Chapter 190

A mocking smile played on her lips as she tilted her head. "Ethan, what's this? You abandoned your precious Vanessa to come after me? Don't you worry she'll throw a tantrum when you return?"

His voice was low, almost tender. "Vanessa wouldn't act out with me."

Evelyn's smile turned sharper, bitter.

So, was she the only one who had ever dared to challenge him?

Ethan didn't understand himself.

Watching Evelyn cut all ties with the Hayes family, seeing her drop her beloved cello and stride into the downpour without hesitation—something inside him twisted painfully.

Each uneven step she took sent a jolt through his chest.

When she winced, he felt it too.

A memory surfaced—two months ago, when he had picked her up from prison.

It had been raining that day too.

She had limped the same way.

His gaze dropped to the jagged scar marring her ankle.

Had it left her with lasting damage?

Before her imprisonment, she had been flawless.

Who had dared to lay a hand on her behind those bars?

Ethan Caldwell was chasing after her.

He couldn't believe what he was doing.

At the Hawthorne Estate, Richard and Margaret Hayes were still processing Evelyn Carter's decision to cut ties with the family. The shock hadn't faded.

Vanessa Hart stood frozen.

She hadn’t expected this.

Less than five minutes after Evelyn walked out, Ethan had gone after her.

Panic clawed at Vanessa’s chest. Her hands shook uncontrollably.

She was losing control.

She had been so sure—as long as Ethan never discovered it was Evelyn who played the cello that woke him from his coma years ago, they would never reconcile.

That’s why she had forced Evelyn to leave the instrument behind.

But now, even without knowing the truth, Ethan was running after her.

Vanessa’s nails dug into her palms. She couldn’t just stand there.

She needed a plan.

Then it hit her—Alexander Whitmore!

Her mind raced. If she could get to him first, she could still turn this around.

Her lips curled into a sharp smile.

This wasn’t over yet.

The downpour intensified as Evelyn stood frozen on the sidewalk, her clothes clinging to her like a second skin.

Ethan Caldwell's jaw tightened as he watched her shiver. His grip on the steering wheel turned his knuckles white.

"Get in the damn car," he growled.

Evelyn wiped the rain from her face, her glare unwavering. "And give Vanessa another reason to spread rumors? No thanks."

She took another step back, her heels sinking into the wet pavement. The cold seeped into her bones, but she refused to show weakness.

Ethan exhaled sharply, his patience wearing thin. "You're being ridiculous."

"Am I?" Evelyn scoffed. "Your precious stepsister has a habit of twisting every interaction between us. I won't give her the satisfaction."

A muscle in Ethan's jaw twitched. He hated that she had a point.

Vanessa Hart had a way of turning innocent situations into scandals.

But seeing Evelyn drenched and trembling ignited something primal in him.

Before he could stop himself, he shoved the car door open and stepped into the rain.

Evelyn's eyes widened as he closed the distance between them.

"What are you—"

He didn't let her finish.

In one swift motion, he scooped her into his arms.

She gasped, her hands instinctively gripping his shoulders. "Put me down!"

"Not a chance." His voice was rough, his breath warm against her ear.

Evelyn squirmed, but his hold was unbreakable.

The rain blurred her vision, but she could still see the dark intensity in his gaze.

"You're impossible," she muttered.

Ethan smirked. "And you're stubborn."

He carried her to the car, ignoring her protests.

As he deposited her into the passenger seat, their eyes locked.

A dangerous tension crackled between them.

Evelyn's pulse raced.

This was a mistake.

But as Ethan slammed the door shut, she knew—

There was no turning back now.

"Go away," Evelyn said sharply.

When she refused to budge, Ethan's face darkened.

He shrugged off his tailored jacket and draped it over her shoulders without ceremony. His gaze lingered for a split second on her exposed collarbone. "At least have some decency," he muttered.

Evelyn stiffened, suddenly hyperaware of her soaked dress clinging to every curve. The thin fabric left little to imagination, amplifying her discomfort.

Footsteps splashed through puddles as Vanessa came rushing toward them.

"Ethan! You promised we'd leave together!" she cried.

Vanessa's designer dress was splattered with mud, suggesting she'd taken a tumble. Standing there drenched and shivering, she looked like a fragile doll about to collapse in the storm.