Chapter 145

Ethan's eyes widened slightly when he spotted Evelyn.

His first instinct was that she had come because she cared—that she was worried about him and wanted to make sure he was okay.

"Even if you're desperate to see me, following me to the restroom is a little extreme," Ethan murmured, tilting his head to meet her gaze.

His fever still hadn't broken, and the doctor had strongly recommended he stay overnight for observation.

Evelyn, however, looked utterly bewildered.

"You're imagining things. I'm here for Claire," she said flatly, brushing past him as she headed toward the women's restroom across the hall.

She checked every stall, but Claire was nowhere to be found. With a frustrated sigh, she stepped back into the hallway.

Ethan was still there, leaning lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed. As if he had been waiting for her.

Evelyn shot him a quick, unreadable glance before looking away. Without a word, she walked past him, her steps brisk.

Ethan's fingers wrapped around Evelyn's wrist with unexpected force. "If you wanted to see me, you could've just said so. No need for these childish games."

Evelyn jerked her hand free, glaring at him. "Where do you even get this arrogance from? Do you own this entire hospital?" Her voice dripped with disdain. "My being here has nothing to do with you. Get over yourself."

A smirk played on Ethan's lips as he studied her retreating figure. "I know the truth, Evelyn. Your marriage to Alexander is nothing but a business arrangement. No love, just cold calculations." His voice lowered. "Admit it—you still have feelings for me."

Evelyn clenched her fists, resisting the urge to smack that smug look off his face.

Was he seriously this delusional?

She had considered a prenup, but Alexander refused outright. "Everything I have is yours," he'd said. "There’s no need for contracts between us."

She wasn’t about to waste another second entertaining Ethan’s nonsense. Claire was missing, and that was all that mattered.

But before she could walk away, his hand shot out again, gripping her arm. "You married him just to spite me, didn’t you?" His voice was rough, almost desperate. "Well, congratulations. You won. So what now, Evelyn? What do you really want?"

Evelyn's expression darkened as Ethan's fingers clamped around her wrist like unyielding iron shackles, trapping her in place.

She struggled against his grip, frustration bubbling up inside her, when a dangerously low voice cut through the air behind them.

"Ethan, do you have a death wish?"

At the sound, Ethan whipped his head around, his gaze colliding with Alexander's icy stare from just a few feet away.

"Evelyn came with him?" The realization struck Ethan like a physical blow—she wasn’t here for him at all.

Before he could react, Alexander had already closed the distance between them. The moment their eyes met, Ethan’s confidence shattered, his grip slackening instinctively.

Evelyn yanked her hand free, rubbing her wrist as she quickly stepped behind Alexander, putting distance between herself and Ethan.

Seeing them standing together sent a sharp, suffocating pressure through Ethan’s chest.

"Uncle Alexander," he muttered, voice tight.

Alexander didn’t acknowledge the greeting. His tone was razor-sharp. "And what about Evelyn?"

Ethan stayed silent.

A slow, humorless smile curved Alexander’s lips as he pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, radiating dominance. He lifted a hand—

His gaze flickered toward him with an amused smirk. "Cat got your tongue? Or are you sulking? Did Uncle Alexander steal your girl?"

The crushing weight pressed down on Ethan like an avalanche, paralyzing every muscle in his body.

A heavy silence stretched between them before Ethan abruptly lifted his head, locking eyes with Alexander. "You knew about Evelyn and me... So why marry her?"

The air crackled with unspoken accusations.

Ethan's jaw clenched as he waited for the answer that could shatter whatever remained between them.

Alexander merely arched a brow, the ghost of a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Isn't it obvious?"

The challenge hung in the air like a blade.

Ethan's fists tightened at his sides. This wasn't just about stolen love—it was about betrayal from the one person he'd never expected to cross him.

Somewhere in the mansion, a clock chimed midnight.

The sound echoed through the tense silence like a verdict.