Chapter 183

Alexander chuckled, leaning back against the plush leather couch. "I asked Nathan point-blank if he'd mind me pursuing you. Know what he said? 'Do whatever you want.'"

Evelyn's lips curled into a bitter smile, her fingers tightening around her glass. The irony wasn't lost on her.

Alexander studied her reaction before adding casually, "Though, let's be honest—Nathan's pride could fill this entire room. Even if he did care, he'd never admit it."

Evelyn said nothing. Alexander didn’t know Nathan the way she did.

"Enough of this," Alexander declared, snatching up the tablet to scroll through the karaoke playlist. His fingers paused on "I Only Care About You," and he tossed her the mic with a grin. "You kill this song every time. Humor me."

She rolled her eyes but took the microphone anyway.

Halfway through the chorus, an idea struck Alexander. He pulled out his phone, discreetly recording Evelyn as she sang—her voice rich with emotion, her gaze distant, lost in the lyrics. With a smirk, he sent the video straight to Nathan.

Nathan was still at the office, reviewing contracts, when his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his expression darkening when he saw Alexander’s name. He tapped the video.

There she was—Evelyn, bathed in the dim glow of the karaoke lounge, lips parted as she sang:

"Time may pass quickly, but my focus remains on you alone..."

Her voice was hauntingly beautiful, wrapping around him like silk. He hadn’t known she could sing like that.

Then reality crashed in.

She was with Alexander. Now.

His jaw clenched. Before he could react, another message popped up:

Alexander: "Just so you know, Evelyn’s with me. I’ll drop her home later. If Leonard asks, cover for me, yeah?"

Nathan’s grip on his phone turned white-knuckled. He slammed it face-down on the desk.

Alexander, blissfully unbothered by Nathan’s silence, kept singing with Evelyn until they switched to a game of pool. They were tied at three rounds each when Evelyn’s phone rang.

She pulled it from her pocket, her breath hitching slightly at the caller ID. Swiping to answer, she pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?" Nathan’s voice was low, rough with something she couldn’t place.