Chapter 443

Alexander's lips curved into a radiant smile the moment he saw the spread on the dining table.

At a glance, he recognized Evelyn had prepared his favorite dishes—three entrees and a steaming bowl of soup.

She turned toward the kitchen, intending to fetch the silverware.

But Alexander caught her wrist gently, pulling her back. "Sit down. Let me handle it."

Without waiting for a response, he strode into the kitchen and returned moments later with polished cutlery in hand.

His expression softened as he met her eyes. "No more cooking."

Evelyn blinked in confusion. "Why not?"

"You're pregnant," he said firmly. "I won't have you exhausting yourself for me."

Guilt gnawed at him. If he hadn't stormed out earlier in frustration, she wouldn’t have gone hungry for so long.

What kind of man was he?

His drive home had been plagued with doubts.

For a fleeting moment, he had even entertained Ethan’s claims.

Ethan’s unwavering confidence had planted seeds of suspicion—was the child truly his?

But then he watched Evelyn move around the kitchen, preparing a meal just for him despite her condition.

The sight shattered his doubts.

How could he ever question her?

His fingers tightened around the silverware as he set the table, his thoughts a whirlwind of regret and resolve.

He wouldn’t let Ethan’s poisonous words taint what they had.

Not now.

Not ever.

Evelyn deserved better.

And he would prove it.

Trust was supposed to be the foundation of marriage.

How could Alexander have let Ethan manipulate him so easily?

But those photos…

Alexander's voice was low. "Evelyn, I left because I received something."

Her grip tightened around the fork. "What was it?"

"Photos of you and Ethan."

Her stomach twisted. "Show them to me."

"They're gone now. But I remember every detail."

His words came out clipped. "The first one—you two holding hands outside the concert hall. The second—an embrace that looked far too intimate. The last…" His jaw clenched. "You were in bed together."

Evelyn's expression turned icy.

She hadn’t expected Ethan to stoop this low.

No wonder Alexander had stormed out.

Ethan had crafted the perfect trap—using fabricated evidence to make Alexander believe she had betrayed him.

The realization made her blood boil.

She met Alexander's gaze steadily. "None of that was real."

His eyes darkened with doubt. "Then explain it."

Evelyn set the fork down with deliberate calm. "Because I’m telling the truth."

Evelyn gazed into Alexander's eyes with desperate intensity. "Do you trust me?"

Her voice trembled as she continued, "For the past two weeks, I attended a concert with Ethan Caldwell—but only because I was trying to escape. I held his hand just to make him lower his guard. And I swear, nothing else happened between us! We never shared a bed, and there’s nothing between us now!"

Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, "Alexander, please… believe me."

Her heart ached.

Never had she imagined she would one day have to defend her own innocence like this.

Alexander’s expression darkened with regret. He sank onto the couch beside her and pulled her into his arms.

"Evelyn, I’m sorry," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. "I never should have doubted you. I hurt you, didn’t I?"

The pain of his suspicion cut deep.

Yet Evelyn knew the real culprit wasn’t Alexander—it was Ethan.

If he hadn’t kidnapped her, none of this would have happened.

A sob caught in her throat. Even wrapped in Alexander’s embrace, an icy dread settled in her chest.

Would this rift between them ever fully heal?

The dim lights of Eclipse Lounge flickered against the polished mahogany counter.

Alexander Whitmore leaned against the bar, his fingers tracing the rim of his whiskey glass.

Nathan Reeves sat beside him, nursing a drink of his own.

"You don't usually drink this much," Nathan remarked, eyeing his boss carefully.

Alexander smirked, the amber liquid swirling as he tilted the glass.

"Men only drink like this when they're either celebrating or drowning their sorrows."

Nathan raised a brow. "Which one is it for you?"

A bitter chuckle escaped Alexander's lips.

"Neither. I'm just tired."

The weight of the past few weeks pressed down on him—Evelyn's absence, the relentless corporate battles, the whispers behind his back.

Across the room, Lucas Bennett lounged in a booth, laughing with a group of women.

Nathan followed Alexander's gaze.

"Lucas seems to be enjoying himself."

Alexander took another sip, the burn of alcohol doing little to numb his thoughts.

"Lucas always knows how to forget."

A silence settled between them, heavy with unspoken words.

Then, Nathan spoke carefully.

"Have you heard from Evelyn?"

Alexander's grip tightened around his glass.

"No."

The single word carried more pain than he cared to admit.

Nathan exhaled. "You should talk to her."

"And say what?" Alexander's voice was sharp. "That I miss her? That I regret everything?"

Nathan didn't flinch. "If that's the truth."

Alexander downed the rest of his drink in one swift motion.

"The truth doesn't change anything."

The bartender slid another glass toward him, but Alexander pushed it away.

He stood abruptly, the stool scraping against the floor.

"I'm done for the night."

Nathan watched as Alexander strode toward the exit, his silhouette swallowed by the shadows outside.

Lucas glanced up, frowning as the door swung shut.

"Where's he going?"

Nathan sighed.

"Somewhere he thinks he can outrun his thoughts."

Lucas shook his head.

"Good luck with that."

Outside, the cold night air hit Alexander like a slap.

He pulled out his phone, thumb hovering over Evelyn's contact.

But he didn't call.

Instead, he shoved it back into his pocket and walked away.

Some battles couldn't be won with words.

And some wounds never truly healed.

Men only reached for alcohol when their hearts were heavy, wasn't that the universal truth?

The amber liquid swirled in Alexander Whitmore's crystal tumbler, catching the dim light of Eclipse Lounge. His usually sharp emerald eyes were clouded, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack stone.

Across from him, Lucas Bennett leaned against the leather booth, watching his oldest friend with concern. "You're drinking like a man who lost everything. What happened?"

Alexander downed the whiskey in one burning gulp. "Evelyn thinks I betrayed her."

Lucas nearly choked on his gin. "What? That's impossible. You'd rather cut off your own arm than hurt her."

A bitter laugh escaped Alexander's lips. "Tell that to the surveillance footage Vanessa doctored." His fist slammed against the mahogany table, making the glasses tremble. "She's convinced I'm working with Ethan again."

The name of Evelyn's treacherous ex-fiancé hung between them like a poisonous fog. Lucas whistled low. "That witch never stops, does she? First the fake pregnancy claims, now this?"

Ice clinked as Alexander refilled his glass. "I confronted her at Horizon Enterprises today. She looked at me like I was a stranger." The pain in his voice could've shattered diamonds.

"Then make her see the truth," Lucas insisted, snatching the bottle away. "You didn't survive prison and rebuild Titan Capital just to lose her over some fabricated evidence."

Alexander's phone buzzed with a security alert. His breath caught—Evelyn had just entered their penthouse at Willowbrook Apartments. Alone.

Lucas saw the change in his expression. "Go. Before she packs her bags."

The tumbler hit the table with finality. Alexander's chair screeched as he stood, resolve hardening his features. "This ends tonight."

Outside, rain began to fall as he sped through Cresthaven's glittering streets. The storm mirrored the tempest in his chest—one that would either drown them both or cleanse every lie between them.

Somewhere in the downpour, Vanessa Hart smiled at her flawless manicure, unaware her house of cards was about to collapse.