Editor: Henyee Translations “It’s not that I don’t want to help.” Kevin clicked his tongue, rubbing the back of his neck.
“But your description is way too vague, man!
A soft voice, a pretty face, long dark hair?” Kevin attempted to show Miles the amount of ridicule that description carried.
“That could describe half the women in the city.
And there weren’t even any traffic cameras on that stretch of road.
How exactly am I supposed to find her?” Miles couldn’t hide his disappointment.
He had been hoping Kevin could help him track down his ideal future sister-in-law, but with so little information, there wasn’t much anyone could do.
“Alright, alright,” Miles said with a sigh.
“I owe you dinner anyway.
I will figure something out myself.” — After receiving Matthias’s medical records, Evelyn spent the following several days immersed in research, determined to develop the best possible treatment plan for him.
After countless hours and several sleepless nights, she finally settled on an approach she believed could work.
Rubbing her aching temples, she leaned back in her chair.
Then she picked up her phone, which had been lying face down on the desk, and opened her chat with Matthias.
Their last conversation was still the one where he had sent her his records.
After a brief hesitation, she typed.
“Hey, do you have a minute?” At the other end, Matthias froze when his phone lit up.
She hadn’t contacted him since that day, and he hadn’t reached out either.
He had simply waited, without much hope.
Part of him had believed her promise was nothing more than just confidence.
Something that would fade with her understanding of the severity of his condition.
Yet now her message appeared on the screen.
Something unfamiliar stirred inside him.
“What is it?” When the reply arrived, Evelyn noticed how brief and distant it sounded.
She gathered her thoughts before responding.
“I have spent the past few days reviewing your case.
Your injury is complicated, and surgery isn’t the best option right now.
We will need to begin with conservative treatment first.” “Conservative treatment?” Matthias was genuinely surprised.
Not because he doubted her, but because she seemed to understand exactly what his condition required.
Unfortunately, Evelyn interpreted his surprise as skepticism.
She quickly sent another message.
“Don’t worry.
I’m very confident in my abilities.
We will start with conservative treatment and move on to surgery when the time is right.
Based on my plan, I have estimated about a seventy percent chance of recovery.” Seventy percent?
Matthias stared at the screen.
Did she realize how extraordinary that number was?
Specialists from some of the country’s top medical centers had estimated his chances at only twenty to thirty percent.
Yet she was the only person bold enough to put the odds that high.
It sounded almost unbelievable.
Ridiculous, even.
And yet, for some reason, he wanted to believe her.
Was it arrogance?
Confidence?
Or did she truly possess the skill to back up such a claim?
After a long moment, he typed back with slightly trembling fingers.
“Okay.
Come by whenever you are free.” “Sounds good.” Then Evelyn remembered something else.
“One more thing.
I only recently returned to the States, and I’m not affiliated with any hospital right now.
When it’s time for surgery, we will need access to a medical facility.” Matthias replied almost immediately.
“Leave that to me.
I’ll make the arrangements.” As Evelyn set down her phone, a cool breeze drifted through the half-open window beside her.
She shivered.
The lightweight sweater she wore offered little protection against the evening chill.
Getting up, she walked over to close the window.
For a brief moment, the cold air stirred an old memory.
Matthias standing behind her.
His voice was low and warm near her ear.
“You are freezing, Evelyn.
Stop pushing me away and let me warm you up.” Back then, he had always been gentle with her.
Though she knew he secretly enjoyed stealing those moments of closeness.
A faint smile tugged at her lips before fading.
Things were different.
Everything had changed.
Just when she had finally decided to accept him, he had disappeared from her life.
Then came the accident that changed everything.
If she hadn’t rushed back home because of her grandmother, and later seen the news reports herself, she never would have believed that a car crash was the reason he had vanished without a word.
After thinking for a moment, she sent another text.
“My dear fiancé, it’s getting colder these days.
Make sure you stay warm.
Especially your legs.
Warm compresses and regular massage therapy will help improve circulation.
Don’t make me worry about you.” At his desk, Matthias’s hand slipped.
The pen he was holding dropped from his fingers, rolled across the desktop, and clattered onto the floor.
Ever since the accident, his family had treated his condition like a forbidden subject.
No one dared discuss it directly.
As though avoiding the truth could somehow erase it.
Even his personal physician carefully avoided mentioning his legs in front of him after receiving strict instructions from Mrs.
Lowell.
Everyone seemed afraid of reminding him of what he had lost.
But their silence only made him more aware of it.
It made him feel fragile.
Broken.
Yet Evelyn spoke about it so naturally.
Like a doctor speaking to her other patients.
As if there was nothing shameful or tragic about it at all.
As if he were still the same man he had always been.
Then another thought occurred to him.
She seemed remarkably comfortable with her role as his future wife.
His gaze lingered on the words “my dear fiancé” for a long time.
Finally, he replied.
“Okay.
Thanks.” A second later, he frowned.
That sounded far too cold.
After a brief pause, he added, “You too.” By then, Evelyn had already gone to take a shower and hadn’t expected any reply.
When she returned, she found two unread messages waiting for her.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
For a moment, she found herself thinking about the old Matthias, the one from before the accident.
In public, he had always appeared reserved and distant.
But around her, he had been surprisingly gentle.
Patient.
Careful.
Always worried about upsetting her.
She shook away the memory.
Right now, none of that mattered.
The most important thing was helping him walk again.
Everything else could wait.
The day of Grace’s birthday party finally arrived.
The Ashford estate blazed with light.
The mansion was lavishly decorated, and guests from prominent families filled the grand first-floor ballroom.
Laughter and conversation blended into a constant buzz of activity.
Meanwhile, the third floor remained quiet.
Evelyn had no interest in the festivities downstairs.
After changing clothes, she slipped out through a side entrance and headed toward the garage.
The car she drove had been a gift from Felix.
Neither Felix nor Isabelle had ever shown her much genuine affection.
Felix’s behavior seemed driven more by guilt than fatherly love, while Isabelle alternated between cold indifference and controlling concern.
A few minutes later, Evelyn started the engine and pulled out of the estate.
At nearly the same time, a silver Porsche approached the Ashford residence from the opposite direction.
Miles was heading to the party with considerable reluctance.
If he weren’t determined to stop the engagement, he wouldn’t have shown up at all.
Driving casually, his mind wandered elsewhere until a passing vehicle caught his attention.
The driver ‘s-side window was partially lowered.
For a split second, he caught the profile of an exceptionally beautiful woman behind the wheel.
Miles’s eyes narrowed.
Wait.
That was— Without thinking, he jerked the steering wheel.
“That’s her!” His shout echoed inside the car.
“My future sister-in-law!” He immediately made a sharp U-turn and slammed on the accelerator.
Ahead of him, Evelyn quickly noticed the vehicle following her.
She couldn’t remember offending anyone recently, which made the situation all the more suspicious.
Her gaze flicked to the rearview mirror.
The silver Cayenne was still there.
Persistent.
Without hesitation, she spun the wheel and abruptly changed direction.