Chapter 24
"Why should I answer that? What makes you think you deserve an explanation?" Evelyn rose gracefully, her piercing gaze filled with contempt as she stared down Nathan.
The realization hit Nathan like a tidal wave - their divorce severed any claim he had over her personal life. Yet the image of another man holding her sent an unfamiliar pang through his chest.
She had been his. Should still be his. This irrational possessiveness surprised even him.
"What really ended us?" His voice was ice.
A bitter laugh escaped Evelyn's lips. "After all this time? What's the point?"
Meeting his stormy eyes without flinching, she declared, "I left because I couldn't stand another moment of your neglect!"
"Neglect?" Nathan scoffed. "For three years, I provided everything - designer wardrobes, gourmet meals, a vice president position. How does your life differ now?"
His mind flashed to their last night together before the divorce papers came. The way she'd seduced him with desperate intensity.
"Was it the sex?" The words tasted sour. "Is that what you lacked?"
He'd avoided intimacy after overhearing her whisper another man's name in her sleep. His pride couldn't stomach being second choice.
Evelyn's incredulous laugh cut through the tension. "You're unbelievable!"
"I can give you that now." In three strides, Nathan had her face cradled in his hands, his lips descending.
The slap echoed through the room.
Nathan worked his jaw, tasting blood. Rage and confusion warred within him. The woman before him was a stranger.
Tears glistened in Evelyn's eyes, her chest heaving. Did this arrogant fool truly believe their marriage collapsed over bedroom matters?
Why had she ever loved someone so emotionally stunted?
Composing herself, she spoke with chilling clarity. "For three years, you saw only what suited you. You might as well have been blind."
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "No, I was the blind one. To think you'd ever change. Ever love me."
Picking up her clutch, she moved past him. "Sign the papers, Nathan. Or I'll have my lawyers handle it."
The door slammed with finality.
Nathan stood frozen, haunted by the devastation in Evelyn's eyes. Had he truly made her that miserable?
On the moonlit balcony, Evelyn gripped the railing until her knuckles whitened. The ocean breeze did little to soothe her frayed nerves.
"Allow me."
A monogrammed handkerchief appeared beside her.
Turning, she found herself facing a devastatingly handsome stranger. His tailored suit hugged broad shoulders, and his smirk held practiced charm.
When she hesitated, Adrian Prescott gently dabbed her tears himself. "Eyes like yours shouldn't be red from crying. Let me weep for you instead."
He'd followed the intriguing woman from the auction, finding her even more captivating under the stars - her gown fluttering like a wounded butterfly, tears tracing delicate paths down her cheeks.
Evelyn surprised herself by laughing. Accepting the handkerchief, she wiped her face.
"Adrian Prescott, at your service." He bowed slightly. "President of Prescott Holdings. And you are?"
Recognition flashed across Evelyn's face. "Ah, the man who drove up the price on my bracelet. I'll send you a thank you gift." Her smile vanished. So this was her auction rival.