Chapter 41

Evelyn gave a small nod before slipping beneath the silken sheets, her body melting into the plush mattress.

The exhaustion must have claimed her completely—the instant her head touched the pillow, she was gone, lost in deep slumber.

Alexander, who had been leaning in closer, stilled abruptly.

His brows knitted together as his gaze flickered to the nightstand, where an unopened velvet box sat untouched. Then his eyes drifted back to Evelyn, her peaceful expression bathed in the dim glow of the bedside lamp.

A quiet sigh escaped him as he reluctantly lowered himself onto the bed beside her.

But Evelyn’s sleeping habits were far from innocent.

The moment her body instinctively curled toward his warmth, his muscles locked tight.

Her delicate scent—soft vanilla and something uniquely her—wrapped around him, sending his pulse into a frantic rhythm.

She was like a siren, utterly unaware of the storm she stirred within him.

A restless energy pulsed through Alexander.

Heat flooded his veins, and no amount of measured breathing could suppress the growing hunger inside him.

Desperate for relief, he snatched a cigarette and stepped onto the balcony, letting the cool night air wash over him. He took one drag after another, the ember glowing like a warning in the dark.

His phone buzzed shortly after a brief call. A video notification appeared.

It showed Evelyn striking Ethan at the Eclipse Lounge.

Alexander tapped play. The footage was sharp—every word, every movement captured in perfect clarity.

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Damn, Evelyn. That’s one hell of a hit. Seems like she’s really over him."

His earlier concerns about potential future encounters with Ethan now felt unnecessary.

"I worried for nothing."

By morning, news of Ethan’s hospital visit had spread like wildfire across Cresthaven. It was all anyone could talk about.

After all, this was the same Evelyn who had once chased after Ethan relentlessly—now she was the one who put him in the emergency room.

She was the one who slapped Ethan.

The media scandal had only made things worse, leaving the public buzzing with speculation.

Ethan’s betrayal with Vanessa was still fresh in everyone’s memory, and Evelyn’s explosive reaction seemed completely justified.

Yet, the aftermath suggested that the engagement between Ethan and Evelyn hadn’t truly ended—their families were merely trying to salvage their reputations after the headlines exposed Ethan getting too close to Vanessa.

Vanessa’s reputation was utterly ruined.

When Evelyn woke up, the other side of the bed was already empty.

She faintly remembered being held in strong arms all night, wrapped in warmth.

She had always been sensitive to the cold. Alexander, on the other hand, was like a living furnace, radiating heat that she couldn’t resist curling into.

Now, buried under the blankets, the memory made her cheeks burn.

She groaned inwardly. Did I really do that without—

The thought lingered in Evelyn's mind like an uninvited guest. Should I just crawl into bed with Alexander?

Her fingers twisted the edge of the blanket nervously.

What if he notices? What if he thinks I’m being too bold?

Then again, they were legally married now. Sharing a bed wasn’t exactly a crime.

A quiet exhale escaped her lips.

At least Alexander wasn’t here to witness her internal debate. Facing him right now would’ve been unbearable.

Just as she sank deeper into her thoughts, her phone vibrated sharply against the nightstand.

Richard Hayes.

Evelyn had nearly forgotten she even had a father.

She swiped to answer, bracing herself.

His voice crackled through the line, thick with irritation.

"Evelyn! What in the world possessed you to hit Ethan? Do you have any idea who the Caldwells are? You’re begging for trouble!"

Her grip on the phone tightened.

"He wouldn’t let go," she snapped. "If he got punched, he deserved it. I’m not like Vanessa, clinging to some guy I’m supposed to be over!"

Silence.

Richard clearly hadn’t expected that.

Evelyn had never spoken to him like this before—never dared.

The tension in the room was suffocating.

Evelyn could practically taste the bitterness in the air. Richard's words dripped with condescension, as if she were some petulant child throwing a tantrum.

"Listen, Evelyn," he said, his voice laced with impatience. "No matter how much this stings, Ethan and Vanessa's engagement is final. You need to accept that."

As if she cared about their sham of a relationship.

She let out a sharp laugh, refusing to dignify his assumptions with an explanation.

Richard's expression darkened, his tone turning icy. "You will go to the hospital and apologize to Ethan. Once he marries Vanessa, we can all move forward as a family. Don't make this messier than it already is."

The audacity.

Evelyn clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

She wasn’t the one who needed to apologize.

But Richard wouldn’t understand. None of them ever did.

The weight of their expectations pressed down on her, but she refused to bend.

Not this time.

Not ever again.