Chapter 319

Ethan Caldwell wiped the blood from his hands with a crisp white napkin, his gaze immediately seeking Evelyn Carter. His chest tightened when he saw how pale she looked. "Evelyn, are you hurt?"

She stepped back before his fingers could brush her arm, her silence louder than any rejection.

A shadow crossed Ethan's face. He'd gotten here before Alexander Whitmore this time—he'd been the one to save her. Yet Evelyn still flinched from his touch, still kept that careful distance between them. The sting of it was sharper than any wound.

Nearby, Oliver Hayes had already sprung into action. He yanked the ropes that had bound him moments ago and lashed Damian Cross and Marcus Riley together with vicious efficiency. His boot connected with their ribs in brutal kicks.

"You filthy rats!" Oliver snarled, waving the knife dangerously close to their faces. "Lay a finger on my sister again and I'll carve you up myself! Do you have any idea who she is? You're not fit to breathe the same air as her!"

Sirens wailed in the distance. The police arrived within minutes, hauling the two men away.

Ethan had called them while circling the building earlier—a calculated move.

Evelyn turned to leave without another word.

"Evelyn," Ethan called suddenly, his voice cutting through the tension. "Weren't you here for proof?"

The question hung in the air like a blade.

Evelyn turned at his words.

Ethan Caldwell's voice was low but clear. "I heard everything Damian Cross just said. You were set up. I've been outside since you started talking."

Now she understood. Ethan had followed her here. A bitter smile touched her lips. The mighty heir of Horizon Enterprises, reduced to trailing after her like some lovesick puppy.

Evelyn met his gaze head-on. "So what? You want to testify for me? Vanessa is your wife. Are you really prepared to do that?"

Exposing this meant dredging up the past—ripping open old wounds from three years ago. But Vanessa was Ethan's wife. The scandal would drag him down with her. His reputation, his standing, the whispers in high society—all of it would turn against him. There was nothing in this for him.

Ethan's expression softened, his eyes pleading. "Evelyn, I want you back. That's all I've ever wanted. Just... look at me."

The words hit like a thunderclap.

Oliver Hayes nearly choked on air. He remembered, vividly, how Evelyn used to chase after Ethan—how she'd been brilliant in every way except when it came to that infatuation.

When Oliver had returned to Cresthaven, he'd heard the impossible: Evelyn had married someone else. And not Ethan. The shock had been like watching the sky split open.

Given Evelyn's obsession with Ethan, Oliver couldn't fathom she would actually marry another man. It wasn't until he witnessed Evelyn standing beside Alexander at their engagement party that reality finally struck him.

Evelyn never mentioned Ethan's name again. Oliver assumed she had closed that chapter of her life for good.

Alexander was extraordinary. During their first meeting, he presented Oliver with a rare Bugatti Chiron—one of only five in existence. It was impossible to find fault with a man who gifted you a million-dollar hypercar.

For weeks, Oliver had been cruising around Cresthaven in his new prized possession, reveling in the envious stares and whispered admiration. Doors opened everywhere he went—people treated him like aristocracy, knowing his sister was engaged to Alexander Whitmore of Horizon Enterprises.

The extravagant gesture convinced Oliver of Alexander's genuine love for Evelyn. He was thrilled for his sister's newfound happiness.

Which made Ethan's sudden reappearance all the more shocking.

Oliver stared in disbelief as Ethan—the once proud heir of the Caldwell dynasty—now knelt before Evelyn, begging for her return. The world had truly gone mad.

How had the tables turned so dramatically during Oliver's years studying abroad? He remembered Ethan's cold arrogance, the way he'd sneered at Evelyn during their breakup.

Yet here he was—the mighty Ethan Caldwell—reduced to pleading? Oliver felt...

The satisfaction was undeniable.

Yet beneath that fleeting triumph, Alexander couldn't shake the unease coiling in his chest. What if Evelyn, in a moment of weakness, let old emotions resurface? What if she foolishly agreed to Ethan's absurd proposal?

Before Evelyn could even open her mouth, Oliver moved. He planted himself firmly between them, his voice sharp as a blade.

"Ethan, wake the hell up!" Oliver's glare could have melted steel. "You lost any right to Evelyn the second you betrayed her. You think you can just waltz back in and demand another chance?"

The air crackled with tension.

Ethan's jaw tightened, but Oliver didn't give him an inch.

"Dreams don't come true for men like you," Oliver spat. "Not after what you did."

Evelyn remained silent, but her fingers curled into fists at her sides.

Alexander watched, his pulse steady but his mind racing.

This wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.