Chapter 77

A bone-chilling coldness seeped into Eleanor's heart as she faced Nathaniel. "Why?" she demanded, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion.

Nathaniel's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with irritation at being cornered. He wasn't accustomed to being questioned, especially not by Eleanor.

She didn't wait for his response. "Is it because we were married for two years, and you think you understand me enough to trust me? Or is it because... you had something to do with what happened last night?"

Nathaniel remained stoic during the first part of her accusation, but his expression darkened at the mention of last night. "What are you implying?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"No, you probably didn't orchestrate it," Eleanor continued, more to herself than to him. "After all, you're Nathaniel Carter, the untouchable heir of the Carter empire. You wouldn't stoop to such petty schemes. But you knew about it, didn't you?"

Her voice grew colder, more resolute. "That includes the time Samuel showed up at that restaurant. It wasn't a coincidence, was it?"

Until now, Eleanor hadn't considered the possibility. But Isabella's phone call earlier had planted a seed of doubt in her mind.

The restaurant was tucked away in a secluded location. If Benjamin hadn't taken her there before, even she wouldn't have known it existed. So, how could Samuel have found it?

The only person who knew her past and would be so eager to ruin her was Isabella.

But what about Nathaniel? What role had he played in all of this? Was he merely a bystander, watching as she was pushed to the brink?

Was he waiting for her to hit rock bottom so he could extend a hand and make her grateful to him—like training a dog?

When Eleanor finished speaking, Nathaniel suddenly chuckled, a cold, humorless sound. "So what? Are you questioning me now?"

"Do I not even have the right to know the truth?" Eleanor shot back.

"What truth? What do you think I would gain from any of this?" Nathaniel countered, his tone icy.

"You didn't do it," Eleanor replied. "But you're aware of it. You knew everything and let it happen, didn't you?"

Nathaniel didn't deny it.

Eleanor laughed bitterly, the sound hollow and devoid of joy. Then, without hesitation, she stood up, ready to leave.

But just as she turned to go, Nathaniel's voice stopped her in her tracks. "And why should I have stopped it? Or rather, who am I to step in? Don't forget. We're already divorced."

Then, he added, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "If you were still my wife, perhaps I would've—"

"Would you? Really?" Eleanor spun around, cutting him off mid-sentence. Her eyes burned with anger and betrayal.

"Isabella is the one behind all of this. Between the two of us, would you really take my side?"

Without waiting for his answer, Eleanor scoffed and answered her own question. "You wouldn't. If you had taken my side, we wouldn't have gotten divorced in the first place. So, don't bring up this nonsense about how things would be different if we were still married."

She took a deep breath, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "Let me tell you plainly. The reason I divorced you was because of Isabella!"

The words spilled out of Eleanor in a rush, as if she couldn't hold them back any longer.

She hadn't planned to say it. After all, she had always thought it was pointless. Besides, she hadn't said anything about it when they were still married. So, what was the point of bringing it up now?

But in the end, she couldn't hold it in any longer. If she didn't let it out, she felt like it would suffocate her.

Nathaniel stood there, staring at her for a long moment before finally saying, "Isabella and I are just friends."

"Yes. Just friends," Eleanor said with a bitter laugh. "But even as just a friend, she's more important to you than I ever was."

The moment the words left her mouth, her tears began to fall, hot and unstoppable.