Chapter 104

Damian Grant's lips curled into a sly smirk. "The woman he loves?" His voice dripped with amusement. "That would be Serena Cole, wouldn't it?"

The man standing before him nodded. "Exactly. Years ago, Nathan Black nearly tore the family apart over her. But lately… he hasn’t mentioned her much."

Damian said nothing, though the glint in his eyes sharpened. If Serena still held Nathan’s heart, then as his elder brother, he would naturally… help him along.

After a few more questions, Damian dismissed the man. Alone, he pulled out his phone and typed a quick message: "Original plan postponed. New target acquired."

When Nathan returned to the bedroom, Evelyn Hartley was seated at the desk, absorbed in a book. At the sound of his footsteps, she glanced up. "Are you really okay with your brother coming back?"

Nathan strode deeper into the room, his voice rough. "Of course."

Evelyn rose, closing the distance between them, her brow furrowed. "Damian shows up out of nowhere, turns down opportunities abroad to stay in Owathe, and you just hand him a position in a subsidiary—which he accepts without hesitation. Doesn’t that strike you as suspicious? He clearly has an agenda, and it’s aimed at you. Yet you’re just… letting him?"

Nathan met her gaze, unfazed. A slow, knowing smile played on his lips. "Are you worried about me?"

The question caught Evelyn off guard.

Was she?

Maybe. She remembered the brutal feud between Nathan and Damian years ago—the sleepless nights, the whispered strategies, the two assassination attempts Nathan had barely survived. No proof had ever tied Damian to them, but neither of them doubted who was responsible.

Evelyn lowered her lashes, her voice steady. "I’m just curious."

"Curious?" Nathan chuckled, the sound dark with disbelief. His eyes gleamed with something unreadable. "Oh, I know he’s plotting something. But I’m curious too. Three years have passed—let’s see what new games he thinks he can play."

Evelyn exhaled silently. The tension in her shoulders eased. This wasn’t the same Nathan from three years ago. If he’d allowed Damian back, it meant he’d already calculated every risk.

She met his gaze again, shifting the subject. "One more thing—does your father already know what happened at the Sterling estate that night?"

She’d meant to ask yesterday, but Nathan hadn’t come home until long after she’d fallen asleep.

"Yes," Nathan answered flatly. "Victor Sterling dragged Lila straight to Leonard’s house to complain."

Evelyn suppressed a sigh. She’d suspected as much. Leonard Grant must have heard something—why else would he have confronted her earlier? What did surprise her, though, was Victor’s eagerness to throw her under the bus.

What a wonderful father.