Chapter 252

The morning sun cast golden rays through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, painting the marble floors in warm hues. Evelyn stretched lazily, her fingers brushing against the silk sheets. Beside her, Nathaniel was already awake, his piercing blue eyes studying her with quiet intensity.

"You're staring," she murmured, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

"Can't help it," he replied, his voice rough with sleep. "You're breathtaking."

Evelyn rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the flutter in her chest. Even after all this time, Nathaniel had a way of making her feel like the only woman in the world.

The moment was shattered by the shrill ring of Nathaniel's phone. He frowned, glancing at the caller ID before answering. "Samuel. What is it?"

Evelyn watched as his expression darkened. Whatever news Samuel Yates was delivering, it wasn't good.

"We'll be there," Nathaniel said curtly before ending the call.

"What happened?" Evelyn asked, sitting up straighter.

"Edward wants to see us. Immediately."

Evelyn's stomach twisted. Edward Martin wasn’t the type to summon them without reason. Something was wrong.

The drive to the Martin estate was tense. Nathaniel gripped the steering wheel, his jaw clenched. Evelyn reached over, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "Whatever it is, we'll handle it together."

He exhaled sharply but didn't respond.

When they arrived, Winston greeted them at the door, his usual composed demeanor slightly frayed. "Mr. Martin is waiting in the study."

Edward sat behind his imposing oak desk, his expression unreadable. Richard and Victoria stood nearby, their faces grim.

"Grandfather," Nathaniel said, stepping forward. "What's going on?"

Edward's gaze flickered to Evelyn before settling on Nathaniel. "There's been a development regarding the Summit Realty deal."

Evelyn tensed. That project had been a point of contention for weeks.

Sebastian Wilson had been relentless in his attempts to undermine Nathaniel, using every dirty trick in the book. But this—this felt different.

Edward slid a document across the desk. "They've filed a lawsuit. Accusing us of corporate espionage."

Nathaniel's eyes blazed. "That's absurd."

"Is it?" Richard interjected coldly. "Because they claim to have evidence."

Evelyn's mind raced. This wasn't just about business. This was personal. Sebastian had been waiting for an opportunity to strike, and now he had it.

"We need to act fast," she said, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her.

Nathaniel nodded, his expression hardening. "We will."

But as Evelyn met Edward's gaze, she saw something that sent a chill down her spine—doubt.

And for the first time, she wondered if they were already too late.

Nathaniel's piercing gaze locked onto Evelyn as he stated coolly, "You didn’t pick up, so I came myself."

He had been waiting outside for nearly an hour.

When he learned she was overseeing the construction site, he resisted the urge to barge in, choosing instead to wait patiently in the car. The moment her phone went unanswered, his first thought was that she was upset—perhaps because her assistant had mistakenly sent the draft meant for the Martin Group elsewhere.

Evelyn quickly pulled out her phone, checking the screen. Sure enough, two missed calls from Nathaniel stared back at her.

She bit her lip. "Sorry, it was on silent. I didn’t hear it."

Nathaniel studied her face, searching for any flicker of emotion. Then, without another word, he pushed open the car door. "Get in. Samuel will drive your car back later. Beatrice is expecting us for dinner."

"You went to see her?"

"I did. We talked for a while."

A soft gratitude warmed her voice. "Thank you."

Though the words irked him, Nathaniel didn’t let it show. He simply remained silent as he drove toward the apartment.

Breaking the quiet, he asked, "Why the sudden visit to the site?"

"I wasn’t supervising," Evelyn clarified. "Just checking the progress. Daniel handles everything well—he doesn’t need me hovering."

Nathaniel nodded. "Everything running smoothly?"

"Yes, though I reminded them to be extra cautious with materials and safety, especially on higher floors."

The construction industry was fraught with risks, particularly at this stage. Evelyn had given the same warnings to Daniel earlier.

Time slipped away as they exchanged brief work updates. By the time they arrived at the apartment, neither seemed eager to end the conversation.

Beatrice’s face lit up when they walked in together, though she bit back any obvious remarks, not wanting to embarrass Evelyn.

During dinner, Nathaniel surprised them both by attentively serving Beatrice. Touched, she couldn’t resist saying, "Nathaniel, take good care of Evelyn. She’s carrying your child now."

Evelyn shot her grandmother a warning look, but Beatrice pretended not to notice. Instead, she turned to Nathaniel. "She acts tough, but deep down, she’s sensitive. She’ll say you’ve been perfect, but she might secretly resent you for things. So, pay attention."

"Grandma!"

Evelyn’s brows knitted together in protest.

Beatrice merely chuckled. "See? She hates being called out."

"Enough," Evelyn muttered.

"Fine, I’ll stop."

Nathaniel rarely saw Evelyn so flustered. Amused, he tilted his head. "Is everything she said true?"

Evelyn glared at him, her eyes flashing with irritation and warning.

Nathaniel smirked, finding her reaction unexpectedly entertaining.

Despite her annoyance, the tension between them eased. Leaning closer, he murmured, "Even if it is, I don’t care. It’s part of what makes you, you."

Evelyn stiffened, pressing her lips together.

His words lingered in her mind.

He doesn’t care because he doesn’t love me.

He says it’s good—but what’s so good about it?

If she had a choice, she wouldn’t want to be this way. Living like this was exhausting.

After dinner, they offered to stay and chat, but Beatrice shooed them away. "Nathaniel, take Evelyn for a walk. She needs the exercise."