Chapter 192

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Pineview Villa, casting golden patterns across the marble floors. Evelyn stood by the window, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup absently. The warmth of the liquid did little to ease the chill in her chest.

Nathaniel had left early again—another meeting, another excuse. She sighed, setting the cup down with a quiet clink. The silence of the villa was suffocating.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was a message from Gregory.

"Evelyn, the client approved the final blueprints. We’re moving forward with the project."

A small smile tugged at her lips. At least work was going well. She typed a quick reply before glancing at the clock. She had promised to meet Charlotte for lunch today.

The café was bustling when she arrived, the scent of freshly baked pastries mingling with the rich aroma of coffee. Charlotte waved her over from a corner table, her expression brightening as Evelyn approached.

"You look like you could use this," Charlotte said, sliding a cappuccino toward her.

Evelyn chuckled, wrapping her hands around the warm cup. "That obvious?"

Charlotte leaned forward, lowering her voice. "So, how are things with Nathaniel?"

Evelyn hesitated. "Complicated."

Before Charlotte could press further, Evelyn’s phone buzzed again. This time, it was an unknown number.

"We need to talk. It’s about Nathaniel."

Her stomach twisted. She didn’t recognize the sender, but something about the message sent a shiver down her spine.

Charlotte frowned. "Everything okay?"

Evelyn forced a smile. "Just work."

But as she stared at the screen, she couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was coming would change everything.

Nathaniel sat in his office, his fingers drumming against the polished mahogany desk. Samuel had just delivered the latest financial reports, and the numbers weren’t adding up.

"Someone’s been siphoning funds," Samuel said quietly.

Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. "Find out who."

As Samuel left, Nathaniel’s phone rang. The caller ID made his blood run cold.

Isabella.

He hesitated before answering. "What do you want?"

Her voice was smooth, almost teasing. "Miss me already?"

"Cut the games," he snapped.

She laughed softly. "Fine. I have information you’ll want to hear. Meet me tonight. Alone."

The line went dead before he could respond.

Nathaniel exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. Whatever Isabella was planning, it couldn’t be good. But he had no choice—he had to know what she knew.

Evelyn paced her bedroom, the anonymous message burning in her mind. Who would contact her about Nathaniel? And why?

Her phone buzzed once more.

"Midnight. The old pier. Come alone."

Her pulse quickened. This was a risk—but if it involved Nathaniel, she had to go.

Meanwhile, across town, Nathaniel stepped into the dimly lit bar where Isabella waited, her crimson lips curling into a smirk as she raised her glass in greeting.

"Let’s talk business," she purred.

The game was far from over.

Nathaniel's voice was low and steady as he responded, "Don't worry about it. It's just that Danielle has been acting up lately. My parents can't handle her, so they asked me to come back and keep an eye on her."

Evelyn knew about his sister, Danielle.

She nodded quickly. "Of course, you should stay with her. It's been a while since you've seen her, hasn't it? Is she graduating soon?"

"Yes, next year. Then she’ll start her internship. I’ll leave early tomorrow morning. You’ll have to manage things at the company. If anything comes up, just call me. I’ll be back in two days at most."

Nathaniel spoke carefully, his words laced with concern.

Evelyn smiled softly. "Take your time. She needs you more right now."

They exchanged a few more words about work before ending the call—nearly five minutes in total.

Evelyn glanced out the window at the moonlit sky, admiring the serene beauty of the night.

Then she tucked her phone away and returned to the living room. Thomas and the others were deep into a card game, joined by two other women. But Nathaniel and Isabella were nowhere to be seen.

A frown flickered across her face, a strange mix of emotions tightening in her chest.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a small, elegantly wrapped gift—something she had picked out for Nathaniel’s birthday. A bitter smile touched her lips.

Might as well give it to him now.

After all, this would be the last time.

His next birthday wouldn’t involve her.

"Has anyone seen Nathaniel?" she asked casually.

Thomas glanced up from his cards. "Think he stepped outside to take a call. You might find him out there."

Outside in the garden, Nathaniel had just ended a call from his parents—their usual birthday wishes, followed by a reminder to take care of Evelyn.

His mind drifted back to her answer during the Truth or Dare game.

Who was the man she mentioned?

Was it the ex who had broken her heart?

He clenched his jaw. He wanted to know exactly what kind of man could make her sacrifice so much.

The thought alone darkened his mood, his expression turning icy.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and turned to head back inside—only to see Isabella approaching from the opposite side. She held out a small box with a hesitant smile.

"Nathaniel, happy birthday. It’s just a tie clip—nothing extravagant, but I thought it suited you. I hope you don’t mind."

Nathaniel didn’t move, his gaze cool. "You didn’t have to get me anything. I don’t need gifts."

"Nathaniel, I just wanted to thank you. For finding that specialist for my mother. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what I would’ve done."

His expression softened slightly. He reached out to take the gift—but in the next second, Isabella suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself against him.

Nathaniel stiffened, his voice sharp with displeasure. "What are you doing?"

Her voice was soft, pleading. "Nathaniel, I’m sorry. I just… I can’t help myself. I love you too much to be rational. Just let me have this one moment, please?"

His frown deepened, his expression turning stormy. Just as he was about to push her away—

"Seems like I picked the worst time to interrupt."

Nathaniel turned sharply to see Evelyn standing on the steps, her face unreadable, her eyes cold.

He shoved Isabella away, his glare cutting like ice.

Isabella quickly stammered, "Evelyn, it’s not what you think! This was all me—Nathaniel had nothing to do with it."

Evelyn’s lips curled into a humorless smile. "Then should I applaud your boldness?"

Her voice was light, but her gaze was glacial.