Chapter 350

Evelyn blinked when Alexander suddenly locked eyes with her. "What is it?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Nothing," he murmured, his lips curving into a soft smile as he reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

After lunch, drowsiness crept over Evelyn, her eyelids growing heavy.

"Let's rest at Whitmore Manor before heading back," she suggested, stifling a yawn.

They had their own private quarters there—Alexander preferred solitude, choosing a separate wing away from the bustling household to ensure peace.

His arm slid around her waist, pulling her closer. "Give me a kiss, and I'll carry you upstairs."

Evelyn's breath hitched. "What?"

His voice carried easily, and with the rest of the Whitmore family lingering nearby after the meal, every word was heard.

A ripple of surprise passed through the room.

Harold Aniston coughed into his newspaper, suddenly engrossed in the headlines.

The others exchanged glances, momentarily speechless.

Audrey Mills nearly dropped her teacup, while Sophia Ellis pressed her lips together, fighting a smile.

Evelyn felt heat rise to her cheeks as Alexander smirked, clearly unbothered by their audience.

The air thickened with unspoken amusement—no one had ever seen this playful side of Alexander Whitmore before.

Gasps rippled through the crowd as Alexander swept Evelyn into his arms without warning.

His lips curved into a wicked smirk. "Even if you refuse to kiss me, darling, I’m still carrying you to our room."

Evelyn’s breath hitched, her pulse skyrocketing. "Alexander!"

"Hmm?"

"You absolute menace!"

Her face burned. The Whitmore Manor was overflowing today—grandparents, cousins, even a ten-year-old gaping at them from the buffet table. This was mortifying.

Alexander’s eyes gleamed with unrepentant amusement. "Guilty as charged. But I’m your menace."

And just like that, he strode past the stunned onlookers, cradling Evelyn as though the rest of the world had dissolved into static.

Ryan Fletcher elbowed Ethan Caldwell. "Since when does Uncle Alex have rizz?"

Ethan’s jaw tightened. "Ryan, for God’s sake—"

Post-lunch, the estate buzzed with scattered conversations and clinking porcelain.

Ethan shrugged on his jacket, heading for the door when Eleanor’s voice sliced through the chatter. "Leaving so soon?"

Not once since arriving at Whitmore Manor had Ethan acknowledged his mother’s existence.

The air between them crackled with unspoken tension.

Ethan Caldwell's resentment toward Eleanor was palpable. She had pressured Vanessa Hart to keep the baby—a child he never wanted.

When Ethan had once begged to marry Vanessa, Eleanor had refused. Now that he wanted nothing to do with her, Eleanor was forcing Vanessa to stay.

"Ethan," Eleanor said, her voice laced with desperation, "everything I do is for your father. As the eldest son of Harold Aniston, he was exiled overseas, unable to even visit for holidays. But if you have a child, it gives him a reason to return. We could finally be a family again."

Ethan's icy gaze cut through her. "So you're asking me to sacrifice my life for your fantasy?"

Eleanor's face twisted in disbelief. "How is having a child a sacrifice? It's a blessing!"

His jaw tightened. "My heart belongs to Evelyn Carter."

Eleanor recoiled as if struck. "What did you just say?"

Her voice rose in horror. "Ethan, have you lost your mind? She's your Aunt Evelyn! What are you thinking? You'd abandon your own child for a woman you can never have?"

Ethan let out a bitter laugh, unwilling to waste another breath arguing.

There's no point explaining myself to someone who refuses to understand.

"I'll reclaim my woman when the time comes."

His words were final—Ethan wanted nothing more to do with Vanessa.

If Eleanor insisted on keeping the baby, he wouldn’t interfere.

But Ethan would never let his heart soften for Vanessa again, and his relationship with his mother would shatter beyond repair.

Eleanor, however, remained unshaken.

She was certain Ethan just needed time. Once that baby is born, she thought, who could resist those tiny fingers and that innocent smile calling them Daddy?

Ethan had just lit a cigarette, the smoke curling around him as he reached his car. Then—

Vanessa burst through the front door, sprinting after him.

"Ethan! We need to talk!"

Her voice cracked with desperation, but he didn’t even glance back.

The car door slammed shut.

The engine roared to life.

And just like that, he was gone—leaving her standing there, fists clenched, heart pounding.

She had gambled everything on this moment.

And lost.

Secret Longing: A Love Reborn from Shadows (Evelyn Carter) novel