Chapter 346

Alexander nodded earnestly, his gaze unwavering.

Evelyn hesitated for a brief moment before speaking. "Alexander, you didn’t have to tell me this."

Had he chosen to keep it to himself, she would never have known.

"I couldn’t lie to you," Alexander murmured, his voice softening.

Telling Lucas had been about loyalty—but confessing to Evelyn? That was about trust. About them.

He didn’t regret his choice.

Seeing the raw honesty in his expression, the faint shadow of remorse in his eyes, Evelyn felt her resistance crumble.

She slipped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his chest. "You..."

How could she stay angry when he looked at her like that?

Besides, Claire had already decided to stay. Eventually, her pregnancy would become obvious. Lucas would find out one way or another.

Meanwhile, at Whitmore Manor, Vanessa stood on the balcony.

As Ethan’s car rolled up the driveway, her fingers curled into fists.

The sun filtered through the sheer curtains of Whitmore Manor, casting delicate patterns across the floor. Vanessa had been confined here for over ten days under Eleanor’s watchful care. Though her pregnancy had stabilized, her mind was anything but calm.

Ethan’s stance on the baby remained a mystery. He hadn’t barged into the manor yet—likely out of deference to Eleanor.

A shudder ran through her as she recalled that harrowing morning.

Armed guards had stormed into her hospital room, their grips like iron as they dragged her toward the operating table. The doctor had already prepped the instruments, cold and clinical under the sterile lights.

Richard and Margaret had rushed in, desperate, but the guards ignored them entirely. Vanessa had been shoved onto the gurney, helpless.

She never thought Ethan could be so merciless.

The idea of losing his own child didn’t even make him hesitate.

He hadn’t even bothered to show his face—just sent his men to do his dirty work.

If not for Eleanor’s timely intervention, she would have lost everything.

Now, she was hidden away in Whitmore Manor, isolated for half a month.

Ethan hadn’t come. Not once.

Vanessa had picked up her phone countless times, fingers hovering over his contact, but she always stopped herself.

Eleanor had warned her to stay composed. "He needs time," she’d said.

But how much longer could she wait?

Vanessa had given in against her better judgment.

It was a family holiday, and the Caldwells had an unbreakable rule—every member was expected to gather at the manor for festivities.

A knot of unease twisted in Vanessa’s stomach.

She was going to see Ethan again.

Though he hadn’t reached out in the past ten days, she knew it was only because she’d been secluded at the Hawthorne Estate.

When the sound of footsteps echoed from the grand staircase, Vanessa immediately retreated from the window and sank back onto the bed, pressing a hand to her forehead as if weakened by a sudden spell of dizziness.

But the minutes stretched.

After what felt like an eternity, Ethan still hadn’t appeared.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. She cracked her eyes open, glancing at the maid stationed nearby. "Go see what’s happening. Why hasn’t Ethan come up yet?"

The maid dipped into a quick curtsy before slipping out. She returned moments later, her voice hushed.

"Mr. Caldwell is in the study playing chess with Sir Harold. He said he won’t be joining you."

Vanessa’s fingers curled into the silk sheets, a sharp sting of rejection piercing through her.

"I see," she murmured, barely audible.

The game dragged on through the morning, the ticking of the clock mocking her growing frustration.

Ethan had erased her from his mind entirely—his own wife.

Vanessa's heart was a battlefield of contradictions. Part of her longed for Ethan to acknowledge her presence, while another part recoiled at the thought of facing him.

The war inside her was relentless, impossible to escape.

When lunchtime arrived, a maid appeared to guide her downstairs.

Normally, Vanessa would tread carefully in Whitmore Manor, every step measured.

But now, with her pregnancy, even the staff treated her with newfound reverence. Eleanor hadn’t issued a single command since her arrival.

Vanessa savored this shift in power. It solidified her belief that once the baby was born, her position would be unshakable.

This only fueled her determination to protect the child growing inside her—no matter the cost.

Secret Longing: A Love Reclaimed After Darkness (Evelyn)