Before long, the little guy's even breathing filled the air, and he was soundly asleep.
Looking at his innocent little face, Evelyn, in a daze, suddenly thought of Glen Norman seven years from now. By then, he would have grown quite tall, and his looks would bear some resemblance to his uncle Lincoln.
The last time Evelyn saw him in her past life was at Lincoln's Tranquil Haven. That time, she had fought fiercely with Lincoln. When she slammed the door and left, she saw him standing at the bottom of the stairs…
Lincoln…
Thinking of him, Evelyn found herself unable to stay still anymore. After a moment of hesitation, she carefully lifted the blanket and got out of bed.
The large hospital gown hung loosely on her, and her already slim figure seemed even more delicate in it.
However, as soon as she opened the door, a tall figure appeared in her sight. She froze for a moment, instinctively looking up, and then her gaze collided with a pair of deep, sea-like eyes.
He had changed into a black casual suit, and his distinguished, cold face had a slight pallor. His eyes were like a calm, deep ocean, peaceful as the sea at night.
A cool breeze swept in, accompanied by a faint, fresh fragrance—his unique scent.
Evelyn's autumn eyes shimmered with a hint of confusion as she looked at him for a long time. Suddenly, her eyes began to burn with heat…
She hadn't forgotten…
In her past life, the last time she saw him was after their most bitter argument. He had gone to see her while he was ill, but she had been so angry that she slammed the door on him, even making him spit blood. She, on the other hand, had gone into a frenzy, smashing everything she could get her hands on.
Now, in retrospect, although he had "set her up" back then, in reality, it had been the best outcome for her. The things Chloe had handed over were enough to sentence her to decades in prison, or even longer. Not to mention, with Lincoln being replaced by a new competitor, they wouldn't have been able to enjoy a happy future.
But back then, she had not understood his intentions. She had only harbored resentment towards him for throwing her under the bus.
"I'm sorry..."
It had been so many years, and this was the first time she had said these three words to him. Standing before this man, Evelyn had so many complicated emotions that she didn't know how to face him. Yet, now that he stood before her, she felt a painful ache deep in her heart, unable to control her emotions.
She wasn't sure if it was the joy of a second chance at life, or something else...
Lincoln's deep eyes were like the sea, with currents seemingly swirling beneath the surface. When he noticed that she was swaying unsteadily, he extended a large hand and pulled her into his embrace. Evelyn froze for a moment, suddenly feeling as if she had no support, her hands instinctively reaching for him, wrapping lightly around his waist.
"It's alright, it's fine now."
He stiffened for a moment, and after a long pause, his low, husky voice came through, quietly allowing her to hold him.
A faint warmth radiated from him, and Evelyn could no longer control herself. Her eyes welled up with tears.
No matter what, they should have been cooperative partners, not bitter enemies.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
Evelyn, being someone with strong self-control, noticed her own loss of composure. She quickly pulled back from his arms, trying to steady herself, and began to scan him up and down.
"I'm fine."
He replied indifferently with those two words, slightly bending down, his long hand gently supporting her shoulder to prevent her from falling.
His face was still faintly pale, and his voice had an unnatural hoarseness to it, likely due to a cold. However, his condition seemed much better than any time she'd seen him before in her past life, looking far more energetic than she'd expected.
As long as he's fine, Evelyn thought, if he can avoid this crisis, could he perhaps remain healthy and strong in the future, no longer needing to endure the suffering he had before?
The warmth from his chest gradually began to dissipate the coldness from her body, bringing her a sense of comfort.
"Where does it hurt?"
Lincoln, always with an incredibly sharp intuition, noticed something was off with her. Though his heart was filled with curiosity, he didn't press her for answers.
Evelyn had made it clear in the past that she disapproved of his decision to send people straight to him. He knew she was unhappy about it, but he had simply turned a blind eye to her cold remarks. They had worked together multiple times, especially when she was stationed at the border and he was on a mission. They had always worked well together, so when he saw her name on the list, he didn't hesitate to choose her for this mission.
Evelyn shook her head, taking a deep breath to steady herself, "I'm fine..."
Lincoln remained calm, his gaze steady on her, "You had a high fever earlier."
He didn't know about her engagement; at the time, they were both in a remote town. When Evelyn had requested time off, he hadn't wanted to approve it. They had argued for a while, but eventually, he signed the request. Only now did he realize that she was supposed to be engaged yesterday, yet she still managed to come and save him in the middle of the night.
Evelyn's eyes darkened, and she didn't respond.
She knew her own situation. But the engagement needed to be addressed. This time, she wouldn't make the same mistake. She wouldn't allow herself to be a pawn, controlled by others.
"The weather's been terrible, and I was worried. You suddenly took leave, which could be seen as abandoning your post," he said casually.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow at his words. "I'll take it as your rare moment of good conscience," he continued, and without warning, he bent down and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her toward the room.
Her thoughts were a whirlwind. Was she really so negligent in her duties? And then his sudden action left her stunned. Instinctively, she tried to resist, but seeing the pallor on his face and noticing how his steps faltered, she hesitated, not daring to move.
She knew he couldn't exert too much force; his health had never been great, and she had heard that he'd been injured in the past. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have been in such poor condition after this recent crisis. There had been times when she had to support him during negotiations and escort him out, and each time, he insisted she leave without getting too close.
"What's going on outside?" she asked, watching him as he gently set her down on the sofa.
"Silver Creek has been completely shut off, according to the message from the meteorological department. The typhoon is still very strong and will persist for another one or two days. The rescue teams that have been dispatched are already on their way, but due to the special circumstances, they can't just rush into the disaster area."
Lincoln poured her a glass of water and sat down across from her.
The situation was much more serious than she had imagined. No wonder, in her previous life, the government had been in chaos over this, mobilizing a large number of surrounding military units to head to the disaster zone.
Fortunately, she had managed to rescue him in time...
"The vegetation in this area has been severely damaged. It's not surprising that something like this happened. The post-disaster reconstruction work will likely require a lot of your attention," he said.
Evelyn turned her head to look at the raging storm outside and couldn't help but furrow her brows.
He had originally been in charge of criminal investigations, but for some reason, a month ago, he was reassigned to oversee urban planning and construction. This was a deviation from her previous life.