Chapter 310

Evelyn's lips pressed into a thin line as Ethan slid into the passenger seat of her car. Her gaze was icy, devoid of warmth. "Ethan, what could we possibly have left to discuss?"

Ethan leaned back, unfazed. "Aren't you searching for Damian? I know exactly where he is." He pulled out his phone, flashing a QR code on the screen. "Add me back, and I'll send you his coordinates."

Evelyn had erased Ethan from her contacts months ago. The audacity of him asking to reconnect almost made her laugh. "If you know where he is, just tell me. Do I really need to add you again?"

His expression remained smug. "The location is complicated—too many turns, too many side streets. Without the exact pin, you'll never find him."

Suspicion coiled in her chest. She didn’t want him back in her life, but she needed to see Damian. Reluctantly, she scanned the code.

The moment the notification popped up on his screen, Ethan tucked his phone away.

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed. "What are you doing? Weren’t you going to send me Damian’s location?"

"Relax," Ethan said smoothly. "I said I’d send it, and I will. But first, there’s something else we need to discuss."

The memory hit Ethan Caldwell like a punch to the gut—Alexander Whitmore and Evelyn Carter tangled together in the backseat of this very car. His jaw clenched, fingers tightening around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

"It's suffocating in here. Get out," Ethan snapped, shoving his door open before the scent of leather and her perfume could choke him further.

Evelyn didn’t move.

He circled the car, yanking her door open with more force than necessary. "I said, get out."

Her fingers curled around the seatbelt. Meeting him alone was reckless, especially after what happened at Hawthorne Estate.

Ethan had been drunk that night, slurring pleas for her to come back, his words raw with a truth only liquor could loosen. And Alexander had seen them.

The aftermath had been brutal—Alexander’s possessiveness a living thing, his touch leaving marks that ached for days. Just the thought made her skin prickle with warning.

She stayed seated, tilting her head up. "Ethan, this isn’t appropriate. Your uncle will lose his temper."

Alexander’s name was a match to gasoline. Ethan’s expression darkened. "Are you scared of him? Did he force you? Tell me, and I’ll—"

"And you’ll what?" Evelyn’s gaze sharpened, dissecting him. His words didn’t fit—not the man who’d let her go without a fight.

The silence between them thickened, heavy with things unsaid.

Ethan exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Just—get out of the car, Evelyn."

She didn’t.

Because the truth was, she wasn’t afraid of Alexander’s jealousy.

She was afraid of this—of Ethan’s sudden intensity, the way his eyes burned like he had something to prove.

And she had no idea what game he was playing.

Ethan pressed his lips together, his jaw tightening. "Even if I can't defeat him, I'd give my life to keep you safe."

Evelyn found his reasoning utterly baffling. She was legally bound to Alexander, yet the way Ethan spoke made it sound like she belonged to him instead.

She had no intention of indulging this conversation further. "Ethan, what exactly are you trying to say? Why are you blocking my path?"

Her refusal to acknowledge Alexander only fueled Ethan's conviction. To him, their public displays of affection were nothing more than an act. A flicker of hope burned brighter in his gaze.

"Evelyn," he said, voice softening with concern, "when you were taken... did they hurt you? I tried to reach you first, but Alexander got there before I could. You have no idea how sick with worry I've been these past few days."

He had followed her, watching for any sign of injury, any hint of distress.

"Worried about me?" Her tone was ice. "Your wife is lying in a hospital bed fighting to keep your child alive. Shouldn't she be your priority?"

Secret Longing: A Love Reclaimed (Evelyn) novel