Unmasking the Heiress

Cole's voice was raspy, carrying the weight of a man who was just starting to bounce back from a serious illness.

"What else? Work and the usual company stuff."

Yale dropped what he was doing and answered with an easy smile. "Dad, are you feeling under the weather or something? How about I swing by in the next couple of days?"

Cole was getting on in years and had become pretty clingy, always hoping his kids, especially Evangeline, would come around to the family home for a visit.

That call was a wake-up call for Yale. He had been so wrapped up in Evangeline and Yessica's business that he would put the old man on the back burner. That was not appropriate.

"You scamp, if I didn't ring you up, you'd never think to drop by, would you?"

Cole's voice was teasing, but Yale could hear the smile in his words. He was not really mad; he just wanted them to come and hang out with him.

"Too caught up in work, huh?"

Yale chuckled awkwardly.

Grown-ups could act like kids. There was, his dad, the great and powerful, getting all pouty like a little one.

"Does being busy mean you forget all about me?" Cole put on a show of being upset, but his tone quickly softened. "You're all swamped with work, I get it, you can't drop by. But what about Evie? She's expecting, she can't be as tied up as you guys, right? Or did you rope her into working too?"

By the end, Cole sounded genuinely concerned.

His darling granddaughter was carrying the future of the Foster family. How could they let work stress her out at such a crucial time?

Yale felt a sting of guilt at his father's words.

"Dad, don't jump to conclusions. Evie is our priority right now, and no one is letting her lift a finger. Remember the car crash fiasco? Evie got off with a scare, and that's why she hasn't been able to visit."

Yale had called home with the news of Evangeline's safety right after the accident, so Cole was in the

loop.

Under normal circumstances, after such a close call, Evangeline should have come to see Cole with Walter. However, the situation with her and Walter...

Yale adored his niece and did not want Evangeline to trouble herself for a visit, always making excuses to keep her comfortable.

Of course, the other Foster brothers were on the same page. They had managed to put off Evangeline's visit to see Cole until then.

However, Cole, who had been given the runaround by his sons a few times already, was determined to get some straight answers before he picked up the phone.

"Yale, whenever you guys talk about Evie, you're all saying the same thing. Nothing's happened to her, right?"

Yale nearly jumped out of his skin at the question.

Cole was in the middle of some serious healing, and the doctors had been clear: no stress allowed. If Cole started freaking out and got worse, Yale would never forgive himself. "What could go wrong? She's just pregnant and resting up at home!*

"Then bring her back to the family home! The staff here have known her since she was a kid, they'll take great care of her..."NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

Yale bit his lip. "Dad, can I talk it over with Evie first?"

Evangeline got Yale's call as the sun was setting. She told him she had already made plans to visit Cole with Walter, and then she started to worry.

How was she going to act around Walter tomorrow?