Rebecca’s face fell when she heard those words.
“Matteo, is Ms. Walsh still mad at me over what happened last time? If that’s the case, I’ll just leave so I don’t intrude on you two.”
As she spoke, she turned to leave. Matteo quickly grabbed her arm and frowned at Evelyn.
“She meant well, Eve. Don’t you love animals? Just take it.”
Seeing the displeasure in his eyes, Evelyn clenched her hands tightly and turned to his assistant, Zachary Warner, instead.
“Mr. Warner, I’m wearing heels, so it’s inconvenient for me to hold the puppy. Could you take care of it for me?”
The people around them started making snide remarks again, mocking her for being ungrateful and acting too high and mighty.
Matteo also assumed she was deliberately giving Rebecca a hard time. His expression darkened as he led Rebecca inside.
The party quickly emptied out, leaving Evelyn alone.
She poured herself a glass of water and took a slow sip, trying to calm the panic and anxiety in her chest.
She used to love dogs.
But five years ago, on a stormy night when the power went out, Matteo had come down with a high fever. She ran out into the rain to find help.
A neighbor’s guard dog had chased her the whole way, tearing a chunk of flesh from her calf.
Despite the pain, she forced herself to bring a doctor back. Only after confirming that Matteo was safe did she finally take care of her own injury.
Since then, she had developed a deep fear of dogs. However, to keep him from worrying, she had never told him about it.
Even now, through the fabric of her dress, she could still feel the outline of that old scar.
The guests at the party were all social climbers, reading the room and adjusting their attitudes accordingly. Seeing how Matteo was acting, they no longer bothered hiding their disdain toward Evelyn.
