Chapter 109

The morning sun cast golden streaks across the bedroom as Evelyn stirred awake. Beside her, Nathaniel slept soundly, his breathing steady. She studied his face—the sharp jawline, the faint stubble, the way his dark lashes rested against his cheeks. A warmth spread through her chest.

Last night had been… unexpected.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. A message from Gregory: "Emergency meeting at the office. 9 AM sharp. Don’t be late."

Evelyn groaned. She had hoped for a slow morning, maybe breakfast in bed with Nathaniel. But duty called.

Carefully, she slipped out from under the covers, trying not to wake him. As she tiptoed toward the bathroom, Nathaniel’s voice, rough with sleep, stopped her.

"Running away already?"

She turned to find him watching her, his dark eyes amused.

"Work emergency," she said, gesturing to her phone.

He sat up, the sheets pooling around his waist. "Let me guess—Gregory?"

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Who else?"

Nathaniel smirked. "Tell him if he keeps stealing my wife’s mornings, I’ll have to have a word with him."

She laughed, leaning down to press a quick kiss to his lips. "I’ll pass that along."

———

The office was in chaos when Evelyn arrived. Gregory stood at the head of the conference table, his expression grim.

"Good, you’re here," he said. "We have a problem."

Evelyn took her seat. "What’s going on?"

Gregory slid a folder toward her. "Summit Realty just pulled out of the Riverside project."

Her stomach dropped. "What? Why?"

"Sebastian Wilson claims our designs don’t meet their ‘vision.’" Gregory’s jaw tightened. "But we all know the real reason."

Evelyn didn’t need him to spell it out. Sebastian had been making subtle jabs at her ever since she turned down his advances at last year’s gala.

She flipped open the folder, scanning the termination notice. "This is ridiculous. We’ve already invested months into this."

Gregory sighed. "I know. But unless we can change his mind—"

"I’ll talk to him," Evelyn said firmly.

Gregory raised a brow. "You sure that’s a good idea?"

"No. But I’m not letting him sabotage this project out of spite."

———

Sebastian’s office was all glass and steel, cold and impersonal—much like the man himself. He leaned back in his chair, smirking as Evelyn entered.

"Evelyn Mitchell. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She didn’t bother with pleasantries. "Why did you terminate the contract?"

Sebastian feigned innocence. "Business decision. Nothing personal."

"Cut the act, Sebastian. We both know this is about me rejecting you."

His smirk faded. "You always were blunt."

"I don’t have time for games. Reinstate the contract, or I’ll take this to the press. Let’s see how your investors like hearing you tanked a multi-million-dollar project over wounded pride."

Sebastian’s eyes darkened. "You wouldn’t dare."

Evelyn held his gaze. "Try me."

For a long moment, they stared each other down. Then, with a scoff, Sebastian reached for his phone.

"Fine. But this isn’t over."

Evelyn turned on her heel. "It is for me."

———

Back in her car, Evelyn exhaled sharply. Her hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel. Confrontations like that always left her drained.

Her phone buzzed—a text from Nathaniel.

"Dinner tonight? Just the two of us."

A small smile tugged at her lips. After the day she’d had, she couldn’t think of anything better.

"Perfect. I’ll be home by seven."

As she drove away, she didn’t notice the sleek black car idling across the street—or the woman inside, watching her with narrowed eyes.

Isabella Davis had never been one to give up easily. And she wasn’t about to start now.

Evelyn shot Nathaniel a warning glance, silently urging him to watch his tone before addressing Victoria calmly. "Nathaniel, you and I are still young. There's no need to rush into having children. If you've truly considered this, wouldn't it be better to discuss it properly when we're both ready for a lifelong commitment?"

"Discuss?" Nathaniel scoffed, his voice edged with defiance. "Do you honestly think Evelyn will just agree? If we're going to have kids eventually, why delay?"

His stance was unyielding, almost rebellious. The more Evelyn resisted, the more determined he became.

Victoria sighed, her tone gentle but firm. "A child isn't just a checkbox on a list or a way to please your grandfather. Have you even considered whether you and Evelyn are truly prepared to raise one together?"

"A year ago, Grandpa wanted me to marry Evelyn, and none of you objected. I did as you asked. Now, a year later, shouldn’t you support my decision? Isn’t starting a family the natural next step?"

With that, Nathaniel stood abruptly, cutting off any further discussion.

Just as Richard and Victoria were about to respond, Evelyn walked in.

Victoria quickly smoothed her expression. "Evelyn, it's late. You and Nathaniel should head home now."

Evelyn nodded, her gaze flickering toward Nathaniel. He didn’t spare her a glance, already striding toward the door.

Watching his retreating figure, Victoria whispered, "Don’t mind him, dear. Edward will talk sense into him later."

Evelyn offered a faint smile. "It’s fine, Victoria. We’ll go now."

Outside, Nathaniel was already in the car, his expression icy, his dark eyes unreadable—cold enough to freeze the air between them.

She exhaled softly, sliding into the passenger seat and buckling up without a word. The engine roared to life, and silence settled heavily between them.

Evelyn had made her decision the moment she left Edward’s room. This time, nothing—no argument, no accident—would deter her from filing for divorce.

She was done.

Back at Pineview Villa, Nathaniel didn’t wait for her, already halfway up the stairs when she finally spoke. "Nathaniel. We need to talk."

He turned, his handsome features shadowed with irritation. "About what? How you refuse to have children because of someone else?"

Her jaw tightened. "Do you really believe that’s why I’m against it?"

"If it’s not, good. But even if it is, it won’t change my mind."

His gaze was unrelenting as he studied her before turning away again.

Evelyn clenched her fists, her voice steady but sharp. "So you’ve decided—regardless of what I want—that we must have a child?"

"It’s just a child, Evelyn. Why are you fighting this so hard?"

"Because you don’t love me. So why bring a child into this?"

His steps halted. Slowly, he turned, his eyes burning into hers. "And you? Do you love me?"

The question hung between them like an accusation.

Evelyn didn’t flinch. "So neither of us loves the other. Are we having a child to salvage this marriage, or do you have another motive?"

"You think I want a child because I have some hidden agenda?" Nathaniel let out a cold laugh, his expression darkening.

"Isn’t it obvious?" Evelyn met his glare head-on. "Why did you never tell me about Isabella and the fertility issues, Nathaniel? You keep saying I don’t trust you—but have you ever trusted me?"

Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "How did you find out?"