Chapter 466

The air in the kitchen thickened the moment Ethan Caldwell stepped inside.

His presence shattered what had been an intimate moment between Alexander and Evelyn.

Alexander Whitmore didn’t falter. His hands remained steady as he adjusted Evelyn’s dress, smoothing the fabric with deliberate care.

Ethan watched, his expression unreadable.

A slow smirk curled Alexander’s lips as he brushed his thumb over Evelyn’s flushed cheek. "Darling, why don’t you prepare something for us? I’ll be waiting in the living room."

Evelyn’s breath hitched.

He was leaving her alone with Ethan.

Her pulse raced, but she forced a soft smile and nodded.

She understood.

The more composed she appeared, the more dignity it granted Alexander. Every man had his pride, and Ethan’s actions had wounded his deeply.

Being kidnapped, locked away—those weren’t things Alexander would forget.

And now, the woman who had once rejected Ethan’s advances was—

Alexander was brilliantly cunning, and Evelyn adored that about him.

When Alexander exited the kitchen, he intentionally left the door slightly open.

Evelyn wiped her hands on a towel before stirring the simmering pasta.

Ethan retrieved plates from the cabinet and set them on the counter with deliberate precision.

“The staff mentioned you and Uncle Alexander have been… intimate quite often,” he remarked casually.

Evelyn froze. How would any servant have witnessed them when they occupied the most secluded wing of Whitmore Manor?

Impossible. Clearly, Ethan was probing.

She calmly plated the pasta but remained silent.

Unfazed, Ethan continued, “You’re pregnant, Evelyn. Shouldn’t you be resting instead of indulging? Do you really believe Alexander cares about you—or this child?”

As she scooped the last of the pasta, boiling water splashed onto her skin. The sudden sting made her drop the tongs.

Her hand burned red. Gritting her teeth, she thought back to Claire’s phone call earlier that afternoon.

Claire mentioned the gossip spreading through Cresthaven—that Evelyn was expecting Ethan's baby.

Alexander moved away from the sink and turned on the faucet for her.

His actions remained proper, maintaining a respectful distance from Evelyn the entire time.

Evelyn rinsed her hands under the cool stream of water, the sting from the burn slowly fading.

Alexander returned to the stove, plating the last of the pasta with practiced ease.

"If a man truly loves you," he murmured, almost to himself, "he won’t care about your past."

His voice was low, thoughtful. "I warned you before, Evelyn. Alexander isn’t as straightforward as he seems. He’ll always control the relationship. Don’t let him get too close."

With that, he picked up the dinner plate and gave her a slight nod. "I’ll take this to the dining room first."

Then he pushed open the kitchen door and disappeared into the hallway.

The icy water had numbed the worst of the pain on her skin.

Evelyn turned off the tap, grabbed the remaining two plates, and followed him out.

In the dining room, Alexander was laughing softly into his phone, his voice warm and relaxed.

It was the first time Evelyn had ever heard him sound so genuinely happy during a call.

The moment Evelyn stepped closer, Alexander swiftly ended his call. His piercing gaze locked onto hers as he asked, "What exactly did you discuss with Ethan just now?"

Her breath hitched. The tension between them crackled like static electricity.

Alexander's jaw tightened visibly. He pocketed his phone with deliberate slowness, never breaking eye contact. The late afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows cast sharp shadows across his angular features.

Evelyn's fingers twitched at her sides. She hadn't expected him to overhear her conversation. The call had been brief - just a few clipped sentences exchanged with her former fiancé.

The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken questions.

Alexander took a measured step forward. His tailored suit jacket stretched across his broad shoulders as he crossed his arms. "Well?"

A faint citrusy scent of his cologne mixed with the crisp autumn air drifting through the open balcony doors.

Evelyn lifted her chin. "It wasn't important."

His eyebrow arched in that infuriating way she'd come to recognize. The way that said he knew she was withholding information.

Somewhere downstairs, a door slammed shut. The distant sound of footsteps echoed through the grand hallway of Whitmore Manor.

Alexander's expression darkened. "When it comes to Ethan Caldwell, everything is important."

The weight of his words settled between them like a physical presence.

Evelyn swallowed hard. She should have known Alexander would react this way. After everything that had happened, after all the betrayals and manipulations, he had every reason to distrust her former fiancé.

And yet...

The phone call had been unexpected. Ethan's voice had sounded different - strained, almost desperate.

But explaining that to Alexander now would only make things worse.

The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed five times, each resonant tone vibrating through the tense silence.

Alexander's phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. His entire focus remained fixed on her.

Evelyn could see the storm brewing behind his steel-gray eyes. She'd seen that look before - right before he made one of his ruthless business moves or confronted a threat head-on.

And right now, she realized with a sinking feeling, Alexander Whitmore clearly considered Ethan Caldwell a threat.

To their marriage.

To their hard-won peace.

To everything.