Chapter 401

"Evelyn, are you awake? I brought you something to eat."

Evelyn pressed her lips together, her voice barely above a whisper but laced with resolve. "I'm not hungry. You can have it."

Without another word, she turned away and flicked off the lamp, casting the room into shadow.

But Ethan didn’t leave. "Evelyn, you’ve hardly touched anything in days. You’re wasting away. How can you not be hungry? At least come see what I got for you."

His tone was soft, almost desperate, but Evelyn exhaled sharply, exhaustion weighing her down.

"Ethan, I told you—I’m not hungry. We’ll talk tomorrow. Right now, I just want to sleep."

She couldn’t bear another pointless conversation with him, not when the night stretched endlessly before her.

Realizing he wouldn’t win this battle, Ethan finally relented. "Fine. Get some rest."

Yet he lingered outside her door, staring at the sliver of dim light beneath it.

A pang of sorrow twisted in his chest.

She used to adore him. Now, she couldn’t even stand the sound of his voice.

Ethan Caldwell was furious and needed space.

He was certain that if he gave her enough time, Evelyn would eventually soften.

Just then, a maid approached him. "Sir, the sandwich you brought back has been prepared. Would you like it now?"

He shook his head. "No, let the staff have it."

The maid hesitated. "But... didn’t you get that specifically for Ms. Carter? It’s quite rare."

"I’ll just fetch another one for her tomorrow."

Unbeknownst to him, Evelyn had heard every word from her bedroom.

She dismissed it at first, assuming it was just another one of Ethan’s careless remarks.

But the next morning, when she descended the stairs, her breath caught at the sight of a freshly made sandwich placed neatly on the dining table.

Ethan was already seated, his expression brightening the moment he saw her. "Evelyn, you must be starving. Come, eat something."

Her gaze flickered to the sandwich.

It was from that tiny bakery near her old high school—the one she used to visit religiously every weekend.

Years had passed since she last tasted it.

Evelyn lifted the delicate pastry to her lips, taking a hesitant bite. Almost immediately, her brows knitted together in displeasure.

“Well?” Ethan asked, his voice laced with hopeful anticipation.

Before she could respond, the housekeeper interjected eagerly. “Ms. Carter, you should know—Mr. Caldwell woke before sunrise just to stand in line for this. He wanted it to be fresh for you.”

Evelyn chewed slowly, then placed the pastry back on the plate with deliberate indifference. “It’s not the same.”

Ethan blinked, confused. He picked up a piece and took a bite himself. “What do you mean? It tastes exactly how it always has.”

“No,” she said coolly. “It’s different.”

The weight behind her words wasn’t lost on him.

“But it’s from the same bakery. Nothing’s changed.”

“Maybe you’ve just forgotten what it used to taste like.”

He nudged the plate toward her again, unwilling to concede. “Try another bite. I’m sure you’ll recognize it.”

Evelyn met his gaze steadily, her expression unreadable.

“The flavor is gone, Ethan. Just like us. Some things can’t be undone. Don’t you see that?”

A bitter laugh escaped him. “Evelyn, yesterday you told me that if I left Vanessa, you’d consider giving us another chance. Was that just a lie?”

Secret Longing: A Love Reclaimed After Darkness (Evelyn) novel