The sun tried to pierce the veil of clouds that covered the city, but the light that escaped was pale, as if it hesitated to illuminate the darkest corners. Evelyn watched this scene from the window of her small apartment, with the cup of coffee forgotten in her hands.
She had slept badly. Her mind kept replaying the scenes from the previous day: Matthew in the hospital, the seriousness of his words, and that unexpected alarm that had dragged her away before she could get any response from him.
She sighed deeply, trying to dispel her thoughts. "He's just another patient, Evelyn. Just another one." But her attempt at self-convincing sounded false even to herself.
In the kitchen, as she finished her coffee, her cell phone vibrated on the table. A new message.
Clara: "I'm having lunch in the cafeteria today. Are you coming? I need to gossip about yesterday!"
Evelyn smiled, although her heart sank a little. "Yesterday,"
Before she could answer, another message arrived. But this time it wasn't Clara.
Unknown number: "Good morning. I hope you're okay. – M.O."
Evelyn stared at her phone for a few seconds, trying to process what she saw. "M.O." It could only be Matthew Oliver.
The initial urge was to ignore it, but somehow, her fingers moved on their own.
"I'm fine, yes. Is something wrong?"
The answer came almost instantly.
"No. I just wanted to know how you're doing. Yesterday was... intense."
She felt her cheeks burn, something that irritated her deeply. Why did he have this effect on her?
"It was. But nothing out of the ordinary for me."
"For me, it was."
Evelyn stared at that last message, not knowing how to respond. What did he mean by that? But before she could delve into another exhaustive mental analysis, her alarm clock rang, reminding her that she had a shift waiting for her.
At the hospital, the day began like any other. Evelyn was reviewing files, focused on not letting her thoughts wander.
Clara appeared at some point, bringing her usual lightness.
"So, what about the mysterious hunk? Have you answered my messages or are you so busy with him that you forgot about me?"
Evelyn rolled her eyes.
"He's just a patient, Clara. And honestly, I don't even know what he wants with me."
"Oh, of course. And I'm the heiress of a chocolate empire," Clara replied, with an exaggerated laugh.
Before Evelyn could reply, there was a commotion in the hallway. When she looked at the entrance, there he was: Matthew, imposing as always, with that air of someone carrying the world on his shoulders.
Clara's eyes widened.
"He came to see you."
Evelyn stood up, confused and unable to hide her nervousness.
"He didn't come. It's a coincidence."
But, of course, it wasn't. Matthew saw her and walked straight toward her, ignoring the curious looks that followed him.
"Evelyn," he said, with a tone that seemed like a mix of order and request.
"Matthew... what are you doing here?"
"We need to talk."
"I don't think this is the place," she replied, trying to sound firm.
He nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on her, as if he was willing to wait as long as necessary.
"When you have time, let me know."
Without waiting for an answer, Matthew turned and left, leaving Evelyn with a mixture of relief and frustration. Clara, next to him, was almost jumping with curiosity.
"Are you kidding me that you're going to let him leave like that? Girlfriend, this man is a work of art!"
Evelyn sighed, but didn't respond.
By the end of the day, Evelyn was exhausted, but the conversation with Matthew haunted her. Before leaving the hospital, she picked up her phone and, without thinking much, sent a message.
"Do you still want to talk? I'm going to the park near the hospital."
The reply came a few minutes later.
"I'm already on my way."
She regretted it almost immediately, but decided it was too late to turn back.
In the park, night was already beginning to fall. The streetlights reflected on the wet grass, and the air had that fresh smell of damp earth. Evelyn was sitting on a bench when Matthew appeared, walking toward her with that calm but purposeful gait.
"You came," he said, stopping in front of her.
"You insisted," she replied.
Matthew sat down next to her, but kept a respectful distance. For a few moments, neither of them said anything.
"Yesterday I said I wanted to protect you," he began, breaking the silence.
"And you still haven't explained why."
He looked at her, serious as ever.
---because you're different."
Evelyn let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
---different? That's so generic, Matthew."
"Not to me."
The intensity in his voice made her stop. Evelyn stared at him, trying to decipher what she saw in his eyes. There was something there, something that seemed to be more than just concern.
"You don't need to protect me. I can take care of myself."
"It's not about knowing how to take care of yourself. It's about what might be coming your way."
Evelyn frowned, confused.
- ... "Just promise me you'll be careful."
Evelyn felt a shiver, but nodded, not sure what she was getting herself into.
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit office, Dmitri Volkov held a photo of Evelyn in his hands. His smile was cold, cruel, as he studied her face.
"She's his weakness," he said, to no one in particular.
One of his men approached.
"Do you want us to do something?"
Volkov shook his head.
"Not yet. First, I want to see him suffer."
