Chapter 32

A strange mixture of emotions swirled in Evelyn's chest, sharp and unexpected.

This wasn't about Ethan—no, it was about her, about the part of her that had foolishly held onto hope for far too long.

Alexander's fingers closed around hers, warm and possessive.

Before she could react, he slipped a diamond ring onto her finger.

The design was elegant, understated—perfectly suited to her taste.

As his grip tightened slightly, Evelyn felt her pulse stutter.

Then he raised his other hand, brushing two fingers lightly against the space between her brows.

His voice was low, intimate, when he murmured, "From now on, this belongs to me."

For a breathless moment, she almost nodded—until reality crashed back in.

Something wasn't right.

"We aren't this close," she said slowly, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze. "Are we?"

The thought crossed Evelyn's mind like a fleeting shadow. We're practically strangers who ended up married by chance. When did it become expected for me to consider him like this?

Alexander's lips curved into that infuriating smirk, his voice a low murmur against her ear. "Sharing a bed, kissing—if that doesn't make us familiar, then what does?"

The noise of the crowded street blurred into the background. Evelyn's pulse spiked, her fingers tightening reflexively.

She met his gaze, inhaling sharply. A flush crept up her neck, her ears burning.

After a moment of charged silence, they headed back to the apartment. Evelyn decided it was time to haul Alexander to the grocery store.

The place was pristine, almost sterile—like a staged home rather than one lived in. She needed to stock up on essentials, to make it feel less like a hotel and more like theirs.

Yet, the thought of tonight twisted her stomach with an unfamiliar tension.

Last night, Alexander had been drunk enough to pass out on the couch.

But tonight?

"We're married now... Shouldn't we be sharing the same bed?"

Evelyn's phone vibrated abruptly.

She looked down to see Claire's message: [Just touched down. Dinner tonight?]

Her teeth sank into her lower lip as her gaze flickered toward the master bedroom.

Alexander emerged, his towering frame commanding attention, freshly changed into a crisp navy suit.

Fingers flying, she replied: [Can't. Got married today.]

Claire's response was instantaneous: [EXCUSE ME?]

Evelyn exhaled sharply: [Long story.]

[You didn't actually marry some stranger, did you?] Claire fired back. [I know Ethan's trash, but don't jump into anything reckless!]

Evelyn's lips pressed into a thin line as Alexander strode toward the ensuite bathroom.

Her thumbs hovered over the screen before typing: [It's complicated. I—]

The bathroom door clicked shut.

She deleted the half-written message and started over: [Not what you think. It's Alexander Whitmore.]

Three blinking dots appeared immediately. Then disappeared. Then reappeared.

Finally, Claire's reply came through: [AS IN TITAN CAPITAL'S ALEXANDER WHITMORE?!]

Evelyn's pulse jumped as the bathroom faucet turned on.

[Yes.] she typed. [The merger required it.]

Another pause. Then: [Girl. We need cocktails. STAT.]

Evelyn glanced at the closed bathroom door, then at the untouched guest room across the hall.

Her fingers hesitated before sending one final message: [Bring tequila.]

The shower started running as Claire's reply lit up the screen: [Oh honey. I'm bringing the whole damn bar.]

Claire's message popped up instantly: [You're joking, right? This sounds like some cheesy historical drama! Proof or it didn't happen!]

Evelyn bit her lip, typing back: [No proof.]

The only evidence of their union was that hastily taken wedding photo, which Alexander had immediately locked in his private vault upon their return to Whitmore Manor.

Claire wouldn't let up: [At least tell me his name! Don't leave me hanging!]

Evelyn's fingers hovered over the screen as she began typing: [Alex...]

Suddenly, Alexander's sculpted face appeared inches from hers, his cologne wrapping around her like an invisible embrace.

"Who has you so engrossed?" His deep voice sent shivers down her spine.

Evelyn's pulse skyrocketed as she shoved her phone between the couch cushions.

"Just Claire."

Alexander arched one perfect eyebrow but didn't press further.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows as they strolled through the boutique-lined streets.

Ethan Caldwell’s phone vibrated against the glass tabletop, the screen flashing with Evelyn Carter’s name.

A slow, knowing smirk curved his lips.

He had just concluded a press conference, publicly declaring his engagement to Vanessa Hart—effectively burying the hotel scandal beneath layers of carefully crafted PR.

"Evelyn calling now? Trying to claw her way back into my life?" Ethan mused, dark amusement threading through his thoughts. "Too late for that, darling."

He let it ring. Once. Twice. Three times.

On the fifth ring, he finally answered—only to be met with dead silence.

She had hung up.

The dial tone hummed mockingly in his ear. His smirk faltered, replaced by a frown.

"Since when does Evelyn hang up on me?"

Even when he ignored her calls, she’d let it ring until the sixth beep cut the line. Then, like clockwork, she’d redial after exactly thirty seconds.

His grip tightened around the phone.

Setting it back down, he waited.

The screen remained dark.

The seconds ticked by in agonizing silence.

Ethan Caldwell stared at his phone, his fingers tightening around the device.

Two full minutes had passed.

The screen remained stubbornly dark.

A sharp click of his tongue echoed in the empty room, his jaw tightening.

Irritation flared behind his eyes, hot and sudden.

So, Evelyn is playing games with me now?

His thumb hovered over the call button again, but he resisted.

If she wanted to ignore him, fine.

But this wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.

The air between them had grown colder than he expected.

And Ethan hated losing control.

Especially to her.