Cole sat by the hospital bed, watching Evelyne sleep. Her face was pale, the bruising on her cheek stark against her skin. The sight of it made his hands curl into fists. Mateo.
The man had dared to lay a hand on her. And now, he would pay.”
Cole had wasted no time. He had Mateo thrown in jail the moment Eve lost consciousness. Assault charges had been filed, and not just against him–Julienne, too.”
It was time they both faced consequences. But right now, none of that mattered. Right now, all Cole cared about was her. His fingers brushed against the back of her hand, careful not to wake her. He had almost lost her again.”
Not this time. Evelyne had always been his.
From the beginning, before all the betrayals, before the lies, before the kidnappings that had ripped them apart. He had wanted her since the moment their families introduced them.
At first, it had been duty–two powerful families merging through marriage. But for him, it had never been just business.
Even before he fully understood it, he had wanted her. Then, the kidnapping happened.
And when she came back, their parents forced him to marry Julienne instead. He hadn’t fought for Evelyne then.
But he would now. Cole exhaled, his grip on her hand tightening slightly.”
As soon as she woke up, he would ask her. No, he would marry her. Not because of business. Not because of their families. But because he had loved her all along. And this time, nothing would stand in his way.”
Pain. It was the first thing I felt. A dull, throbbing ache spread through my face, my head heavy and sluggish. My body felt weighted down, my limbs stiff as I forced my eyes open.
The blinding white of the hospital room greeted me.”
The smell of antiseptic filled my nose.
I blinked slowly, my vision clearing. And then-
“Evelyne.”
Cole. He was beside me, eyes filled with concern.
“You’re awake,” he breathed out, relief washing over his face.
I groaned softly, my fingers instinctively reaching for my aching cheek.
“Don’t touch it,” he murmured, gently lowering my hand. “It’s still bruised.“}
Everything came rushing back in an instant. Mateo. The fight. The punch. Darkness.
I sucked in a sharp breath, my chest tightening. “What happened?”
“Mateo is in jail,” Cole said immediately, his voice firm. “I made sure of it. He won’t come near you again.””
Something inside me loosened at those words.
Finally. Finally, he was gone.”
I let out a slow breath. “Good.”
Cole’s lips pressed together, as if he wanted to say something more, but before he could-
The door swung open. And my breath caught. My mother. She stood in the doorway, looking fragile in a way I had never seen before. Her once–cold eyes were red–rimmed, her face lined with exhaustion.
I tensed. I knew how this went. I knew what came next.
The accusations. The blame. The disappointment.”
I swallowed hard and lifted my chin. “If you’re here to scold me, don’t bother.”
My mother’s face crumpled. And then-
She started crying. Not silent tears. Not restrained. But raw, unfiltered sobs. Before I could react, she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around me, holding me so tightly it almost hurt.”
“Evelyne,” she choked out. “I am so sorry.“”
I froze. I had imagined this moment before–my mother finally admitting she was wrong. But I had never expected it to feel like this.
Like I couldn’t breathe. Like my heart was caving in on itself.”
She pulled back just enough to cup my face, her fingers trembling as they brushed against my bruised cheek. “I was wrong. About everything. About you. About Julienne. I let you suffer. I let you hurt and I-” Her breath hitched. “It’s my fault.”
Tears pricked at my eyes. I had spent years resenting her. Years accepting that she would never love me the way she loved Julienne. But now, hearing her voice crack, feeling her hands shake-
I didn’t know what to do.”
She sobbed again, her hands gripping mine. “I love you, Evelyne. I should have said it sooner. I should have–“>
I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breath, but the tears wouldn’t stop.
This moment–this impossible, unbelievable moment–I had imagined it before. I had dreamed of my mother saying these words, of her finally seeing me, choosing me.”
But now that it was real, I didn’t know how to feel.
“I–I don’t know what to say,” I admitted, my voice shaking.
My mother held my hands tightly, as if afraid I would slip away. “Just let me fix this,” she whispered. “Let me try, Evelyne. I can’t change the past, but I see it now. I see everything I’ve done, and I hate myself for it.”
Amy
I let out a small, breathless laugh, wiping at my damp cheeks. “You should,” I muttered, and she let out a choked laugh of her own.”
“I should,” she agreed, nodding. “But I don’t expect you to forgive me overnight. I just… I just need you to know that I love you, and I always should have shown it.”
Something inside me cracked–something deep, something old.
For so long, I had carried the weight of being the unwanted twin. The bad twin.
But hearing those words now, seeing the raw regret in her eyes…
I finally felt it.
Freedom.
Maybe forgiveness wouldn’t come easily. Maybe it would take time.
But for the first time in years, I wanted to try.
And that was enough.
Man Who Rescued Me Let My Daughter Die
