Chapter 241

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Pineview Villa, casting golden streaks across the marble floors. Evelyn stretched lazily in bed, the silk sheets cool against her skin. Beside her, Nathaniel was already awake, his piercing blue eyes studying her with quiet intensity.

"You're staring," she murmured, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

"I can't help it," he replied, his voice rough with sleep. "You're breathtaking."

Evelyn rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the warmth spreading through her chest. Three years of marriage, and he still looked at her like she was the only woman in the world.

Their peaceful moment was shattered by the shrill ring of Nathaniel's phone. He frowned as he glanced at the caller ID—Samuel Yates, his ever-efficient secretary.

"Speak," Nathaniel answered, his tone shifting to businesslike sharpness.

Evelyn watched as his expression darkened. Something was wrong.

She didn't have to wait long for an explanation. The moment he ended the call, Nathaniel turned to her, jaw tight. "There's been an incident at the Martin Group headquarters. A major investor just pulled out, and the board is in chaos."

Evelyn sat up, instantly alert. "How bad is it?"

"Bad enough that I need to handle this personally." He pressed a kiss to her forehead before striding toward the walk-in closet. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

She nodded, though unease settled in her stomach. The Martin Group had faced challenges before, but Nathaniel rarely looked this troubled.

As he dressed, Evelyn's phone buzzed. A message from Gregory Wilson, her business partner at the architecture firm.

"Emergency meeting in 30. Summit Realty is making moves."

Her fingers tightened around the device. Summit Realty—Sebastian Wilson's company—had been circling their projects for months, looking for weaknesses. If they were acting now, it couldn’t be a coincidence.

Evelyn quickly typed back. "On my way."

She threw on a tailored blazer and heels, her mind racing. The timing was too perfect—Martin Group in turmoil, Summit Realty making a play. Someone was orchestrating this.

And she had a sinking suspicion she knew who.

Downstairs, Alfred stood waiting with her car keys. "Will you be joining Mr. Martin, madam?"

"No," Evelyn said, slipping into her coat. "I have my own fire to put out."

As she stepped outside, the crisp morning air did little to calm her nerves. Whatever was coming, she and Nathaniel would face it together—just like they always had.

But first, she needed answers.

And there was only one person who could give them to her.

Isabella Davis.

Evelyn offered a faint smile and deftly shifted the conversation, engaging Beatrice in light banter until lunch concluded. Then she retreated to her apartment.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, the exhaustion from the previous night finally weighed her down. Reluctantly, she sank into bed, surrendering to much-needed rest.

Meanwhile, at the Martin estate, Nathaniel finished his work and prepared to leave for Evelyn’s place. Just as he stepped out of his office, Samuel intercepted him urgently. "Mr. Martin, they’ve found the suspect. He’s been taken to the police station."

A flicker of relief crossed Nathaniel’s expression before he asked, "Has Thomas been informed?"

"Mr. Ellsworth is aware and already on his way there. Should we join him? Given that Ms. Bennett is your wife’s closest friend, what would you like to do?" Samuel suggested cautiously.

Nathaniel considered for a brief moment before responding, "Clear my schedule for the afternoon."

Samuel nodded and made a quick call as they headed toward the elevator.

Roughly thirty minutes later, Nathaniel arrived at the police station.

Samuel’s contacts had been waiting for them and immediately provided an update. "Mr. Martin, the suspect is in the interrogation room."

"Where’s Thomas?" Nathaniel inquired.

"Mr. Ellsworth just went in."

Inside the interrogation room, Thomas had already rolled up his sleeves, his black shirt the only thing left neat as he loomed over the suspect with barely restrained fury.

The officers had conveniently found reasons to step out, leaving Thomas to conduct his own version of questioning.

The man was already sporting bruises. Nathaniel ignored them and cut straight to the point. "Tell us where Charlotte is."

"I—I don’t know! I swear, I don’t know her!" the man stammered, his voice trembling.

"Stop lying!" Thomas seized the man’s collar and delivered a brutal punch.

Nathaniel watched impassively before warning, "If you keep this up, you’ll kill him before we get any answers."

But Thomas wasn’t listening. He landed several more kicks before pausing at Nathaniel’s presence. Frustration boiled over as he snapped, "Nathaniel, tell me what to do! If this had happened to Evelyn—"

Nathaniel’s icy glare silenced him mid-sentence. "Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that."

Ignoring the outburst, Nathaniel observed the interrogation process. Through relentless questioning and photo identification, the suspect finally cracked.

"Fine! I gave her a ride. I thought about taking advantage, but she fought back too hard. I didn’t want trouble. She just jumped out of the car and vanished," the man confessed.

With the lead in hand, they launched a search for Charlotte.

Within half an hour, Samuel returned with news. "Mr. Martin, we’ve found information on Ms. Bennett!"

Nathaniel instructed Samuel to inform Thomas before driving straight to Evelyn’s apartment.

He knocked firmly. When she answered, she was still groggy from sleep. Her gaze was steady, her tone eerily calm. "What do you want?"

Though Nathaniel’s brow furrowed slightly, he didn’t comment. Instead, he delivered the update. "We have news about Charlotte."