Chapter 137

The silence in the room was suffocating.

I stared at the closed door, my mind racing.

Nathan would know what to do. He always did.

But before I could reach for my phone, it buzzed on the nightstand.

A message from Alexander.

"We need to talk."

My stomach dropped.

This couldn’t be a coincidence.

Not now.

Not after last night.

I exhaled sharply, my fingers tightening around the phone.

Whatever was coming—I wasn’t ready for it.

But I had no choice.

I had to face this.

Even if it destroyed everything.

Ethan didn't even realize it himself.

Seeing the conflicted expression on his face, Vanessa's heart shattered into pieces.

She lunged forward, fists clenched, gripping his shirt tightly before pounding against his chest. "I won't accept this! You can't still have feelings for her. Ethan, you're mine! How dare you love someone else?"

It was the first time Ethan had ever seen Vanessa like this—wild, desperate, completely unhinged.

She had always been soft-spoken, sweet, and understanding around him. But now? She was clawing at him, screaming, acting like some jealous, scorned woman.

At first, Ethan had wanted to comfort her, to tell her she was overreacting. But now? Any sympathy he'd felt vanished.

His gaze turned cold. Without a word, he shoved her away and walked off.

Vanessa collapsed onto the floor, watching his retreating figure until he disappeared completely.

Her mind screamed. It's over. Everything is ruined.

This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

No one from the Hayes family had shown up at the wedding yesterday. And today, Eleanor had singled her out.

All of it was a warning—one she couldn’t ignore.

No one noticed her crumbling.

Vanessa Hart stood frozen, her carefully constructed world shattering around her. She had believed becoming part of the Whitmore family would secure her future, but she never anticipated Alexander Whitmore and Evelyn Carter’s sudden marriage.

The weight of betrayal pressed down on her chest.

By the time Vanessa composed herself and stepped out of the grand hall, Whitmore Manor was eerily silent.

Evelyn had already left.

Outside, a rare vintage car gleamed under the afternoon sun. Alexander held the door open for her, his expression unreadable.

Ryan Fletcher, trailing behind them, whistled in admiration. "That’s a collector’s edition! Uncle Alexander, this is incredible. Mind giving me a ride?"

Alexander didn’t respond, but the cold dismissal in his eyes was answer enough.

Ryan chuckled awkwardly before sidling closer to Evelyn, lowering his voice. "You two already got the marriage license, didn’t you? All that chasing you did before—was it just an act?"

The pieces clicked together in his mind. That disastrous blind date, Alexander’s abrupt interruption—it all made sense now.

Today’s events had only confirmed his suspicions.

Something deeper was at play.

No wonder Alexander had given me that warning look back then, emphasizing that employees of Titan Capital Group were strictly forbidden from romantic entanglements.

It wasn’t about restrictions—it was because they were already together. They just couldn’t make it public.

Evelyn nodded. "Exactly."

Ryan’s jaw dropped. "You’ve got to be kidding me! Then why did you let me humiliate myself like that? No way, I’m not doing it!"

Alexander flicked open his silver lighter, the flame igniting with a sharp click. A cold, dangerous aura radiated from him.

Ryan froze when he met Alexander’s piercing gaze.

Alexander clapped a heavy hand on Ryan’s shoulder, the weight of his presence suffocating. "Ryan, I heard you’ve been trying to win over Evelyn. Care to explain?"

Ryan stiffened. "That’s not true, Mr. Whitmore."

Alexander’s lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Are you sure?"

The unspoken threat in his tone sent a chill down Ryan’s spine.

Lying would only make things worse. Ryan swallowed hard. "Okay, fine! I only did it to mess with Ethan. But—"

"Uncle Alexander, with you here, I wouldn't dare."

It was common knowledge that Ryan and Ethan had been at odds since childhood.

Seeing Alexander's displeasure, Ryan quickly backtracked, his words spilling out in a nervous rush.

"Don't worry, Uncle Alexander! I swear, I have no inappropriate intentions toward Aunt Evelyn. At most, we're just friends!"

He flashed a charming smile, adding, "You know what they say—the enemy of my enemy is my ally."

The ice in Alexander's gaze thawed slightly.

Just then, Ethan stepped out of Whitmore Manor.