Dangerous Secrets: My Mafia Stepbrother

After the conversation, the two of them sat quietly in the sun until noon. It was then that James took Evelyn back to the ward and also brought back lunch. Evelyn’s mood was indeed a little better today, but she still felt a bit heavy-hearted.

Thinking about their conversation and James’s desolate look, and his final words about respecting her thoughts, Evelyn felt a pang in her heart. She knew she didn’t deserve love. James was so good; he should find a passionate, cheerful, and brave woman, just like Elisa. For some reason, at that moment, she found James and Elisa to be a perfect match, but she herself was not worthy of James.

James brought lunch for Evelyn and accompanied her while she ate. Seeing Evelyn’s stable mood, he asked her, “Evelyn, would you like to go outside for a stroll, maybe do some shopping?”

Although she knew Evelyn no longer liked him, James still wanted to be kind to her. He couldn’t articulate his inner thoughts, perhaps because he was now the one protecting Evelyn, her only friend here. She truly considered him a friend, and he couldn’t disappoint her, could he?

Evelyn nodded, “Sure, let’s go for a walk.”

She wasn’t someone who could stay still in one place. Earlier, it was due to danger, but now, after staying in the hospital for so long, it was because her mental state was not great. She was afraid of the outside world and feared encountering danger once she stepped out. She was afraid to face many things, including Isabella, Emanuele, and her parents. Keeping herself locked in the ward made Evelyn feel less overwhelmed. But today, upon hearing the news of Isabella’s improvement, Evelyn felt slightly better. Isabella still cared for her, and this made Evelyn feel particularly guilty. She couldn’t continue to deteriorate. Even when Isabella was at her lowest, Evelyn couldn’t be there for her. Yet, Isabella still cared for her. She felt like a useless person and knew she had to be brave and couldn’t continue like this.

James was happy to hear that Evelyn was willing to go out. He must have thought it was because of the good news he brought her today. “Then, let me drive you out for some fun. How about we go to the biggest mall and have a look around?”

Evelyn looked at James, “But I’m a little worried.” Her eyes still held fear.

“Don’t worry, Evelyn. I’ll protect you. I swear, I’ll use my life to protect you.”

James’s calm demeanor quickly calmed Evelyn as well. Yes, James was so strong; it felt like he could take on ten people alone. With him protecting her, she didn’t need to worry. Moreover, William was dead, so that maniac wouldn’t bother her anymore.

After resting for a while, James drove Evelyn out. As they traveled, looking at the wide road and the passing cars, Evelyn felt her mood slowly become much more relaxed. Indeed, the outside world was different from the cramped hospital room. It was vast and beautiful, and she felt herself relaxing.NôvelDrama.Org © content.

They arrived at the mall, and James said to Evelyn, “Evelyn, how about we have some afternoon tea together?” It was already tea time.

“Okay,” Evelyn knew it was hard for James to drive them from the hospital to the mall, taking an hour.

“I’ll treat you,” Evelyn said.

“In that case, I won’t be polite,” James said.

In the end, he only ordered a cup of coffee and a croissant. Evelyn ordered a fruit tea, a piece of cake, and some fries. These were high-calorie, overly sweet foods, but Evelyn knew they would make her feel better.

The café was quite crowded. Evelyn felt like it had been a long time since she had seen so many people. For some reason, she felt a bit anxious, especially around the many men. The reason she was afraid of men was because of the day William threatened to hand her over to his men to be raped. She remembered the way his men looked at her, as if they wanted to devour her. It was terrifying. She had been having nightmares and couldn’t seem to wake up from them. Seeing men, she was afraid they would harm her and couldn’t help but scream.

There were quite a few men around now, but Evelyn felt a little calmer due to James’s reassurance. However, she still felt that there might be someone in the crowd who meant her harm, and she looked at James. Sensing Evelyn’s panic, James sighed. He knew Evelyn was getting scared again, and there were many men around, even the waiters.

With this in mind, James couldn’t help but hold Evelyn’s hand. “Evelyn, look at me, don’t be afraid.”

Evelyn looked at James, and their eyes met. James’s face usually lookedominous, capable of intimidating anyone, but at that moment, he gazed at her with the gentlest eyes. Although his eyes were gentle, they held a powerful strength. As Evelyn looked at him, she felt all the frightening things around her disappear. It was as if she was safe as long as this man was with her, and she didn’t need to worry about any danger.

“Thank you, James,” Evelyn said softly to James.

“No need to thank me. Protecting you is my duty,” James replied.

Evelyn looked at James, realizing that his feelings toward her had changed. Perhaps her previous words had made James give up on her? They finished their afternoon tea, and then James took Evelyn shopping at the mall.

“Evelyn, feel free to choose anything you like. Emanuele said you can spend as much as you want,” James said.

Evelyn knew Emanuele was being generous because of Isabella. He was treating her well because he didn’t want Isabella to worry. Isabella was lucky to have found a man who cherished her. Although they had faced some difficulties before, their lives had now returned to normal.

Evelyn turned to James, “Okay, I’ll have a look.”

She was someone who loved shopping and buying things. At the mall, looking at the clothes, bags, and shoes displayed in the windows, Evelyn felt her desires slowly returning. She wanted to own all these beautiful clothes, bags, shoes, jewelry, and cosmetics.

Watching the gleam in Evelyn’s eyes, James couldn’t help but smile slightly. He had guessed it right. Just like Emanuele did for Isabella, he could take Evelyn out shopping, and it would make her happy.