Chapter 225

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 events of last night still lingered in her mind—Nathaniel’s unexpected confession, the way his voice had trembled when he admitted he still loved her.

Her phone buzzed on the counter. A message from Gregory.

"Evelyn, we need to talk. The Summit Realty deal is falling apart. Sebastian is demanding revisions by noon."

She sighed, rubbing her temples. Just what she needed—another crisis.

Downstairs, Alfred was setting the dining table with his usual precision. "Good morning, Mrs. Martin," he greeted with a slight bow. "Mr. Martin has already left for the office. He asked me to inform you that he’ll be late tonight."

Evelyn nodded, though a flicker of disappointment crossed her features. She had hoped to talk to Nathaniel again, to clarify the emotions swirling between them.

Her phone buzzed again—this time, it was Isabella.

"We need to meet. It’s urgent."

Evelyn’s grip on her cup tightened. What could Isabella possibly want now?

At the Martin Group headquarters, Nathaniel sat in his office, staring at the financial reports Samuel had handed him. The numbers weren’t adding up. Someone was siphoning funds, and the trail led uncomfortably close to home.

A knock interrupted his thoughts. "Come in," he called.

The door opened, and Thomas stepped inside, his usual easygoing demeanor replaced by tension. "We have a problem," he said without preamble. "Dominic Lynch is making moves against Mitchell Corp. He’s been buying up shares quietly."

Nathaniel’s jaw clenched. "He’s targeting Evelyn."

Thomas nodded grimly. "And if he gains enough control, he could dismantle her father’s company piece by piece."

Nathaniel pushed back from his desk. "Call an emergency board meeting. I want every resource we have focused on stopping him."

Evelyn arrived at the café where Isabella had insisted they meet. The place was nearly empty, save for a few patrons scattered at the tables. Isabella sat by the window, her expression unreadable.

"You wanted to talk," Evelyn said, sliding into the seat opposite her.

Isabella’s fingers drummed against the table. "I know about the embezzlement," she said bluntly.

Evelyn froze. "What?"

"Someone in Nathaniel’s inner circle is stealing from Martin Group. And if the truth comes out, it’ll destroy everything." Isabella leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Including your marriage."

Evelyn’s pulse spiked. "Who is it?"

Isabella hesitated, then shook her head. "I don’t know yet. But I thought you deserved a warning."

Evelyn’s mind raced. Was this why Nathaniel had been so distant lately?

Her phone vibrated—another message from Gregory.

"Evelyn, where are you? Sebastian is here, and he’s furious."

She stood abruptly. "I have to go."

Isabella’s gaze followed her. "Be careful, Evelyn. Trust no one."

Back at her office, Evelyn found Gregory pacing in front of her desk, his face flushed with agitation. Sebastian Wilson stood by the window, his arms crossed.

"There you are," Gregory snapped. "We’re about to lose the biggest client we’ve ever had!"

Evelyn squared her shoulders. "What’s the issue?"

Sebastian turned, his cold eyes locking onto hers. "The issue, Ms. Mitchell, is that your designs don’t meet our standards. And if you can’t deliver, we’ll take our business elsewhere."

Evelyn’s stomach twisted. This wasn’t just about the project—this was personal.

She took a deep breath. "Give me until the end of the day. I’ll revise the plans."

Sebastian smirked. "You have until 5 PM. No extensions."

As he strode out, Gregory exhaled sharply. "Evelyn, what the hell is going on? First Nathaniel, now this?"

She clenched her fists. "I don’t know. But I’m going to find out."

That evening, Evelyn sat at her desk, the revised blueprints spread before her. Her phone buzzed—Nathaniel.

"We need to talk. Meet me at home."

Her heart pounded. Was this about Isabella’s warning? The embezzlement? Or something worse?

She glanced at the clock. 4:45 PM.

Just enough time to finish and send the revisions.

Then she would face whatever storm was coming.

"Alright." Evelyn headed to the kitchen to fetch some water. When she returned, she found Beatrice engaged in lively conversation with Nathaniel.

Nathaniel was saying, "Grandma, would it be alright if I came by to pick you up in a few days? I've saved my contact in your phone—just give me a call anytime, and I'll be here."

"Of course, dear. Thank you." Beatrice looked even more pleased with him now.

Around Beatrice, Nathaniel was nothing but respectful and attentive, listening patiently to every word she said without a trace of impatience.

Their conversation stretched on, and they even stayed for lunch—a meal Evelyn prepared herself.

After lunch, Beatrice retired for her afternoon nap, and Evelyn walked Nathaniel downstairs.

While waiting for the elevator, Evelyn finally broke the silence. "My grandmother can be quite talkative at her age. I hope you didn’t mind. If she said anything uncomfortable, just let it go. And if she upset you in any way, I apologize on her behalf."

She met his gaze earnestly. These words came from the heart—she had assumed Nathaniel wouldn’t have the patience for Beatrice’s endless chatter.

Nathaniel scoffed. "Is that how you treated my grandfather too? Pretending to be interested while secretly wishing he’d stop talking?"

Evelyn froze.

She frowned. "Never. I was only speaking about you right now."

"Then why assume I’m that kind of person?"

"I just didn’t want you to feel burdened. It was just a thought. If you didn’t, then forget I mentioned it."

She sighed as their eyes accidentally met.

He didn’t respond, simply watching her with an unreadable expression.

Evelyn bit her lip and asked softly, "Nathaniel, what exactly did you two discuss? Did you exchange contacts? Make plans to meet somewhere?"

"Do you really want to know?"

A mocking smile played on his lips as he stared straight ahead.

Evelyn nodded. Of course she did—why else would she ask?

Nathaniel’s grin widened, and suddenly, he leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper. "But Grandma made me promise not to tell you."

Evelyn rolled her eyes but said nothing.

Just then, the elevator doors slid open. Nathaniel glanced at her. "No need to see me out. I’ll go alone."

With that, he stepped inside.

The doors began to close, slowly cutting off their locked gazes.

But just before they shut completely, a strong hand shot out, stopping them. His intense eyes bore into hers. "Evelyn, let’s finalize the divorce as soon as my grandfather recovers."

Her lashes fluttered, but her voice remained eerily calm. "Fine."

He smirked. "That was fast. Were you just waiting for me to say it?"