Evelyn drifted back to sleep and didn't wake until ten.
She stretched lazily, feeling completely refreshed. It had been days since she'd slept so soundly.
Gray had mentioned he hadn't slept well in days. She hadn't either.
A troubled heart never rests easy.
Evelyn got up, washed up, and walked out of the bedroom. Lily was wiping down the furniture on the second floor. She looked up and greeted her.
"Good morning, Mrs. Sterling!"
"Good morning, Lily!" Evelyn replied.
"Mr. Sterling said I should bring your breakfast upstairs once you woke naturally. I'll go get it now!" Lily said, turning to head downstairs.
"Lily, don't bother. I'll eat downstairs!" Evelyn called after her.
"It's no trouble at all!" Lily said with a smile.
"I'd rather go down!" Evelyn insisted, walking over.
"Take your time, ma'am!" Lily quickly added.
Evelyn nodded, and they went downstairs together.
Lily brought the warm breakfast to the dining table. Evelyn ate quietly.
Honestly, she never had much of an appetite in the morning. But breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Even without an appetite, she forced herself to eat a little. Especially now that she had the baby.
Evelyn had just finished eating when the phone rang. Lily went to answer it, then came back.
"Mrs. Sterling, it's Miss Moore!"
"Okay!" Evelyn picked up the phone and asked with a smile, "Why didn't you call my cell phone?"
"If your cell phone actually worked, I wouldn't have to call your landline!" Charlie complained directly on the other end.
"Oh, my phone is in the bedroom!" Evelyn said with a laugh.
"I've been calling your cell for ages! No one answered! What have you been up to? It feels like I haven't seen you in forever!"
"It's only been a week!" Evelyn said, still smiling.
"You're so heartless. It's been over a week and you haven't called me. Aren't you afraid I'll miss you?"
"Aren't you super busy these days? I didn't want to disturb you!"
"What disturbance? What are your plans today?"
"Nothing. Just staying home!" Evelyn replied.
"Is it convenient for you to go shopping now?"
"What, do you think I'm a balloon? You're exaggerating so much! Do you want to come now or this afternoon?"
"If you can go now, of course I'll come pick you up right now!"
"Okay, you don't have to work today?"
"Today is Saturday. You stay at home and you don't even know what day it is!"
"I don't work, so of course I don't pay attention to what day it is!" Evelyn answered defiantly.
"Then you should at least care about when your husband has to work!"
"He never rests all year round, so what difference does the day of the week make?" Evelyn laughed.
"You're a true capitalist!" Charlie scoffed. "Get dressed and ready. I'll be there to pick you up soon!"
"Roger that!" Evelyn answered with a smile.
"Roger that, my foot. You sound like a eunuch!" Charlie scolded playfully.
"Palace maid!" Evelyn shot back with a grin.
They joked a bit more before hanging up.
"I'm going out with Charlie later. Don't bother making lunch for me at noon," Evelyn told Lily.
"Yes, ma'am," Lily replied.
Evelyn left the dining room, went upstairs to change, and got ready to go out.
It was good to get out and clear her head.
Charlie was always a woman of action. In less than half an hour, she had arrived at Sterling Manor to pick up Evelyn.
Lily accompanied Evelyn to the front gate.
"Miss Moore, please take good care of my mistress!" Lily said to Charlie.
"Don't worry. I'll return her in one piece!" Charlie replied with a smile.
Evelyn was about to get into the passenger seat when Charlie stopped her.
"You'd better sit in the back. You're a national treasure now!"
"Come on!" Evelyn laughed and scolded, but she got into the passenger seat anyway and buckled her seatbelt.
Charlie shook her head and got into the driver's seat.
As the car left Sterling Manor, Charlie muttered while driving.
"I don't even know how to drive anymore!"
"Don't scare me. Do you have amnesia or something?" Evelyn asked with a smile.
"You're the one with amnesia. I'm not carrying you. Are you a little nervous? You're carrying the next heir of the Sterling family!"
"Stop teasing me!" Evelyn replied.
Thinking about the story Gray had told her, she felt a little chatty.
"That's it!" Charlie said with a smile, then glanced at Evelyn's abdomen. "You can't even see your stomach in that outfit today!"
"It's only been a few months. It's not that obvious. Besides, I'm wearing loose clothes today. It's normal that you can't see it!" Evelyn said, half laughing, half crying.
Actually, it was a bit obvious to her, even in loose clothes. But you really couldn't tell from the outside.
"Do you want to see Noah?" Charlie asked.
"Why bring up Noah all of a sudden?" Evelyn asked, surprised.
"No reason. I just thought of it. I'm asking you. If you're free, we can have lunch together."
"Do you want to see Noah? If you can't find an excuse, you have to drag me into it?" Evelyn asked Charlie with a smile.
"Of course not. I just suddenly felt like we haven't hung out together in a long time!" Charlie retorted directly.
"Fine, you can make the appointment!" Evelyn agreed.
Even though Charlie was being insincere, Evelyn could see right through her.
"Then I'll really make the appointment. I don't know if Noah is free!" Even as she said this, Charlie took advantage of a red light to call Noah.
Noah said he was working overtime at the company and asked them to tell him where they were eating. He would meet them at noon.
Charlie answered with a smile.
"Then you can come out now. It's almost twelve. Let's go eat first, then go shopping!"
"Okay. Where is it convenient? Or should I come pick you up?" Noah asked on the other end.
"No, I'll drive to a restaurant near your company. I know a good place over there. I forget the name. I'll look it up and let you know later!"
"Okay!"
After making plans with Noah, Charlie turned right at the intersection ahead.
"You just finished breakfast, and now you're making me have lunch. Aren't you afraid I'll burst?" Evelyn said with a smile.
"What time is it? When did you have breakfast?" Charlie was speechless.
"Ten o'clock. I slept until ten!" Evelyn answered.
"You're a pregnant woman, and you dare to sleep that late. If you hadn't married into the Sterling family, you'd have been rejected and replaced long ago!" Charlie scoffed.