Chapter 224

Evelyn smiled softly. "Thank you, Mom."

The air between them lightened as they talked a little longer. Eventually, Grace left, leaving Evelyn alone with her thoughts. Walking back to her office, Evelyn exhaled in quiet relief. She had braced herself for Grace’s anger, but her mother’s unexpected calm had caught her off guard. Knowing Grace wasn’t upset with her lifted a weight off her shoulders.

Settling back at her desk, Evelyn refocused on her work, her mind finally at ease.

Meanwhile, Nathan was swamped with an unusually hectic day. By evening, he still hadn’t made it home for dinner. Just as he was about to shut down his computer and call it a night, his phone buzzed. The name flashing on the screen gave him pause—Dylan.

“Nathan,” Dylan’s voice came through, steady but edged with concern. “Serena and I are at the Velvet Lounge. Can you come?”

Nathan’s first instinct was to refuse. But before he could respond, Dylan continued, “Serena’s in a bad state. She’s been drinking nonstop since last night. Nothing I say gets through to her. She’s drowning herself in alcohol, and I’m worried she might spiral.”

Nathan’s grip tightened around his phone. Dylan hesitated before adding, “I think she’s on the verge of a breakdown.”

The words sent a jolt through Nathan. His tone turned sharp. “I’ll be there in ten.” Hanging up, he grabbed his keys and headed straight for the Velvet Lounge.

When he pushed open the door to the private booth, he found Dylan wrestling a whiskey glass from Serena’s grasp. “Serena, enough,” Dylan said firmly. “You’re going to make yourself sick.”

The sound of the door drew Dylan’s attention. Relief washed over his face when he spotted Nathan. “Thank God you’re here,” he muttered.

At the sound of Nathan’s name, Serena froze. Slowly, she turned to look at him, her eyes shimmering with a storm of emotions.

Nathan crossed the room and sat beside her, his voice low. “Serena, is this really how you want to handle things?”

The moment their eyes met, hers welled up. She bit her lip, her voice trembling. “Nathan,” she whispered, “why did you kiss Evelyn during the game last night? Why didn’t you stop her?”

Nathan went still. Why hadn’t he refused Evelyn? The truth was, he wasn’t sure. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to humiliate her in front of everyone. Maybe, with Alexander watching, he’d played along to send a message. Or maybe—just maybe—some part of him hadn’t wanted to refuse her at all.

The uncertainty kept him silent.

To Serena, that silence was a knife twisting in her chest. Her voice cracked. “Nathan… does this mean you have feelings for her now?”

Nathan met her gaze, his expression unreadable. He took a long moment before answering softly, “No.”

But Serena didn’t feel relief. If anything, her heart sank deeper. Because that hesitation—that pause—told her everything she needed to know.