Chapter 478

The wind howled outside as Evelyn gripped the edge of her seat. Nathaniel's refusal to finalize their divorce clearly stemmed from Eleanor's influence. A bitter realization settled in her chest—he didn’t truly care about her.

Beatrice’s disdain for Evelyn was no secret. If she couldn’t stand Evelyn, how would she ever accept their unborn children?

The thought of raising them in such a toxic environment made Evelyn’s stomach twist.

Nathaniel adjusted his cufflinks, rolling down the window. The cold air rushed in, biting at his skin.

He hadn’t expected to lose.

Not like this.

Not to Julian.

Evelyn stole a glance at Nathaniel. The shifting shadows masked his expression, but the tension in his jaw was unmistakable.

He had always been the one to walk away first.

After a heavy silence, Nathaniel’s voice cut through the air like ice. "Since you’ve made your choice, you can explain it to Grandma yourself."

Evelyn swallowed hard. "I will."

Nathaniel ripped off his tie, frustration boiling over. "And how exactly do you plan to break it to her? If she falls ill because of this—if she’s hurt—I won’t forgive you. You know how much she loves you. Is this how you repay her?"

Tears pricked Evelyn’s eyes. "I’ll handle it."

"How?"

The easiest solution would be to keep Eleanor in the dark. To pretend nothing had changed.

Yet, for reasons even Evelyn couldn’t fully explain, she was still choosing Julian.

Nathaniel’s expression remained unreadable.

But his gaze flickered to her, sharp and assessing, before he looked away again.

The rest of the ride passed in suffocating silence. When the car finally stopped outside her apartment complex, Evelyn barely registered it.

She reached for the door handle.

"Evelyn."

She turned. "What?"

Nathaniel’s voice was low, dangerous. "I hope you won’t regret this."

Her hand instinctively cradled her stomach. For her babies, she would never regret it.

She met his gaze. "Once I explain everything to Eleanor… will you finally sign the papers?"

Nathaniel’s jaw clenched. "Of course. If it weren’t for her, do you think I’d still be here?"

"Right."

The words stung more than she expected.

She stepped out of the car without another word.

Behind her, Nathaniel kicked the back of Frederick’s seat. "Drive."

When Evelyn walked into the apartment, Julian, Christopher, and Andrew were already there. She forced a smile. "Didn’t expect to see you all today."

"Alexander arrives the day after tomorrow," Julian said. "We’ll all go back to Nord City together."

Evelyn nodded, turning to Margaret. "Don’t worry. We’ll take Benjamin with us."

Margaret hesitated. "I told my mother, Edna, where we’re staying. She hasn’t been well… she needs to see a doctor."

"She can stay here," Margaret offered. "It’s better than a hotel."

Evelyn bit her tongue. After everything Edna had done, she hoped Margaret wouldn’t be too lenient.

But knowing they might never return to Bern City, she let it go.

The next day, Julian accompanied Evelyn to her prenatal appointment.

When the ultrasound revealed the two tiny heartbeats, a fragile smile touched her lips.

As long as her children were safe, she could bear the misunderstandings.

After the appointment, Evelyn headed straight to the university library to study.

But as she turned a corner, she nearly collided with Sophia.

"Sophia? What are you doing here? Don’t you have work?"

Sophia grabbed her arm, her voice urgent. "We need to talk. You have to be careful—Danielle is planning something."