Chapter 397

Ethan Caldwell had no intention of dragging Alexander Whitmore into this mess. It would only make things worse.

A pang of guilt twisted in his chest—especially since he was still keeping Evelyn Carter close.

"Uncle Alexander, this is between us. Stay out of it!"

Alexander’s lips curled into a mocking smirk.

"Between you? You were the one declaring to the world you’d marry her, and now you want a divorce out of nowhere? Treating marriage like some fleeting whim?" His voice dripped with disdain. "The Whitmore family doesn’t tolerate such disgrace. As its head, I can’t ignore this."

Ethan’s temper flared.

"Our relationship is dead. If I want a divorce, I don’t owe anyone an explanation." His jaw tightened. "I can’t even stand being in the same room as Vanessa anymore. Why the hell would I need your permission?"

His bluntness stunned even Vanessa.

No one in the Whitmore family dared speak to Alexander like that.

"Fine. You don’t need my approval," Alexander said, his tone turning icy.

"But you don’t get to slink away from a marriage you flaunted to the entire city."

"If you're serious about ending this, I'll make sure it's permanent."

Before Ethan could respond, Alexander already had his phone out. "Prepare a press conference immediately. Contact every major outlet. We're making an official statement about the Caldwell family today."

"Uncle Alexander, what the hell are you doing?" Ethan's voice was sharp with disbelief.

Alexander smirked. "Once the media gets involved, even your mother won't be able to stop this. Isn't this exactly how you forced Vanessa into the family in the first place? Consider this my way of returning the favor."

Ethan's jaw tightened. "This will turn us into a public spectacle!"

Their rushed marriage had already been controversial enough.

"Too late for that. You're already the hottest gossip in Cresthaven," Alexander fired back.

Ethan's expression darkened.

As much as he hated to admit it, Alexander wasn’t wrong.

He never expected cutting ties with Vanessa would be this messy.

When he married her, people whispered behind his back. Now that he wanted out, suddenly everyone had an opinion—and none of them were on his side.

Frustration boiled over. He shot Vanessa one last searing glare before storming out of Whitmore Manor.

With Alexander interfering, he knew things were about to get worse.

The moment Ethan Caldwell left, Vanessa Hart exhaled sharply, her shoulders relaxing as she turned to Alexander Whitmore.

"Thank you," she murmured, though her gratitude was laced with caution.

Without his timely intervention, she might have been cornered into signing that wretched agreement.

Alexander's gaze remained icy, his voice cutting through the tension. "Don’t mistake this for kindness."

Vanessa hesitated, then a thought struck her.

"Alexander," she began carefully, "did you notice his cologne?"

If Ethan was rekindling something with Evelyn Carter, Alexander wouldn’t tolerate it. Vanessa was certain the strain in her own relationship with Ethan was entirely Evelyn’s doing.

A spark of anticipation flickered in her eyes. If Alexander turned against Evelyn, things would unravel beautifully.

Alexander arched a brow, silently urging her to continue.

"That scent on Ethan—it’s identical to Evelyn’s signature perfume." Vanessa lowered her voice, feigning concern. "Do you think she’s been meeting him behind your back? Maybe reigniting old flames?"

The air between them thickened with unspoken implications.

Vanessa held her breath, waiting for the storm to break.