Chapter 136

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Evelyn's office, casting golden patterns across her drafting table. She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as she reviewed the final blueprints for the Martin Group's latest project. The weight of responsibility pressed on her shoulders—this was her first major assignment since returning to work after the accident.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in," she called, straightening her posture.

The door opened to reveal Gabrielle, her assistant, holding a steaming cup of coffee. "Thought you might need this," Gabrielle said with a knowing smile.

Evelyn accepted it gratefully, inhaling the rich aroma. "You're a lifesaver."

Gabrielle hesitated, then added, "Mr. Martin called earlier. He wanted to confirm your lunch plans."

Evelyn's fingers tightened around the cup. Nathaniel had been unusually attentive since she'd returned to work, scheduling meetings, checking in—almost as if he were afraid she'd disappear again. She wasn't sure whether to be touched or annoyed.

"Tell him I haven't forgotten," she said lightly.

Gabrielle nodded and turned to leave, but paused. "Oh, and Gregory wanted me to remind you about the client meeting this afternoon. The investors from Summit Realty will be here at three."

Evelyn sighed. Right. Sebastian Wilson and his team. She'd almost forgotten.

"Thanks for the reminder," she said, forcing a smile.

Once alone, Evelyn exhaled slowly, her gaze drifting to the framed photo on her desk—a candid shot of her and Nathaniel at their engagement party, his arm slung casually around her shoulders, both of them laughing.

A sharp pang of longing twisted in her chest.

She missed them—the easy camaraderie, the unspoken understanding. Now, every conversation felt like navigating a minefield, both of them tiptoeing around the unspoken tension.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her back to reality. A text from Nathaniel:

"Looking forward to lunch. Don’t work too hard."

Simple. Casual. But she could read the underlying concern.

Evelyn typed a quick reply, then set her phone aside. She had a mountain of work to get through before the meeting.

But as she turned back to her blueprints, her mind kept wandering—to Nathaniel, to the accident, to the secrets still lingering between them.

And the unsettling feeling that, no matter how hard they tried, things might never be the same again.

"What's going on? Is this about those girls who were eyeing him?" Evelyn mused silently.

She remained composed, her expression unreadable.

Her response was just as measured. "So what if I noticed? What exactly am I supposed to do? I can't dictate people's thoughts. Admiring someone is natural, isn't it?"

Her words only stoked Nathaniel's irritation, his temper simmering dangerously close to the surface.

His face darkened, voice turning icy. "So as my wife, you don’t react when women ask for my number and gossip about you right in front of you?"

Evelyn let out a soft laugh.

She countered, "Nathaniel, what do you expect me to do? Confront them? Warn them to stay away?"

She felt exasperated. Those women didn’t even know he was married. They were simply drawn to his looks, but once they learned the truth, they backed off.

She couldn’t fathom why Nathaniel was suddenly so bothered. After all, Isabella had been openly interested in him for a while, yet he’d never encouraged Evelyn to intervene.

Nathaniel’s displeasure was evident, but his hand remained firmly on Evelyn’s waist.

The closeness made her tense.

This was their first trip to the supermarket together since their marriage. Ironically, despite their impending divorce, they were now doing things they’d never done during their entire first year as husband and wife.

Looking back, ever since he’d brought up divorce, they’d actually been spending more time together—interacting more than ever before.

Evelyn found it bitterly amusing.

She wondered what Nathaniel was playing at.

He was the one who wanted the divorce, yet now he seemed reluctant to follow through.

"Could it be because he hasn’t fulfilled his promise to Isabella about having a child?" The thought twisted painfully in her chest.

But she kept her emotions in check, continuing to browse the fruit section with him, selecting some vitamin-rich options before heading to the checkout.

A moment later, the cashier smiled at Nathaniel. "That’ll be $299, sir."

Nathaniel frowned, glancing at Evelyn.

She swiftly pulled out her phone. "I’ll handle it."

"Ah, I see who’s in charge of the finances at home," the cashier chuckled, impressed by the striking couple. Good looks were one thing, but seeing such a handsome man defer to his wife made her think, Beautiful women truly hold all the power.

After the payment went through, the cashier handed them their bags. "These are heavy. I assume the gentleman wouldn’t want his lady carrying them?"

Nathaniel said nothing, and Evelyn didn’t expect him to help. His hands were usually occupied signing billion-dollar contracts in his office, not grocery bags.

Just as she reached for them, a strong hand snatched the bags first.

Evelyn blinked, then followed him out of the store.

Behind them, the cashier and her coworkers sighed wistfully. "Who wouldn’t want a man like that?"

By the time they returned to the apartment, it was nearly nine.

Nathaniel checked his watch, his expression darkening. "Have you been taking walks this late every night since you moved out?"