The Day Our Promise Breaks

He knew Charles had booked a flight to Country Y too-one day ahead of Evelyn's. Charles said it was for business, but everyone knew that was just an excuse. Like him, Charles couldn't stand the idea of Evelyn alone in a strange place.

But while Charles simply worried that Evelyn would feel lost or overwhelmed, with no one to back her up, he himself had deeper concerns the Rochette family, for one.

"Mr. Jenkins, my people will also be flying to Country Y. They'll stay at the same hotel as you and Evelyn. I'll tell them to follow your lead."

"Alright. Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to Eve," Charles replied.

He didn't turn down Brooks's offer. After all, they were overseas-anything could happen. A few more people looking out for Eve could only help.

In the end, both he and Brooks just wanted to be Evelyn's safety net. She could chase her dreams; they'd take care of the rest.

...

Evelyn had no idea about any of this.

The day of her flight, Josephine and Adam took her to the airport. Josephine kept fussing, "Eve, you'll be all alone in Country Y. Don't wander off by yourself, okay? Promise me you'll be careful."

"Mom, I know, I'll look after myself," Evelyn reassured her.

"Good. I'll be waiting for you to come home," Josephine said, reluctantly letting go of Evelyn's hand.

Adam said a few words to Evelyn, and then it was time for security. With her assistant beside her, Evelyn waved goodbye and disappeared into the terminal.

As soon as Evelyn was out of sight, Josephine whipped out her phone and called Charles. Brooks had told her Charles had flown out a day early and was staying at the same hotel as Evelyn.

Josephine didn't feel at ease until she knew Charles was there.

Charles picked up immediately. "Aunt Josephine, don't worry. I'll take care of Eve."

"Charles, if you see anyone from the Rochette family, keep Evelyn away from them. As far away as possible. Got it?"

"Got it," Charles agreed, no questions asked.

Josephine let out a long sigh. "I'm trusting you with her."

She knew Evelyn didn't want to get too involved with Charles, but in Country Y, he

was the only one she could count on to keep Evelyn safe.

"I'll protect her with my life," Charles promised. It was simple, but it was all he wanted to do for the rest of his days.

...

Country Y

Evelyn's flight landed, and there was already someone from the hotel waiting to pick her up. She checked their ID, then climbed into the car.

She'd caught a few hours' sleep on ony the plane. After checking in and taking a quick rest, Evelyn decided explore the neighborhood around the hotel.

In the elevator, she ran into two Chinese girls travelers, chatty and full of energy. The moment they spotted Evelyn, they struck up a conversationThe three of them hit it off right away, calling each other by their first names as they strolled out of the hotel together

A short distance away, in the

shadow of a narrow alley, a little girl huddled against the wall. She was painfully thin, dres threadbare

clothes, her hair a tangled mess, her skin streaked with grime. The smell

around her was sharp and sour.

In her hand, she clutched half a filthy, stale roll—something she'd just scavenged

from a nearby trash can. It was clearly long past edible.

But the little girl didn't care. She stuffed it into her mouth without a second

thought.

She had only one thing on her mind: staying alive.noveldrama

If she could just survive, maybe just maybe she'd get to see her mother again.