Chapter 472

Liam's voice was steady as he spoke. "I haven't changed. This is who I've always been."

Evelyn responded with icy detachment. "Is that so?"

He inhaled sharply, swallowing the pain. "Where are you?" His tone softened. "Let me come to you. We need to talk."

"I'm leaving for the border tomorrow." Evelyn's voice remained emotionless. "I still need to visit Donovan and Rosalind at Blackwood Manor. General Blackwood, I won't have time to meet you."

Liam's lips twisted into a bitter smile, his eyes turning bloodshot.

Donovan again. Always Donovan. The man who occupied her thoughts.

"Understood." The word choked him. He forced air through his clenched teeth, maintaining his gentle tone. "Let me know when you're available."

"Goodbye." The line went dead.

Liam lowered the phone slowly. His gaze dropped to the snow at his boots.

The towering oak stood skeletal behind him, its bare branches clawing at the gray sky. His broad shoulders didn't move an inch.

The winter air felt warmer than the emptiness in his chest.

Victoria rushed forward the moment he ended the call. "Liam! What happened?"

Meanwhile, inside the moving car, Evelyn slumped against the window like a broken stem. Her dull eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Rosalind shot her a curious glance. "Why refuse to meet him?"

Evelyn's eyelids fluttered shut. "I report to the base tomorrow. Public encounters are safer. I can't afford complications."

Rosalind scoffed. "What's there to fear? I'm right here with you."

Evelyn's hand drifted to her abdomen. "I'm not as strong as you. This baby needs protection." Her voice cracked. "No risks. No confrontations. Do you understand?"

Realization dawned on Rosalind. "You saw Victoria?"

Evelyn nodded silently. One more word and the dam would break.

She'd witnessed it all - Victoria brushing snow from Liam's shoulders, pressing a hand warmer into his palm. His easy acceptance of her attentions.

With such devotion at his side, he must be content.

As Blackwood Manor came into view, Rosalind glanced at the passenger seat. Evelyn had fallen asleep against the window at some point.

Pregnancy exhaustion, perhaps?

Rosalind adjusted the seat gently and draped a blanket over her.

Donovan and Rosalind were like fire and gasoline - one spark away from combustion. With Donovan's vision still impaired, the environment posed risks.

Without hesitation, Rosalind turned the car around.

At noon the following day, Evelyn boarded the plane to the border with Rosalind at her side.

Ryan's messages flooded in before takeoff - arrival times, pickup offers, accommodation details. The excessive concern reeked of someone else's influence.

Rosalind showed Evelyn the screen. "Just turn it off," Evelyn murmured, closing her eyes against the world.