Chapter 36

Ethan Caldwell's face twisted into a scowl at Evelyn Carter's words, his eyes darkening like gathering storm clouds.

With just a few sharp sentences, she had exposed his affair with Vanessa Hart—each word striking him like a stinging slap.

In the past, Evelyn had always been the silent one, swallowing her pride and never daring to challenge him publicly.

But tonight? She was unrecognizable.

A bitter chuckle escaped Ethan's lips as he sneered. "Oh, I see now. This is about my engagement announcement with Vanessa, isn't it? You're shaken up. Who knew you still cared so much, Evelyn?"

"Cared about you?" Evelyn scoffed, her voice laced with icy amusement. "That might be the most delusional thing you've ever said."

Ethan faltered, momentarily stunned by her boldness.

"Let me refresh your memory, Ethan," Evelyn continued, her tone razor-sharp. "I was the one who ended things. I called off the engagement. Vanessa is just picking through my leftovers."

The words hung in the air like a challenge, daring him to deny it.

Ethan's jaw tightened, his earlier arrogance crumbling under the weight of her defiance.

For the first time, he realized—she wasn't the same woman he had once taken for granted.

And that terrified him.

The words cut through the air like a knife. "Picking up the scraps, treating unwanted men like treasures she found in a thrift store."

"Evelyn! Have you lost your mind?" Ethan's voice was a dangerous blend of shock and barely contained rage.

His face cycled through shades of pale and crimson, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath.

Whispers erupted around them, some laced with stifled laughter. Ethan's jaw tightened, his fingers curling into fists at his sides.

As a prominent heir in Cresthaven, he had never been humiliated like this—especially not by a woman.

Evelyn was the first to defy him so boldly.

His next words were laced with venom. "If you get on your knees and beg for forgiveness now, I might let this go."

"Forgiveness for what? I spoke nothing but the truth!" Evelyn shot back, her chin lifted in defiance.

Ethan's temples pulsed with fury.

"So you think I won't retaliate?"

His voice dropped to a lethal whisper.

"Or is this all just another pathetic attempt to get my attention?"

"Enough! You're coming with me!" Ethan's voice cut through the noise like a blade.

He couldn't stand the thought of spectators watching this humiliation unfold.

Before Evelyn could protest, his fingers clamped around her wrist, pulling her forward with rough urgency.

Claire, swaying slightly from the alcohol, lunged forward to stop him—only to freeze under the sheer force of Ethan's glare.

The impact of his presence was suffocating.

Her balance faltered, and she stumbled backward, hitting the floor with a sharp cry.

Evelyn immediately dropped to her knees to help, but Ethan wasn't having it.

With a furious jerk, he hauled her back up, forcing her away from Claire.

Evelyn was no match for his strength—her slender frame nearly lifted off the ground as he dragged her.

Then, without warning, she twisted and sank her teeth into his forearm.

Hard.

A hiss escaped Ethan as pain flared through his arm.

He released her instantly.

The bite mark stood out starkly against his skin, beads of blood welling up from the deep indents.

In the dim, pulsing lights of Eclipse Lounge, Evelyn stood frozen.

Her crimson dress shimmered under the neon glow, but her expression was anything but vibrant.

Evelyn's expression turned glacial, colder than the winter winds howling outside.

A sardonic smile played on her lips as she wiped the crimson stain from her mouth with her thumb.

"Ethan," she said, her voice dripping with disdain, "why don't you take a good, long look and see who's really desperate here?"

His gaze dropped to her left hand, where a brilliant diamond ring caught the light, sending a sharp, blinding glare straight into his eyes.

The sight made his pulse spike—anger and disbelief twisting inside him like a knife.

Evelyn followed his stare, glancing down at the sparkling jewel adorning her finger.

The diamond was exquisite, its facets refracting light so fiercely it nearly burned his retinas.

"Oh, did I forget to mention?" she said, tilting her hand so the ring shimmered mockingly. "I'm married now. So, unless you want a lawsuit for harassment, I suggest you back off."

Ethan froze, his mind reeling.

Married?

Impossible.

She couldn’t have moved on that fast.

She loves me.

She’s always loved me.

There’s no way she could replace me.

His jaw clenched, but Evelyn only smirked, turning away with the confidence of a woman who had already won.

"Do you honestly believe a counterfeit ring could fool me into thinking you're married? Is this some childish game to you?"

The murmurs around them intensified, drawing curious glances from every direction.

The diamond's brilliance was so intense that Ethan Caldwell had to look away.

Evelyn Carter's voice was ice. "Believe what you want, but I am married. Touch me again, Ethan, and you'll regret it."

His jaw clenched. "You've crossed a line."

Without warning, he seized her wrist and dragged her toward the exit.

Evelyn staggered, nearly colliding with him, but at the last second, her fingers closed around a half-empty wine bottle from a nearby table.