommy's about to find you."She didn't notice a figure standing on the other side of the glass windows, veiled by sheer curtains, drawing closer and mirroring her steps.Beverly had suddenly appeared before Evan, vibrant and full of life. She was slender, had a rosy complexion, and her

Beverly never imagined she would see Evan again. The crashing waves brought memories of the past roaring back to life. She thought she'd long forgotten everything, but the images of Evan cheating with Cindy flooded back to her in an instant.They'd been cheating behind her back for five years. When she'd been struggling through a traumatic labor, he'd been by his mistress' side as she gave birth.When she'd lost their daughter, Evan had given Emmeline's name to Cindy's daughter. He'd even planned to have her adopt and raise that child, allowing the latter to live the life her daughter never could and have a future her daughter never had.He'd known full well that Cindy was her half-sister and that Elaine had died in bitter grief because of Quinn. And yet, he'd still had an affair with Cindy. He'd even allowed Harold to call Cindy "Mommy" and treat Emmeline as his sister.He'd also devoured Elaine's massive insurance payout and inheritance.Again and again, he'd tried to force her

At Evan's appearance, Beverly's expression remained distant while her tone grew colder. "I don't know him."In that instant, Evan felt his heart sink to rock bottom as his gaze stayed firmly locked on Beverly's face. He'd never imagined things would reach such a point between them.Since Beverly said she didn't know him, and Evan didn't deny it, the others just accepted that the two were mere strangers. Beverly was undeniably beautiful, so it wasn't surprising that a man's eyes would linger on her the first time he met her. So, the Hansons didn't pay further attention to Evan's unwavering—bordering on impolite—stare.After all, even James, who was with Beverly, had only given Evan a glance and nothing else."I didn't expect you to be the friend Tabby mentioned. You never accept invitations from female friends. Your wife…" Alexis, who was only a few years older than James, remarked.When he saw Evan's face darken, he immediately stopped, suddenly remembering the circumstances sur

When the door opened and Evan stepped out of the room, the entire Hanson estate was once again bathed in bright lights. The chaos had lasted only a few minutes before order was restored.The helicopter that had taken off was circling overhead again, while special forces operators and the Hanson family's bodyguards patrolled in an orderly formation, building an impenetrable defense around the building where James was located.The butler assigned to Evan rushed over with an explanation. "Mr. Gray, my apologies. A rat chewed through the main power line, but our backup power has already been activated. Please forgive the inconvenience."Evan's face darkened. Seeing that he didn't have any further instructions, the butler stepped away.Evan looked across to the other building, where a thick, heavy darkness had completely swallowed James and Beverly's figures. He could no longer catch even the slightest glimpse of them.That was when it hit him clearly that he had no chance of taking Be