The Day Our Promise Breaks

Staring into Evelyn's eyes, blazing with hatred, Charles felt his voice vanish. It took him a long, shaky moment to find it again. When he finally spoke, his eyes were red, his voice hoarse. "Eve, I know I was blind and selfish before. I hurt you and Charlie more times than I can count. I'm not asking for forgiveness right away, but-for the sake of our child-please, just give me one more chance."

"I swear, I won't ever let anything happen to you or the baby again. Let me spend the rest of my life making it up to you both-please. I promise, I'll be a good husband, a good father-"

"Charles, stop kidding yourself," Evelyn cut him off, her tone icy.

"The second Charlie died, you lost any right to make things right. This child isn't Charlie. Charlie is gone—she died, carrying all the pain you and Dahlia caused her. Nothing you say now can change that."

Her words sliced through his desperate vows.

"The dead don't come back, and she'd never want to be your daughter again."

"If you're looking for redemption, you won't find it here. I won't give you another chance, and neither would Charlie. You deserve to live the rest of your life with that guilt and pain. That's all you've earned."

Evelyn refused to let him hold on to any comforting illusions.

She would never pretend her unborn baby was Charlie, never let him use this child as a way to make up for his failures as a father. That wasn't fair-to Charlie, or to the baby she carried.

Charles's pain deepened; every breath felt sharp, every word like a fresh wound.

Her words dragged him back through the last few years-his coldness, the awful things he'd said, the way he'd ignored Evelyn and Charlie. The memories spun in his mind, each one a dagger he couldn't pull out.noveldrama

He could see, just by looking at her, that Evelyn wasn't playing games. She wasn't doing this just to punish him. She truly didn't want this child.

Evelyn, who once adored children, was determined to end her pregnancy.

She hated him that much.

She'd rather cut every last tie between them-including the one growing inside her.

Charles's chest tightened until he could barely breathe.

He'd brought this on himself. He deserved every bit of it.

But-

"Eve, I know I was wrong. Hate me if you want, blame me-fine. But I can't let you get rid of this baby."

His voice was low, but there was no room for argument.

Evelyn's lips twisted into a cold smirk. “Charles, what gives you the right to stop me?"

"I'm the father of this child!"

"Eve, hate me all you want. Hit me,

me, take a knife to

5 you need. But the me

ét

you the baby

stays. That's non-negotiable."

His gaze dropped to her stomach, eyes shining with raw emotion.

He looked at her as if he could see right through her, as if he already knew the baby inside.

That was his Charlie.

Charlie loved him so much-how

could she not want to be his

daughter again? She must have felt

his regret. That must be why, even after Eve took the pills, the baby was still there, fighting to live.

Charlie was giving him a second chance.

"I said I'm not keeping it!" Evelyn's voice was even more determined.

"This is my body. I decide what happens to it."

She threw off the covers and started to get up-only for Charles's hand to land

firmly on her shoulder, holding her in place.

He leaned in close, his eyes dark and

Ine

unwavering. "Eve, as long as I'm here, no one will touch you. No one is going to do that procedure. Not without my say."