Chapter 366

The night was eerily quiet, the atmosphere charged with unspoken tension. Pale moonlight filtered through the trees, painting everything in an otherworldly silver hue that made the darkness feel alive with possibility.

Alexander came back to himself with a sharp inhale, his lips crashing against Evelyn's with a hunger that bordered on desperation. It was as if he wanted to consume her, to make her a part of him completely.

Evelyn gasped for air, her voice trembling as she whispered, "Alexander, we're not alone out here."

But he only deepened the kiss, his mouth trailing lower, tracing the delicate curve of her collarbone. His hands were restless, his desire too fierce to be contained.

"Not like this," she pleaded softly, pressing her palms against his chest. "Inside. We can go inside. Just—not here, okay?"

From the window above, Ethan watched. His vision tunneled, zeroing in on the two figures tangled together in the grass, lost in each other, utterly unaware of anything else.

He staggered back as if struck, his heart seizing in his chest like a knife had been driven straight through it.

The sight of Alexander pinning Evelyn down, kissing her like a man possessed, sent a white-hot rage through him. Every muscle in his body tensed, his fingers digging into the windowsill hard enough to leave marks.

His breath came in ragged bursts, his entire body trembling with the effort to stay still. The pain was suffocating, twisting his insides into knots.

He wanted to storm down there.

He wanted to tear them apart.

But he couldn't move.

All he could do was watch.

The veins on Ethan's hands bulged as his nails dug into his palms.

Even through the agony, he couldn't tear his eyes away. He needed to see how far this would go between them.

"Am I punishing myself?" The thought clawed at him.

"This shouldn't be happening. Evelyn was supposed to be mine."

His jaw clenched. "Alexander has no right. I met her first. Seven years—seven damn years—and I never even got to kiss her!"

His vision burned as their embrace deepened, lips moving with reckless hunger. In his mind, it was him—his hands tangled in Evelyn's hair, his mouth claiming hers.

A sharp ache flared in his chest, making his breath hitch.

Alexander had noticed Ethan the moment he appeared.

There he stood, half-hidden behind the glass, eyes glistening with unshed fury. Even from across the room, Alexander could taste the bitterness radiating from him.

The corner of Alexander's mouth curved.

Looking down at Evelyn, he deliberately murmured, "Anything I want when we get home? As often as I like?"

Evelyn's cheeks darkened. She swatted his chest with a breathless laugh.

"Why does he have to be so cruel?" Evelyn wondered, her heart pounding. "Why ask me that again? What am I supposed to say?"

Alexander didn’t wait for an answer.

Seeing her bury her face shyly against his chest, he tilted her chin up and captured her lips in another searing kiss. Between breaths, his voice was rough with desire as he murmured, "Then tonight, you’ll be in charge, alright?"

Evelyn’s thoughts spun wildly. In charge?

How exactly does he expect me to do that?

Heat flooded her cheeks. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck, too flustered to meet his smoldering gaze.

Alexander seemed to relish her embarrassment. With one arm locked around her waist and the other braced against the floor, he effortlessly rose to his feet.

Instinctively, Evelyn wound her arms around his shoulders.

He hooked his hands beneath her thighs, lifting her effortlessly, and carried her toward their bedroom.

Years of disciplined training had honed Alexander’s strength—holding Evelyn’s slight frame was nothing to him.

Every movement radiated raw, masculine power, while Evelyn clung to him like a delicate vine, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist.

She couldn’t bring herself to lift her head, her voice muffled against his shoulder as she protested weakly, "You don’t have to carry me… I can walk…"

The way he held her made her skin prickle with awareness.

In private, she might have melted into his embrace. But here at Whitmore Manor? Even at this late hour, Evelyn couldn't shake the dread of prying eyes.

"You leapt from a second-floor window." Alexander's voice was rough velvet against her ear. "Can you even feel your legs?"

His arms tightened around her as he carried her effortlessly.

"Aren't you worried someone might see?" Evelyn whispered, her fingers curling into his shirt.

"Worried?" His low chuckle sent shivers down her spine. "I'm counting on it."