Chapter 194

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a golden glow across the bedroom. Evelyn stirred, her fingers brushing against the empty space beside her. Nathaniel had already left for work—again.

She sighed, sitting up and running a hand through her tousled hair. The weight of their recent argument still lingered in the air, unspoken but suffocating.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. A message from Gregory.

"Evelyn, we need to talk. The Summit Realty deal is falling apart. Sebastian is demanding revisions—again."

She groaned. Just what she needed. Another crisis before breakfast.

Downstairs, Alfred had already prepared her coffee—black, no sugar, just the way she liked it. The rich aroma filled the kitchen, a small comfort in the chaos of her morning.

"Good morning, Mrs. Martin," Alfred greeted, his voice smooth as ever. "Mr. Martin left early. He mentioned an urgent meeting with Mr. Yates."

Evelyn nodded, sipping her coffee. "Of course he did."

Her phone buzzed once more. This time, it was Isabella.

"We need to talk. It's about Nathaniel."

Evelyn's grip on her cup tightened. What now?

She exhaled sharply, setting the coffee down. Whatever it was, she wasn’t ready. Not yet.

But life rarely waited for readiness.

The doorbell rang. Alfred moved to answer it, but Evelyn waved him off. "I'll get it."

She opened the door to find Vanessa standing there, her expression unreadable.

"Evelyn," Vanessa said, her voice clipped. "We have a problem."

Evelyn's stomach twisted. "What kind of problem?"

Vanessa hesitated, then handed her a folded newspaper. "The kind that makes headlines."

Evelyn unfolded it, her heart pounding.

And there it was—Nathaniel’s face splashed across the front page, his arm wrapped around Isabella in a dimly lit restaurant. The headline screamed:

"Martin Heir Rekindles Old Flame—Is His Marriage Over?"

The world tilted.

Evelyn’s fingers trembled as she gripped the paper.

This wasn’t just a problem.

Evelyn's breath hitched as Nathaniel's cold dismissal hung in the air. She forced a nod, her voice barely steady. "Fine. I'll leave you two to talk."

Nathaniel didn’t even glance at her.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she turned to leave. But the moment she took a step, her heel caught on the uneven floor. A gasp escaped her as she stumbled—right into Nathaniel’s arms.

His reflexes kicked in, his hands gripping her waist. The sudden closeness made Isabella’s eyes flash with fury.

Enough.

Evelyn quickly pulled away, cheeks flushed. "Nathaniel, I—I’m sorry. That was clumsy of me."

His expression darkened, unreadable.

When his gaze finally met Evelyn’s again, her voice was ice. "Nathaniel. I meant what I said. Let’s end this."

He barely reacted, turning to Isabella instead. "Go inside."

Evelyn’s nails dug into her palms. "Are you even listening? I said I want a divorce. I’m done."

"Isabella. Inside. Now."

The command in his tone was absolute. Isabella hesitated, then shot Evelyn a triumphant look before stepping away.

Nathaniel’s indifference cut deeper than any argument. Evelyn’s lashes fluttered, her voice hollow. "You always do this. Shut me out. Act like I don’t matter. Why stay married when you’d clearly rather be with her?"

Isabella whirled around, indignant. "Evelyn, how dare you? You’re the one who’s never been there for him! You—"

Crack.

The slap echoed through the room.

Isabella staggered, clutching her stinging cheek. Her ears rang.

Evelyn’s eyes were glacial. "Stay out of my marriage. You’re exhausting."

Tears welled in Isabella’s eyes. "You—you hit me! I was just telling the truth! If you can’t handle it, that’s your problem!"

Evelyn scoffed, turning back to Nathaniel. He stood frozen, his silence louder than words.

Isabella’s voice trembled. "Nathaniel… if you’re okay with this, then maybe I should leave Mayby. For good."

The unspoken threat hung between them.

Evelyn waited.

Nathaniel said nothing.