Chapter 352

Ethan Caldwell had always boasted about his ability to hold his liquor. But that night, after barely finishing half his drink, he blacked out—only to wake up tangled in the sheets of a hotel bed with Vanessa Hart.

She had tricked him into believing it was her first time, demanding he take responsibility.

Tears welled in Vanessa’s eyes as she clutched the sheets to her chest. "How can you trust him over me?" Her voice trembled with desperation. "Ethan, you’d rather believe Damian Cross than your own wife?"

Vanessa had already heard the news—Damian had been arrested.

Terrified he might expose her, she had paid a fortune to send him a message in prison, promising an even larger payout if he kept his mouth shut.

Damian had agreed. The money had been transferred.

But Vanessa never expected that Damian would meet Ethan before his arrest.

Her nails dug into her palms. Damn it. From the way Ethan’s talking… he knows everything. That backstabbing rat!

Ethan’s expression was glacial. "That’s right, Vanessa. I don’t trust you. You’re a pathological liar who’s deceived me one too many times. You’ve burned every shred of credibility you had with me." His voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "So yes. I’d rather believe Damian."

Ethan's fingers tightened around the damp tissue he'd pulled from the car's console, scrubbing furiously as if he could erase the very memory of touching her.

"Not a single strand of Evelyn's hair holds less worth than you."

The window rolled up with a sharp hum, cutting off the sight of the woman he loathed. Vanessa felt the air leave her lungs, desperation clawing at her throat.

"Ethan!" Her voice cracked, raw with panic. "I'm carrying your child! You can't just—the baby has a heartbeat! I saw him on the ultrasound days ago. He has your nose, your eyes! The doctor confirmed it's a boy!"

Her nails dug into the leather seat as she pleaded. "Can't you soften, just for him? Let’s try—let’s be a family. We could make this work!"

Ethan's laugh was ice. "From the second you twisted my pity to frame Evelyn three years ago, whatever I felt for you turned to ash."

His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. "God, Vanessa. If it weren’t for you, Evelyn would still be mine."

A sharp honk split the air as he slammed his palm down. "You should be in a cell. But you’ve always been clever—hiding behind my mother’s skirts. She wants this bastard you’re carrying."

His voice dropped to a venomous whisper. "You owe me. You owe Evelyn. Without my mother’s protection, do you think you’d still be breathing the air of Whitmore Manor? A woman like you doesn’t deserve to raise a Caldwell."

Vanessa's knees buckled beneath her. She clutched the car door for support, her fingers turning white from the pressure.

"You actually believe a child could chain me to you?" Ethan's laugh was ice-cold. "Vanessa, you've sorely misjudged me. When a man falls out of love, that's when his true cruelty surfaces."

His words slithered through the air like venom.

"Keep the baby if you insist. But don't expect a single ounce of paternal affection from me." His smirk was razor-sharp. "Need I remind you? We never signed a marriage certificate. That child will be born a bastard—just like its mother. Something to be ashamed of, something to hide."

Every syllable was a calculated strike to Vanessa's weakest points.

She had never imagined Ethan could be this merciless—willing to disown his own flesh and blood just to punish her.

The engine roared to life as he spun the wheel sharply. Tires screeched against pavement, leaving Vanessa collapsed on the cold asphalt, her body wracked with tremors.

"Evelyn!" The name tore from her throat like a curse.

Her vision blurred with unshed tears, but beneath the grief burned something far darker—a hatred so potent it threatened to consume her.

The truth was undeniable: Ethan rejected this child because his heart still belonged to Evelyn.

He wanted a family with her.

A twisted smile curled Vanessa's lips as realization dawned.

"So that's your game, Ethan? You still crave Evelyn?"

Her nails dug into her palms hard enough to draw blood.

"Fine. Let me help you with that."

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a golden glow over the tangled sheets.

Evelyn stirred, her body pressed against Alexander's warmth. His arm draped possessively over her waist, pulling her closer even in sleep.

A bitter taste rose in her throat.

This was the moment Vanessa had warned her about.

"When you wake up in his arms, that's when you'll be truly beyond redemption."

The words echoed in her mind, sharp as broken glass.

Evelyn's fingers twitched against the pillow. She should pull away. She should leave before he woke.

But the weight of his embrace felt like chains she no longer wanted to break.

Outside, birds sang as if the world hadn't shifted on its axis.

Inside, Evelyn's heart pounded with the terrifying realization—she didn't want to escape.

Not anymore.

Not from him.

The hatred she'd nurtured for so long had melted like frost under morning sun, leaving something far more dangerous in its place.

A soft sigh escaped Alexander's lips as he nuzzled against her hair.

Evelyn closed her eyes.

This was surrender.

This was ruin.

This was the point of no return.