Chapter 45

Nathan's gaze sharpened at Evelyn's question. A flicker of suspicion crossed his mind—was she genuinely interested in him?

With deliberate calm, he answered, "Yes, Serena, my cousin, was Nathan's first love. She still holds his heart."

Evelyn's lips curved into a faint smile. "But rumors say Nathan is already married. And his wife... isn’t your cousin."

Dylan's expression darkened instantly. "That woman? She’s nothing—plain, with an unsightly scar on her cheek."

He leaned in, voice dripping with disdain. "Nathan only married her to protect Serena. When Serena returned three years ago, he tried to divorce that woman immediately. But she was cunning—she fled abroad before he could finalize it. If not for her, Nathan and Serena would be married by now."

A pause. Then, with cold certainty, he added, "No one can come between them. They’re destined to be together."

Evelyn’s grip on her fork tightened. Even after all this time, hearing it spoken aloud still felt like a knife twisting in her chest.

Dylan studied her reaction, satisfaction curling in his chest. He continued, his tone laced with false sympathy, "There’s more. Nathan didn’t just marry that woman for Serena’s sake."

Evelyn lifted her gaze, curiosity flickering through the pain.

With a sly smile, Dylan explained, "Originally, Nathan’s father, Leonard, had arranged for him to marry a woman from the prestigious Perez family. A socialite—beautiful, refined, everything Serena wasn’t. Nathan knew Serena would feel inferior, so he chose the Wright family’s forgotten daughter instead. A lesser threat."

Evelyn’s face paled. Her throat tightened, each breath suddenly an effort. The lengths Nathan had gone to for Serena—it was almost laughable.

Dylan feigned concern. "Ms. Hartley, are you alright? You look unwell."

In truth, he had fabricated half the story. His goal was simple: make Evelyn believe she stood no chance.

Yet, Evelyn swallowed every word. Her heart ached, slow and relentless. Forcing a brittle smile, she asked, "If Nathan loves Serena so much, why marry someone else at all?"

Dylan sighed dramatically. "Blame Leonard. He thought Serena wasn’t good enough—too common for the Black family. But now? Nathan controls everything. Leonard’s objections mean nothing."

Evelyn watched Dylan closely. His expression was steady, unwavering. To him, this was the truth.

But what he didn’t know—what no one knew—was the real reason Leonard had despised Serena.

And Evelyn intended to keep it that way.