Chapter 81

Lila's scream pierced the air.

Victor lunged forward, his face contorted with rage. "Evelyn! Have you lost your mind?"

Grace gasped, hands flying to her mouth. "Oh my god—!"

Nathan moved instantly, stepping between Evelyn and Victor, his voice a low warning. "Enough."

Evelyn didn't flinch. She met Lila's wide, tear-filled eyes with a chilling smile. "There. Now I actually have something to apologize for."

Lila clutched her reddened hand, her perfect facade cracking. "You—you bitch!"

Victor's face darkened. "That's it. You're done."

Evelyn tilted her head, her voice eerily calm. "Funny. I was just thinking the same thing about you."

Nathan's grip tightened on Evelyn's wrist, pulling her back. "We're leaving."

Grace reached out desperately. "Evelyn, please—"

But Evelyn was already walking away, her spine straight, her steps measured. Behind her, Lila's sobs and Victor's furious shouts faded into the distance.

Nathan kept pace beside her, his voice low. "That was reckless."

Evelyn didn't look at him. "No. Reckless would've been throwing it in her face."

A beat of silence. Then, Nathan exhaled sharply—almost like a laugh. "Point taken."

The front door slammed shut behind them, sealing away the chaos.

Evelyn took a deep breath of the cool night air.

Game on.

Lila Sinclair's scream sliced through the dining room, sharp as shattered glass. "Evelyn Hartley, have you gone completely insane?"

"Evelyn, what the hell are you doing?"

The room plunged into stunned silence, every pair of eyes locked on Evelyn’s bold move. Even Nathan Black’s usually impassive expression flickered with surprise before settling into something darker—a quiet, calculating amusement, his lips quirking slightly.

Evelyn set the bowl down with deliberate slowness, her icy gaze sweeping over Lila, who clutched her scalded hand with a pained grimace. With a derisive scoff, Evelyn tilted her chin up. "Since everyone seems so convinced I burned Lila’s hand on purpose earlier, I figured I shouldn’t disappoint. Now, I did do it intentionally. Happy to take credit this time."

Lila’s face twisted in shock and fury, her manicured nails digging into her palm. How dare Evelyn humiliate her like this? And right in front of Nathan? Did she have no fear of him seeing her for the ruthless woman she truly was?

"You psychotic bitch!" Victor Sterling roared, his face mottled with rage as he lunged toward Evelyn. "I’ll make you regret this!" His hand shot up, poised to strike.

Evelyn’s eyes turned to steel. She was ready—more than ready—to meet his attack head-on.

But before Victor could follow through, Nathan’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Mr. Sterling." His tone was deceptively smooth, but the undercurrent of warning was unmistakable. He locked eyes with Victor, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "Think very carefully about what you’re about to do."

The words hit Victor like a physical blow. His arm froze mid-air, muscles tensing as the reality of Nathan’s threat sank in. After a tense beat, he lowered his hand, his fury simmering into impotent resentment.

Lila’s eyes welled with furious tears as she stared at Nathan in disbelief. He was defending Evelyn? Since when did he take her side? Had that scheming witch somehow bewitched him?

Even Evelyn was caught off guard. She hadn’t expected Nathan to intervene. Regaining her composure, she exhaled sharply. "This dinner is clearly over." Turning to Nathan, she added coolly, "Let’s go."

Nathan didn’t argue. He rose smoothly, following Evelyn out of the Sterling mansion without another word.

Once inside the car, Evelyn’s pulse still thrummed with adrenaline. After a moment, she turned to Nathan, her voice edged with dry amusement. "Back there—"

"I didn’t do it for you," Nathan cut in, his voice rough as he started the engine. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. "You’re still my wife, Evelyn. Any insult to you is an insult to the Black family."

Evelyn’s half-formed gratitude evaporated. She turned away, a bitter smile curling her lips. "Funny. I was about to say I didn’t need your help. I had it handled."

Nathan didn’t respond. The silence between them was thick, charged with unspoken tension.

Outside, the city lights blurred past, indifferent to the storm brewing inside the car.