Chapter 187

The next morning, Evelyn woke to an empty bed.

Nathan had never come back.

Again.

She dressed mechanically, her reflection in the mirror showing dark circles under her eyes.

Downstairs, Leonard was already at the breakfast table, reading the newspaper.

"Good morning, Evelyn," he greeted warmly.

"Morning," she murmured, forcing a smile.

Just then, Nathan entered, impeccably dressed, his expression unreadable.

Evelyn’s pulse jumped—but he didn’t even glance her way.

Instead, he grabbed a coffee and turned to Leonard. "I have a meeting. I’ll be late."

Leonard frowned. "Again? You just got home!"

Nathan ignored him, striding toward the door.

Evelyn’s fingers tightened around her teacup.

Then—

"Evelyn."

Nathan’s voice, sharp and unexpected, made her flinch.

She looked up.

His dark eyes locked onto hers.

"Don’t wait up."

And just like that, he was gone.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Leonard sighed. "That boy…"

Evelyn stared at her untouched breakfast, her appetite gone.

She had a sinking feeling today would be just like yesterday.

And the day before that.

And the day before that.

Endless.

Hopeless.

But then—

A knock at the door.

The butler stepped in, holding an envelope.

"Mrs. Black," he said, bowing slightly. "This arrived for you."

Evelyn frowned. "For me?"

She took it, her name elegantly scripted across the front.

No return address.

Her fingers trembled as she opened it.

Inside was a single, typed sentence:

"You deserve better."

Her breath caught.

Who sent this?

And—more importantly—

Why?

Evelyn tossed her phone onto the nightstand and collapsed onto the plush mattress.

After a sleepless night and only catching a few restless hours earlier, exhaustion weighed heavily on her. She turned off the lamp, letting darkness envelop the room, and within moments, she was pulled into a deep, dreamless slumber.

When she stirred awake, golden morning light spilled through the curtains. Rubbing her eyes, she dressed quickly and headed to the hospital, bracing herself for another grueling shift.

The emergency ward was chaotic—patients flooded in, and Evelyn barely had a moment to breathe until her lunch break finally arrived.

Meanwhile, at the Sterling estate, with Diana absent for the day, Grace seized the opportunity to visit.

Dinner was a tense affair, with only Victoria’s family, Victor, and Grace seated at the long dining table.

Celeste’s lips curled in barely concealed disdain as she glared at Grace. But with Victor—the head of the household—remaining silent, she bit back her venom.

Then, in the middle of the meal, Victoria let out a derisive scoff, drawing all eyes to her.

Her voice dripped with scorn as she announced, "Evelyn’s engagement to Marcus Donovan was supposed to elevate our standing. We all thought we could finally benefit from her connections. And yet—"

Victor’s brow furrowed. "What are you implying?"

Victoria slammed her fork down. "This morning, Marcus’s assistant rejected Gregory’s business proposal outright. They claimed his company wasn’t ‘suitable’ for collaboration. That’s just an excuse! Clearly, the Donovans don’t value Evelyn at all. Even after Gregory introduced himself as her uncle, they still turned him down!"

Victor’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing.

What right did Gregory—merely Evelyn’s aunt’s husband—have to demand favors? Not even Victor, her own father, had earned any respect from the Donovans because of her.

Victoria sneered. "Evelyn thinks she’s untouchable now, clinging to the Donovans’ power. But the truth? She’s nothing but a joke to them."

Grace couldn’t stay silent. "From the start, Evelyn made it clear she wouldn’t interfere in the Donovans’ business affairs."

Victoria’s sharp gaze snapped to her. "And who gave you permission to speak? Know your place!"

Grace flinched, immediately lowering her head.

With a cold laugh, Victoria added, "Evelyn wishes she had the influence to meddle. But let’s be honest—does she?"

Grace shrank further into her seat, too intimidated to respond.

Then Victoria turned to Victor, her tone turning pointed. "Victor, have you spoken to Evelyn about Celeste’s situation yet?"

A shadow crossed Victor’s face. "She refused."