Chapter 136: Evelyn’s possessive love for Ian.
Elena tried to pull back, but his hold around her remained firm. When he finally released her, they both were panting.
"You..." She pouted. "What if someone saw us?"
She glanced around the corridor in embarrassment. "We are outside the operating room."
Elias chuckled. "I don’t care." He brushed his thumb over her slightly swollen lips. "I’m just relieved."
Elena’s cheeks turned crimson. She pushed his hand aside.
His voice became noticeably softer. "I was terrified I’d lose her." He rested his forehead against hers for a brief moment. "And now she is going to be okay."
His eyes drifted toward the operating room once more. "Eve is going to see again."
The joy in his voice melted Elena’s heart. She finally understood.
He hadn’t kissed her out of playfulness. He had kissed her because the overwhelming relief had nowhere else to go.
Her expression softened. She slipped off his lap and sat beside him, gently taking his hand.
"Yes." A warm smile spread across her face. "She is finally going to live a normal life again."
Elias nodded.
After a moment of silence, Elena spoke again. "And none of this would’ve been possible without Dr. Ian."
The moment Ian’s name was mentioned, Elias’s smile disappeared. His shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Elena noticed the change immediately. She had sensed it before.
Elias clearly held complicated feelings toward Ian.
"Do you hate him?" she asked quietly.
Elias was silent for a long moment before letting out a weary sigh. He slowly shook his head.
"No. I don’t hate him." His gaze remained fixed on the floor. "What happened between Ian and Eve wasn’t entirely his fault."
He closed his eyes briefly before continuing, "Eve was just as responsible."
Elias dragged a hand down his face and let out a weary sigh. "It’s just..." His voice was low. "They were never meant to be together."
Elena frowned. "Evelyn told me she was happy when she married him. So... what happened?"
Elias didn’t answer immediately. Memories from years ago resurfaced.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Eve always wanted a family. She longed for a home where she felt loved and protected."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"When she was in university, she met Ian for the first time."
He paused, recalling what had happened back then.
"She fainted on her way to class because of low blood sugar. Ian was only an intern then. He happened to be passing by and rushed her to the hospital."
He chuckled softly. "She fell in love with him at first sight."
Elena listened quietly.
"She started following him and confessed to him," Elias continued. "But Ian rejected her."
Her curiosity grew. "What did Evelyn do then?"
She thought Evelyn might be heartbroken.
Elias laughed softly. "You must be thinking she cried herself to sleep after getting rejected." He shook his head. "Then you really don’t know my sister."
A hint of amusement appeared in his eyes. "She is stubborn to the core. Once she sets her heart on something, she refuses to give up until she gets it."
Elena couldn’t help smiling. "That sounds strangely familiar."
She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Just like Vivian. No wonder they became friends."
Elias shot her a warning look.
She immediately raised both hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Bad comparison. I was only joking."
Elias’s expression softened. "Back then, Eve was spoiled and headstrong. The more Ian rejected her, the more determined she became."
He let out another helpless sigh. "She showed up at his workplace almost every day. It only annoyed him. Ian was ambitious. His entire focus was on building his career. Marriage wasn’t even part of his plans."
Elena slowly nodded. "And Evelyn wanted all of his attention."
She finally understood where everything had begun to fall apart.
"That became the biggest problem between them," Elias murmured. "After they got married, Eve became extremely possessive."
His voice grew heavier. "She couldn’t tolerate any woman getting close to Ian. She was even furious with his female colleagues. Her every action only pushed him further away."
He looked down at his fingers. "Ian buried himself in work. Whenever he returned home, they argued. I tried countless times to reconcile them."
A bitter smile appeared on his lips. "But nothing worked. Eventually, he transferred to another hospital and accepted a long-term position overseas. He said the salary was better."
Elias looked into the distance. "But Eve knew the real reason. He wanted to escape from her."
Silence settled between them. Elena quietly reached over and squeezed his hand.
Elias lowered his eyes to their intertwined fingers. "Seven years later, Eve finally realized she couldn’t keep forcing someone to love her. So she chose to let him go."
Elena’s eyes widened. "She was the one who asked for the divorce?"
She had expected Ian to be the one who ended the marriage. After everything Elias had described, it seemed only natural.
Yet it was Evelyn, the woman who had loved Ian with everything she had.
Elena suddenly remembered Evelyn’s words inside the car.
’I still love him.’
The memory made her chest tighten. She knew that kind of pain all too well.
Loving someone who could never return those feelings was exhausting. It slowly broke a person’s heart.
Elias nodded slowly. "Yes. It wasn’t an easy decision for her. The divorce shattered her."
He looked away. "That night, she got drunk. And on her way home, she had the accident."
The words caught in his throat. His jaw tightened.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Elena gently intertwined her fingers with his. "But she is alive. And after this surgery, she’ll be able to see again. That’s what matters now."
Elias turned to look at her. His eyes softened with warmth.
"Not everyone is fortunate enough to be loved by the person they love. But I am."
He lifted her hand and pressed a gentle kiss against her knuckles. "I’m the lucky one. Thank you for loving me back."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
Her eyes shimmered with tenderness. She cupped his cheek, her thumb gently brushing against his skin.
"And I’m the lucky one too." A beautiful smile spread across her face. "Because I get to be your wife."
She leaned closer, resting her head against his shoulder.
The heaviness in Elias’s heart completely faded. A genuine, peaceful smile spread across his lips as he silently thanked fate for bringing Elena into his life.