Chapter 884

Emily Anderson watched as her classmates crowded around Evelyn Carter, bombarding her with questions. Her chest tightened. She hurried forward and thrust the hydrangea bouquet in her arms toward her sister. "Eve, these flowers will wilt if we don't put them in water soon!"

The midsummer sun was relentless. The delicate edges of the hydrangea petals had already begun to curl. Emily knew her sister wasn't short on money these days, but their childhood habit of frugality made it impossible for her to waste anything. Clutching the flowers, she dashed toward the dorm, her ponytail bouncing behind her.

With Emily gone, the group of girls felt awkward continuing their gossip. Their gazes drifted to Alexander Hamilton playing with Baby Chloe on the lawn nearby, their eyes filled with envy.

"I want to marry someone like that someday—someone who's good with kids and takes care of the home," a girl with a topknot murmured.

The bespectacled girl next to her adjusted her glasses. "Please. All men are crooked trees. Why hang yourself on just one? If you ask me, a career is what really matters. Men? Well..."

The girls giggled as they walked away.

Evelyn watched their youthful figures retreat, her gaze unconsciously settling on Alexander. He was crouched on the grass, picking up fallen petals one by one to amuse the baby. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across his shoulders.

She wasn’t sure if he had heard them.

Not that it mattered to her whether he had or not. What unsettled her was how she had allowed Emily’s classmates to believe they were married. The lie pricked at her heart like a tiny thorn.

She knew too well the bitterness of shattered hope. Even with all the history between them, she couldn’t bear to hurt him this way.

Alexander seemed to sense her gaze. He deliberately tossed the petals high into the air, turning to her amid the fluttering shower of petals. Behind his glasses, his eyes held a gentle warmth. "Done talking?"

"Yeah. Emily went back to put the flowers in water." Evelyn exhaled in relief.

"Should we take her out for dinner?" Alexander brushed grass stains from his trousers. "You pick the place."

By sunset, they had dropped Emily off at her dorm. The girl clung to the new backpack Evelyn had bought her, adamantly refusing to return to the Hamilton estate with them.

"I’m not about to be a third wheel!" Emily winked at her sister before darting into the building.

Evelyn shook her head helplessly, though the corners of her lips lifted despite herself.

On the drive back, Baby Chloe had already dozed off in her car seat. Alexander glanced at Evelyn in the rearview mirror. "Want to take a walk by the river? It’s too hot during the day. Now’s the perfect time."

He knew she needed the exercise, but he also worried about her drowning in the grief of Bianca Langley’s death. Lately, he often woke to the sound of her startled breaths in the middle of the night.

"Sure." Evelyn turned to the window.

The riverside at night was alive with scattered lights. Couples strolling, elderly walking their dogs, children playing—it painted a vivid scene of everyday life. Crickets chirped in the grass, and occasionally, a stray cat darted past, its green eyes gleaming in the dark.

Evelyn took a deep breath of the damp night air, her tense nerves gradually unwinding.

"Emily is happy," Alexander said suddenly. "Aunt Grace and Uncle Andrew gave her all the love she needed."

Evelyn’s fingers absently traced the railing. "If it weren’t for me—"

"There are no 'what ifs,'" Alexander cut in. "They chose to love you, just like you chose to keep this baby."

The river breeze brushed through Evelyn’s hair. She thought of her father’s rough hands, her mother’s warm embrace. That love, deeper than blood, had long since become part of her bones.

The mansion was quiet when they returned. A new cat tree stood in the corner of the living room, with Peanut curled up in the topmost cubby, his tail swaying lazily.

Alexander carefully settled the baby in her crib before returning to the living room with a toolkit. With practiced ease, he affixed corner guards to the cat tree, his movements as efficient as a professional installer.

Evelyn leaned against the doorframe, watching him work. "When did you learn how to do this?"

"When the baby started learning to walk." He didn’t look up. "A father should know some practical skills." He paused. "We’ll need these when our child is born."

Moonlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, stretching their shadows long across the floor. The soft edges of the corner guards glowed a warm beige under the light—just like the fragile peace they had carefully built together.