Night had already completely settled in Lorencia. The streets were quieter, punctuated only by the distant roar of engines and the hurried footsteps of those seeking the warmth of home. Evelyn walked back to the apartment, Matthew's words echoing in her mind like a broken record.
"Promise me you'll be careful."
Promises. Such a small word, but it weighed so much. It was almost comical. After everything she had gone through with Nycolas and the Alystair family, after years of silences that were more cutting than words, now a man she barely knew appeared with his almost invasive concern.
Arriving at the entrance of the building, Evelyn felt the cold night air make her skin crawl. The yellow lights in the hallway cast shadows that seemed to dance. She was getting ready to unlock the door when she heard a voice behind her.
"Back home?"
She spun around so fast she almost lost her balance. It was Clara, with a smile that was half amusement, half mischief.
"For God's sake, Clara! Do you want to scare me to death?"
Clara laughed, raising her hands in surrender.
"Sorry, but you've been so spaced out these days that I had to get your attention somehow."
Evelyn rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. Clara was the dose of normalcy she needed. Someone who didn't carry secrets or hidden agendas.
"So, what's new?" Clara asked, leaning casually against the wall.
Evelyn hesitated. Part of her wanted to spill the beans about Matthew, about the messages, the encounter in the park, the cryptic words. But another part knew that the less Clara knew, the better.
"Nothing much. Just another busy day at the hospital."
Clara arched an eyebrow.
"Okay, mysterious doctor. But hey, if you need a listener, I'm always here."
Evelyn nodded, feeling a tightness in her chest. It was nice to have someone like Clara, even if she couldn't share everything.
Across town, Matthew was in his office. Not at Oliver Corp, but in a much more discreet and shadowy place. The walls were paneled in dark wood, and the only light came from a small lamp on the desk.
Before him, a robust-looking man waited patiently. He was one of his most loyal subordinates, but even he seemed uncomfortable under Matthew's piercing gaze.
"What have you managed to find out?" Matthew asked, his voice low but full of authority.
The man cleared his throat before answering.
"Dmitri Volkov is on the move. It seems he has discovered something… or someone… that he considers important to you."
Matthew was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on an invisible point. Volkov was a name he preferred to keep at a distance. A dangerous, unpredictable man who knew how to use others' weaknesses against them.
"Keep monitoring. If there is any movement, report it to me immediately."
"Yes, sir."
When the man left, Matthew remained seated, his fingers intertwined and his gaze lost. He knew Volkov was approaching, but what worried him was who was at the center of it all.
Evelyn couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in bed, her mind stuck in an endless cycle of thoughts. Finally, she gave up and went to the living room, wrapping herself in a blanket on the couch.
The apartment was silent, except for the occasional sound of cars passing by on the street. She picked up her phone and, without thinking much, opened the conversation with Matthew.
The messages were there, each one carrying a weight she didn't yet understand. The urge to write something was strong, but what? "Why do you want to protect me?" "What's going on?"
Instead, she typed:
"I hope you're okay."
The message was sent before she could convince herself otherwise.
The next day, Evelyn woke up early, despite the night's sleeplessness. When she looked at her phone, she saw that there was a reply from Matthew.
"Being okay is relative. But thanks for asking."
Evelyn smiled slightly. It was typical of him, always so enigmatic.
At the hospital, the day started off busy. Clara showed up, as always, with her contagious energy.
"So, are you ready for another day of saving lives?"
"Always."
The two laughed and started reviewing the patients' files. But, in the middle of the afternoon, something unexpected happened.
A man appeared at the reception desk, asking to speak to Evelyn. He was tall, with dark hair and cold eyes, with an accent that made it clear he wasn't from there.
"Dr. LaMont?"
Evelyn felt a chill down her spine when she heard his full name.
"It's me. Can I help you?"
The man handed her a sealed envelope.
"This is for you."
Before she could ask anything, he turned and left, leaving her with more questions than answers.
On the envelope was written a single sentence:
"Some secrets shouldn't be kept."
Evelyn felt her heart race. Who would send something like that? And why?
Clara noticed her expression and approached.
"Is everything okay?"
Evelyn quickly put the envelope away.
"Yes, just... a personal problem."
But the truth was that she didn't know what to think.
That night, Evelyn couldn't help herself. She texted Matthew, telling him about the envelope.
"Is this normal for you?"
His reply came faster than she expected.
"Did you receive anything?"
"Yes. A cryptic sentence, but nothing more."
Matthew was silent for a while before replying again.
"Promise me you won't ignore this. And if anything else happens, let me know."
Evelyn hesitated, but eventually agreed.
"Okay."
She didn't know what to expect from now on, but one thing was certain: her life was changing, and she was just beginning to understand why.