Chapter 216

Because of the pain, Evelyn's eyes were rimmed with red. She took a shaky breath and stepped out of the elevator looking lost and dazed. Anyone could tell something had hit her hard. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, like she was holding herself together. Slowly, Evelyn walked through the hotel lobby and stopped at the entrance. Then, she crouched down and buried her head into her knees. Her shoulders trembled slightly—every bit the picture of someone crying in silence. But in truth, she was betting on something. She was betting that the person pulling the strings behind everything wouldn't resist showing up to mock her. And honestly? She wasn't even sure if she was right. But she waited anyway, head down, pretending to break apart. To her "surprise," the person didn't let her down. Evelyn felt someone walking toward her, their presence casting a shadow over her crouched figure. Right on cue, she snapped her head up. As soon as she saw who it was, her expression turned ice c