Chapter 371

Ethan had rushed to change after his unexpected plunge into the icy water, but his hair remained damp. The biting winter wind only intensified his growing dizziness.

Fever took hold swiftly. By the time Evelyn opened the door, Ethan was already convulsing violently.

He collapsed onto the floor, his body twisting in uncontrolled spasms, curled into a helpless, trembling ball. Gone was his usual arrogance—only raw vulnerability remained.

Evelyn dropped to her knees instantly, pressing her hands against his shoulders as she called out in panic, "Alexander! I need your help!"

Alexander stood frozen, his voice sharp with barely contained rage. "Let him suffer. His fate means nothing to me."

She knew his words were fueled by anger.

Alexander would never truly abandon someone in need.

"Stop being stubborn," Evelyn snapped. "This is serious. And if anything happens to him right outside our door, do you really think Grace won't blame you for it?"

She slapped Ethen’s cheek sharply, trying to rouse him, but he remained unresponsive. His convulsions grew more erratic, his breathing shallow. The situation was deteriorating fast.

The air was thick with tension.

Alexander, however, remained unmoved, his expression cold and detached.

Evelyn’s voice trembled as she begged, “At least call for help, please?”

Alexander didn’t even glance her way.

“Alexander!”

After what felt like an eternity, Ethan was finally rushed to the hospital.

The chaos had grown so loud that it even disturbed the Whitmore household.

Sophia rubbed her eyes, still half-asleep. “Alexander, what on earth happened? Why was Ethan passed out outside your door in the middle of the night?”

Alexander’s gaze sharpened. “That’s exactly what I’d like to know, Sophia. Maybe you should ask him why he wasn’t in bed and decided to pay me a visit at this hour.”

Sophia flinched at his tone and pressed her lips together, falling silent.

Eleanor, of course, knew the truth.

What she couldn’t fathom was why Ethan would go to such lengths—climbing out of his window—just to see Evelyn, especially after she had locked his door before leaving.

To Eleanor, Evelyn was nothing but trouble.

The night had taken a dark turn, and no one was leaving unscathed.

The sun had barely risen when Evelyn woke with a start.

Her first thought was of Ethan. She needed to get to the hospital—needed to be by his side.

After everything that had happened between them, she knew he must despise her. But illness made people vulnerable. Maybe, just maybe, this was her chance to fix things.

"You?" Eleanor arched a brow, her voice sharp. "Stay home. You’ll only make it worse."

Evelyn opened her mouth to protest, but Eleanor was already gone, the ambulance doors slamming shut behind her.

As the crowd thinned, Alexander’s expression darkened like a storm rolling in.

His gaze locked onto Evelyn, burning with barely restrained fury.

"Alexander…" She reached for him, fingers brushing his sleeve.

He jerked away before she could touch him.

That’s when she knew—he wasn’t just annoyed. He was angry.

"Alexander, please—"

She didn’t understand. He was always so patient with her. Why was tonight different?

What had she even done wrong?

In a situation like that, how could anyone expect her to just stand by and—

Nothing?

Evelyn's thoughts raced. "Could Alexander truly be this possessive?"

The moment Alexander stormed off, the garden plunged into unsettling silence, leaving only Evelyn and Vanessa behind.

Vanessa's lips curled into a taunting smirk. "Seems like you're losing Alexander's favor. Once that's gone, who'll protect you then?"

Evelyn's eyes flashed with defiance. "And you, Vanessa? You poisoned your own husband. Quite the accomplishment. Ethan might be too weak to confront you tonight, but just wait until he recovers. You should be terrified of what's coming."

When Evelyn finally returned to their suite, Alexander had already vanished.

This wasn't just irritation—it was fury. He'd abandoned her in the dead of night without a second glance.