Chapter 322

Ethan Caldwell's vision blurred with unshed tears as he watched them standing together, the picture of marital bliss. A crushing wave of humiliation washed over him - something he'd never experienced before.

With the Hawthorne Estate requiring post-event cleanup, Oliver Hayes remained behind.

Evelyn Carter gave Alexander Whitmore's hand a tender squeeze. "Darling, it's late. We should head home."

Alexander simply nodded, and they walked away without so much as a backward glance at Ethan.

He stood frozen, watching their retreating figures until they vanished from view. Every fiber of his being screamed to follow, but his legs might as well have been cast in concrete. The mere thought of moving forward filled him with paralyzing dread.

His chest constricted as if someone had reached in and shattered his heart into irreparable fragments. The pain was so visceral it left him shaking. "They're a family now," he thought bitterly. "Bound together as husband and wife. And what am I? Just a discarded ex, a pathetic fool. Even after saving Evelyn from Damian Cross, I couldn't earn so much as a glance from her."

The realization was unbearable. Unthinkable. "Could the woman who once adored me truly be done with us? We shared something real, didn't we?"

As Alexander opened the car door for Evelyn, something inside Ethan snapped. His vision tunneled, focusing only on the vehicle about to carry his lost love away forever. With a strangled cry, he lunged forward, throwing himself directly in the path of the moving car.

Ethan moved to the passenger side, gritting his teeth against the burning pain in his finger as he tried to open the door. But it remained locked from the inside.

"Do you really feel nothing for me anymore? Evelyn, tell me—what do I have to do to make you see me again?" His voice cracked, raw with emotion, before he could finish. A sob caught in his throat.

Ethan had never lowered himself like this for anyone. Evelyn was the first. Deep down, he knew if he didn’t act now, they might truly be over.

Seven years of love, of growing up side by side—could that really mean less than what Alexander had built in mere months? Ethan refused to accept it. He needed to hear Evelyn say she didn’t love him anymore before he could walk away.

"Evelyn, if I make Vanessa disappear, will you come back to me? Please?" His voice shattered on the last word, desperation bleeding through. A single tear traced down his cheek.

Who would have imagined Ethan Caldwell, of all people, reduced to this—clinging to someone with such raw, unyielding need?

Inside the car, Evelyn met his gaze, her eyes distant, unreadable. His were pleading, hers cold. The car door between them might as well have been a steel wall.

Ethan ignored Alexander’s murderous glare from the driver’s seat and pressed on. "Evelyn, I’ll give up everything—the Caldwell name, the fortune, all of it. Just nod, and I’ll take you far away from here."

Alexander's fingers closed around Evelyn's wrist with sudden urgency.

When she turned to face him, Evelyn was startled to see genuine worry flashing in his usually composed eyes. A thought struck her - "Is he actually concerned I might choose Ethan?"

Her lips curved in silent amusement at the idea of the formidable Alexander Whitmore feeling insecure.

Outside the car window, Ethan Caldwell shifted his weight nervously, his expectant gaze burning into her.

Inside the vehicle, Evelyn deliberately tightened her grip on Alexander's hand, their palms pressing together in silent understanding.

"Well?" She tilted her head, feigning innocence. "You did promise me homemade pasta tonight, Alexander. Unless you've changed your mind?"

Alexander blinked, then broke into a relieved grin. He reached over to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Name the dish, darling. I'll cook you anything."

The engine roared to life before Ethan could react. Evelyn didn't even glance back as they pulled away - her answer couldn't have been clearer.

Ethan staggered backward as if struck, all color draining from his face. He crumpled to his knees on the pavement, watching helplessly as the taillights disappeared into the night.