The Day Our Promise Breaks

Charles gently scooped Evelyn into his arms and settled her in the back seat, his touch soft and full of care. "Take us back to the hotel," he told the driver.

The car slipped quietly through the night streets.

Charles glanced down at Evelyn, unconscious but still crying silent tears. Even in sleep, she kept whispering, "Charlie," over and over.

His chest ached. It felt like his heart was being torn apart.

He leaned down, his face etched with worry, and kissed away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Resting his forehead against hers, his voice came out rough and low. "Eve, I'm so sorry."

Seeing Evelyn hurting like this was almost more than he could bear. It was all his fault. She was suffering because of him.

He hated himself for it.

When they got back to the hotel, Charles immediately called for a doctor. Only after the doctor checked Evelyn and said she'd be fine did he finally leave.

Charles carried Evelyn to their room and gently laid her on the bed. He knelt by her side and carefully slipped off her shoes.

Her feet were a mess-red, swollen, the skin raw and broken at the heels and across the tops. Charles grabbed the ointment the doctor had left and tended to her wounds with slow, steady hands before tucking her under the covers.

Evelyn was beyond exhausted. Her body was heavy, her mind even heavier. Sleep came, but it was shallow and restless.

To help her rest, Charles had the doctor give her something mild for sleep.

He didn't leave her side. He didn't even lie down. He just sat at the edge of the bed, eyes full of worry and guilt, watching over her.

studied her pale face and gently smoothed away the crease in her brow with his thumb as she

by, minute after

shake Evelyn's words from his

why

right. How could he

times before. His lack of faith had broken her heart, had played a part in Charlie's death, and let whoever was

she heard Charlie call her "Mama." She would never make up something like that. Even if she'd been mistaken, he should have turned the world upside down to find the child she'd heard-brought that person to

her down, refused to believe

in his chest as he pulled out

his turf-he didn't

Ine

same power here. Finding someone in a foreign country was

So he called Korbin.

answer, his voice

to get the security footage from near the hotel. Korbin just replied with a short "Got it," and

worked fast. Less than ten minutes later, Charles received an

opened it

It didn't

take him long to

saw that

stamp. The moment

figure on