Chapter 150

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, casting golden streaks across the marble floors. Evelyn stretched lazily, her fingers brushing against the empty space beside her. Nathaniel had already left for work, as usual.

She sighed, rolling onto her back to stare at the intricate patterns on the ceiling. Last night’s argument still lingered in her mind—another disagreement about the upcoming gala and Isabella’s sudden reappearance in their lives.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. A message from Gregory: "Emergency meeting at the office. We need you here ASAP."

Evelyn groaned. She had hoped for a quiet morning, maybe even a late breakfast with Nathaniel. But duty called.

The architecture firm was in chaos when she arrived. Gabrielle, her assistant, rushed toward her, clutching a stack of blueprints.

“Thank goodness you’re here,” Gabrielle said, breathless. “Summit Realty just pulled out of the Riverside project. They’re citing ‘creative differences.’”

Evelyn’s stomach dropped. That project was their biggest contract this year. “Where’s Gregory?”

“In his office, trying to salvage what he can.”

She marched straight to Gregory’s door and pushed it open without knocking. He was on the phone, his expression grim. When he saw her, he quickly ended the call.

“Sebastian Wilson is playing games,” Gregory said, tossing his phone onto the desk. “He wants us to redesign the entire layout—again—or he walks.”

Evelyn clenched her fists. “He can’t just change the terms mid-project. We have a contract.”

Gregory rubbed his temples. “He’s claiming we breached it first by not meeting his ‘vision.’”

She scoffed. “His ‘vision’ changes every other week.”

Gabrielle knocked lightly before stepping in. “Evelyn, Nathaniel’s secretary just called. He needs to speak with you urgently.”

Evelyn frowned. Nathaniel never contacted her during work hours unless it was important. “I’ll call him back.”

Gabrielle hesitated. “He said it’s about Isabella.”

The air in the room thickened. Gregory gave her a knowing look. “Go. Handle that first.”

Evelyn’s pulse quickened as she dialed Nathaniel’s number. What now?

Nathaniel’s voice was tense when he answered. “Evelyn, we have a problem.”

She braced herself. “What did Isabella do?”

“She gave an interview,” he said tightly. “She’s claiming we’re still involved.”

Evelyn’s grip on the phone tightened. “What?”

“It’s all over the media. I’m already dealing with the fallout, but I wanted you to hear it from me first.”

She closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse.

“I’ll handle it,” Nathaniel said firmly. “But Evelyn… this might get ugly.”

She opened her eyes, her resolve hardening. “Then we’ll face it together.”

But as she hung up, a chilling thought crossed her mind—was Isabella just stirring trouble, or was there something more sinister at play?

And why now?

The game had changed. And Evelyn wasn’t about to back down.

Isabella seized the opportunity to visit her therapist as an excuse to intercept Nathaniel at the Martin Group headquarters. After finally catching up with him, she slipped into his car without hesitation.

Nathaniel remained impassive, his expression unreadable as he regarded her actions with detached indifference.

Biting her lower lip lightly, Isabella ventured, "Nathaniel, you seem upset. Did I do something to bother you?"

His cold gaze flickered toward her, sending a shiver down her spine.

Summoning her courage, she pressed on, "I didn’t mean to intrude. I just wanted to share what my therapist said. He assured me my condition isn’t permanent—with consistent treatment, I’ll recover."

"Fine." His voice was rough, barely above a whisper.

The slight acknowledgment softened her expression, and she smiled tentatively. "Nathaniel, what’s really bothering you? Is it because Evelyn wants a divorce?"

His brows knitted together sharply. "Who told you that?"

The dangerous edge in his tone made her falter. She hurried to explain, "I—I just overheard it somewhere. I don’t know if it’s true."

The frost in his demeanor didn’t thaw.

Isabella hesitated before pressing further. "Why is Evelyn so determined to leave you?"

"I don’t know." His disinterest was palpable. "That’s enough, Isabella. If you’re done, get out. I’m tired."

Her breath hitched. Is he dismissing me?

A pang of hurt twisted inside her, but she maintained her composure. "Nathaniel, if you’ve fallen for her, then of course this would upset you. But torturing yourself won’t change her mind. A woman only leaves this decisively when she’s found someone else. Otherwise, why wait until now?"

"Are you finished?" His voice was glacial, his piercing stare a silent warning.

She swallowed hard. "I’m just worried about you."

But Nathaniel had already closed his eyes, shutting her out completely. Clenching her jaw, Isabella had no choice but to push the car door open and step out.

The moment she did, the car sped away, leaving her standing there, seething. This is all Evelyn’s fault.

Inside the car, Nathaniel leaned back, eyes shut, his silence oppressive. Samuel, his driver, stole glances through the rearview mirror before finally speaking. "Mr. Martin, shall I take you straight to Pineview Villa?"

Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. Without opening his eyes, he commanded, "Pull over. I’ll drive myself. You’re dismissed."

Samuel blinked in surprise but complied immediately. "Of course, sir."

He pulled to the side of the road and stepped out, opening the rear door. Nathaniel slid into the driver’s seat without another word.

Gripping the steering wheel, he stared ahead, his expression dark and unreadable. The weight of his thoughts pressed heavily on him, his brows drawn together in a deep furrow.

Minutes—or perhaps hours—later, he finally snapped out of his daze, only to realize where his subconscious had led him.