The Day Our Promise Breaks (Charles and Evelyn) novel Chapter 190

Charles felt his heart flutter. His fingers were just about to weave through Evelyn's, aiming for that perfect interlocking grip, but she skillfully pulled away at the last second.

Patrick, noticing the exchange, glanced at his right-hand man, who took the hint and slipped away quietly. Charles and Evelyn stepped into the spotlight together. Patrick ceded his space to them, and as Evelyn brushed past him, he shot her a look full of layered meanings—a look that said she was getting more than she deserved, in his opinion.

Evelyn ignored him completely, moving forward to face the media. All attention was on Charles and Evelyn, leaving no one to notice Dahlia and her daughter being manhandled by bodyguards in the background. Their mouths were covered, and they were being rudely ushered out.

"Who do you think you are, treating us like this? Charles will hear about this and won't let you get away with it!" Dahlia spat out, her voice strained as she forced the words through clenched teeth. But these men answered only to Patrick. Her threats only earned her rougher handling. They were dragged away from the crowd and out of the Jenkins estate.

By the time they reached the gates, Dahlia and Sandy's once pristine designer outfits were filthy and torn. They were shoved unceremoniously into a car, which sped down the private drive only to dump them out in a muddy puddle. Splattered and shivering in the biting wind, they were a pitiful sight compared to their earlier bravado.

...

At the Jenkins Estate.