[A Week Later — Carter Estate]
The rain had stopped sometime during the night, leaving the garden glistening in the pale morning light. The trees and other plants looked greener and fresher.
But unlike the outside, inside the Carter mansion there was silence. It was heavy and suffocating, the kind that made Gregory Carter deeply uncomfortable.
He sat at the breakfast table with his newspaper untouched and a half-empty cup of coffee growing cold beside him.
Melissa entered the dining room. "She didn't come down again," she said softly, taking the chair opposite him.
Gregory didn't look up. "I know."
"She barely talks, Gregory. She stays in her room all day, doesn't eat properly, doesn't sleep. I hear her walking around at night," Melissa continued, her voice trembling and full of concern. "It's been a week."
Gregory folded the newspaper and placed it aside. "She needs time, Mel."
"She has had time," Melissa said with a note of frustration creeping in. "What she needs is support not pressure from her father to do things for his benefit and definitely not to be dragged into more of your business dealings."
His jaw tightened. "This isn't about business. It's about showing the world she isn't broken."
Melissa scoffed quietly. "You mean showing the world that the Carters aren't broken."
The couple had a fall out when Melissa learnt Gregory was considering what Benjamin had said, pairing Evelyn and Alexander for benefits.
She couldn't deny the fact that Alexander was the best choice for her daughter and if the circumstances were different, she would have been happy. But the situation was different.
She was trying to keep Evelyn from having any links with Jack Reid or his family in order to protect her but her husband was considering throwing their only daughter away for benefit in the hands of the boy's family who had wronged her.
Before Gregory could respond, footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Evelyn appeared wearing a pale sweater and loose trousers with her hair pulled into a messy bun. Even though her face looked calm, her eyes were dulled.
"Morning," she murmured, sliding into her chair.
Melissa quickly reached for the plate in front of her. "I kept your favourite — omelette and toast."
Evelyn nodded faintly, cutting a small bite and chewing without appetite. "It's good."
Gregory watched her closely. "You have barely left your room all week."
"I am fine, Dad," she said automatically.
"No, you are not," Melissa interjected gently. "You have shut everyone out."
Evelyn's fork clinked against the plate. "Because every time I step outside, someone whispers. I can feel them judging me."
Initially Evelyn had tried leaving the house with Patricia but when they reached the mall, she could feel everyone stares and it made her feel very uncomfortable.
Although Alexander had done a great job taking care of all the articles that were up, the damage was already done. People had already seen and were talking.
Gregory leaned forward. "You can't let gossip define you, Evelyn. You are a Carter. You face it head-on," he said in a firm tone.
"Gregory—" Melissa warned under her breath but he continued.
"I spoke with Benjamin Reid," he said carefully.
Evelyn's head snapped up. "Why?" she frowned.
"He asked for a meeting," Gregory said. "It's a meeting for the ongoing partnership proposal between Carter and Reid enterprise. It's strictly professional but he requested you be present as well.
Evelyn shook her head immediately. "I am not doing that."
Melissa frowned and warned her husband again. "Gregory—I think it's enough."
He raised a hand slightly to stop her from intervening and continued, "I understand how you feel, Evelyn but Benjamin insisted you be present. He said it was important that both families discuss things openly for business. I am sure he is just trying to show that personal things won't affect our business deals."
"I don't care what he insisted," Evelyn said bitterly. "I don't want to see them at the moment."
Gregory's tone softened. "You can't hide forever and meeting him is not about forgiving what happened, it's about proving you can rise above it." He added, "The company needs this partnership and whether you believe it or not, this could help rebuild your image too."
Evelyn stared at her father for a long moment, feeling torn between anger and resignation. Finally, she pushed the plate away and stood. "Fine. I will go but I am only doing this for the company."
Gregory gave a small nod. "That is all I ask."
Without another word, Evelyn turned and left the room. She had barely touched her food or her coffee and Melissa was not happy about it.
As soon as she was gone, Melissa rounded on her husband. "You shouldn't have done that."
Gregory sighed. "She needs to face the world, Mel. If I keep her sheltered, they will eat her alive."
"She is not a pawn for your reputation," Melissa said sharply. "She is your daughter."
Gregory's voice dropped. "Everything I do is for her and our family," he frowned. "It's my job to protect you both and everything we have worked so hard for."
Melissa looked at him for a long moment with eyes full of quiet disappointment. "Sometimes I wonder if you even know the difference anymore."
She left the dining room, leaving Gregory alone with his thoughts and the faint echo of her words that cut deeper than he cared to admit.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the untouched cup of coffee.
He knew Melissa thought he was cold and maybe he was. But he had long learned that in their world, kindness was weakness and if he had to harden his heart to keep his family safe, then so be it.
As he sat there listening to the echo of his wife's words, Gregory couldn't shake the feeling that somewhere along the way, maybe he had stopped protecting Evelyn and started using her instead.
…..