Chapter 282

The morning sun streamed through the curtains, casting a golden glow over the bedroom. Evelyn stirred, blinking against the light. Beside her, Nathaniel slept soundly, his breathing steady. She studied his face—the strong jawline, the faint scar near his temple—memorizing every detail as if she might forget.

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

"Emergency meeting at the office. We need you here ASAP."

Evelyn frowned. Gregory never called for emergencies unless it was serious. She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Nathaniel, and dressed quickly.

Downstairs, Alfred was already waiting with her coffee. "Good morning, Mrs. Martin. Your car is ready."

"Thank you, Alfred." She took the cup, the warmth seeping into her fingers. "Tell Nathaniel I had to leave early."

The drive to the office was tense. The city streets blurred past as Evelyn’s mind raced through possibilities. Had their latest project hit a snag? Was it the investors?

When she arrived, Gregory was pacing in the conference room. His usually composed demeanor was frayed at the edges.

"What’s going on?" Evelyn asked, setting her bag down.

Gregory handed her a folder. "Summit Realty just pulled out of the deal. Sebastian Wilson claims we breached contract terms."

Evelyn’s stomach dropped. "That’s impossible. We followed every clause."

"Apparently, they disagree." Gregory sighed. "And there’s more. Isabella Davis is involved."

Evelyn’s grip tightened on the folder. Isabella—Nathaniel’s ex—had always been a shadow in their lives. "How?"

"She’s been whispering in Sebastian’s ear. Feeding him lies about our firm’s stability."

Evelyn exhaled sharply. This wasn’t just business. This was personal.

Her phone buzzed again. A text from Nathaniel:

"We need to talk. Meet me at home."

The words sent a chill down her spine. What now?

As she left the office, Evelyn’s mind spun with questions. One thing was clear—Isabella wasn’t done with them yet. And this time, she was playing for keeps.

Evelyn didn't grasp the implication behind his question.

Her momentary silence was interpreted as silent agreement by Nathaniel.

Their gazes locked as he spoke in a measured, hushed tone, "Isabella came to the Martin Group to discuss the contract with me."

At his words, realization dawned on Evelyn.

Is he referring to that phone call when Samuel mentioned Isabella was looking for him?

After returning to Martin Manor and hiring Rosalind, the matter had been left untouched—so much so that Evelyn had nearly forgotten about it.

She met Nathaniel's eyes calmly, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Nathaniel, are you explaining yourself to me?"

Nathaniel stiffened slightly, as if suddenly aware of his own actions.

His gaze remained steady as he echoed her words, "What would you do if I were?"

Evelyn hadn't expected such directness from him.

Before, he would have dismissed it outright, telling me not to overthink things. But now?

Her eyes widened slightly, momentarily at a loss for words.

Nathaniel pressed, "Evelyn, answer me. What would you do if I was explaining myself to you?"

She averted her gaze quickly, then offered a gentle smile. "Nathaniel, you don’t need to explain. I never misunderstood. Honestly, if you hadn’t brought it up, I might have forgotten entirely."

"Really?"

His eyes narrowed, his expression cooling instantly, the warmth in his voice replaced by something distant.

Evelyn pressed her lips together, choosing silence.

Nathaniel exhaled sharply. "Then I was overthinking it."

The air between them grew heavy, thick with unspoken thoughts. Neither spoke, each lost in their own mind, the other’s thoughts just out of reach.

As for the Mitchell family, Nathaniel had followed standard procedure. In truth, he’d anticipated Evelyn asking for his help—had even prepared to say yes if she did.

But she hadn’t. So he didn’t.

His refusal sent William into a panic. He’d been certain Nathaniel would agree, given Evelyn’s pregnancy. But the outright rejection left him speechless, his mind racing for alternatives.

William was too agitated to eat. "If Nathaniel won’t intervene, the Mitchell Group is finished."

Margaret frowned. "Maybe Evelyn didn’t explain it properly. I’ll talk to her again!"

"What’s the point? She resents us for sending her to stay with Beatrice in Dattlech. She’s probably delighted to see us struggle!" William’s anger flared at the mere mention of Evelyn.

Sophia, overhearing, stepped forward, determination flashing in her eyes. "Dad, Mom, I’ll go talk to her. I’ll make her understand."

Without waiting for a response, she hurried out.

William sighed heavily as he watched her leave.

The truth was, the Mitchell Group had been surviving on the Martin Group’s coattails for years—superficially stable, but drowning in debt. With Nathaniel cutting ties, creditors had begun circling, demanding repayment William couldn’t provide.

Had the Martin Group continued their partnership, he could’ve managed the interest payments. But the principal remained untouched, and now, with no lifeline, the situation was dire.

The Mitchell Group had two options: restructure entirely to become self-sufficient or declare bankruptcy, liquidate assets, and start anew.

The latter was impossible. William was far past the age of rebuilding from scratch.

That was why he was desperate. But desperation didn’t mean he’d given up.

Sophia found Evelyn just as she stepped out of a meeting—her mind freshly set on entering the architectural competition.