Chapter 182

The pool cue slid smoothly between Alexander's fingers as he took his shot. "He asked me about my relationship with you," he said casually, the balls clicking sharply against each other.

Evelyn kept her expression carefully blank as she lined up her next move.

With a faint smirk, Alexander delivered his next bombshell. "I told him... that I have feelings for you."

A loud clack echoed through the room as Evelyn's shot went wide, sending the cue ball straight into the pocket.

She gaped at him, stunned. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

Alexander leaned his cue against the rack and strolled toward the plush leather sofa.

Still reeling, Evelyn followed, sinking down beside him. "Why on earth would you lie to Nathan like that?" she demanded, running a hand through her hair in exasperation.

She knew Alexander didn’t actually have feelings for her—she’d accidentally stumbled upon the truth about someone else he cared for deeply.

Raising an eyebrow, Alexander met her gaze. "I was doing you a favor."

Evelyn frowned. "Explain."

A mischievous glint lit his eyes. "Don’t you want to know if Nathan would get jealous? Stirring up a little competition might lead to... interesting revelations."

Evelyn scoffed, shaking her head. "Jealous? Please. He doesn’t feel anything for me. Why would he care?"

Alexander’s lips curved into a knowing smile. "Are you sure about that?"

Evelyn narrowed her eyes, suspicion flickering across her face.

"Why not test it?" Alexander pressed. "What if he does react?"

She looked down, fingers tightening around the edge of the sofa. "And if he does... what then? Does it even matter?"

Alexander’s expression turned serious as he leaned forward. "If he’s jealous, it means he has feelings for you." He exhaled slowly. "Evelyn, think about it. Are you really over him? This could be your chance to find out the truth. Don’t you want to know?"

Silence stretched between them as Evelyn considered his words. Could Nathan really be jealous over her? Would it even change anything?

After a long pause, she let out a soft laugh, her eyes glinting with mischief. "But won’t this put you in an awkward position?"

Alexander grinned, shrugging. "A small price to pay if it leads to your happiness."

He could see the unspoken agreement in her eyes. Beneath her carefully constructed indifference, Evelyn still cared for Nathan.

As both Nathan’s loyal friend and Evelyn’s confidant, Alexander wanted nothing more than to see them happy—preferably together. If a little push could help them finally confront their feelings, he was more than willing to play his part. And if Nathan truly didn’t feel anything... well, at least Evelyn would have closure.

Evelyn bit her lip, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "So... when you told Nathan you had feelings for me... what was his reaction?"