Chapter 491

Lucas Bennett and Alexander Whitmore had been close friends for years. Claire Dawson wondered if Lucas might hold some answers.

Evelyn Carter leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "But you two are divorced now, aren't you?"

Claire nodded, her fingers absently tracing the curve of her swollen belly. "Yes, but in my heart, your situation matters more..."

Evelyn hesitated, then shook her head.

It didn’t feel right.

When Lucas and Claire had divorced, it had been anything but amicable. Lucas had been convinced the baby she carried belonged to Julian Mercer—he’d even lashed out at Julian in a fit of rage.

Now, Claire was in her final trimester, mere weeks away from giving birth. If she confronted Lucas now and something went wrong… Evelyn couldn’t bear the thought.

Claire’s brow furrowed with concern. "So, what will you do?"

She never imagined Evelyn would face the same painful crossroads she once had.

"If his heart belongs to someone else, then I won’t cling to a title that means nothing." Evelyn exhaled slowly. "Alexander gave me stability, no matter his reasons for marrying me. For that, I’ll always be grateful."

Claire exhaled softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "And what about the baby?"

Evelyn's phone chose that exact moment to die, the screen going black.

She stared at the darkened device before pressing a hand against her stomach.

That was one question she still didn’t have an answer to…

Twenty minutes later, Evelyn arrived at Whitmore Manor.

Ethan stepped out of his car just behind her.

Earlier, as he’d been leaving the hotel, he’d spotted Evelyn trying to flag down a cab on the curb.

He’d also witnessed the moment Alexander carried Isabella out of the building.

Ethan had offered her a ride, since they were both heading to the same place.

But Evelyn had refused without hesitation.

She insisted on taking the taxi.

Ethan didn’t push. Instead, he followed at a distance, keeping an eye on her discreetly.

He felt like he’d changed.

The old Ethan would’ve dragged her into his car without a second thought.

But now, he let her go.

Even if they were both returning to Whitmore Manor.

After everything they'd been through, Ethan Caldwell finally understood—Evelyn Carter had her own mind. Her choices deserved respect.

Recalling tonight's events, Ethan could imagine how devastated Evelyn must be by Alexander Whitmore's actions.

He'd seen the redness in her eyes.

She was carrying Alexander's child. One day they were inseparable, the next—this. No one could endure such whiplash without pain.

Ethan never anticipated Alexander's sudden return with Isabella Morgan would wound Evelyn so deeply.

His chest ached for her.

For a fleeting moment, he questioned his own cruelty. But pain didn't equate to weakness.

He needed Evelyn to witness everything.

This strategy might shatter her faith in Alexander, just as she'd lost faith in him.

Leveling the playing field.

Now they'd compete fairly.

By the poolside, Ethan had observed Dominic Powell's man deliver the bracelet to Isabella.

He could guess Evelyn's assumption—that the jewelry came from Alexander.

The irony tasted bitter.

Evelyn's trembling hands clutching her stomach haunted him.

Yet this was necessary.

Alexander needed to lose what Ethan had lost.

The moonlight glinted off the bracelet's diamonds like frozen tears.

Evelyn's quiet gasp still echoed in Ethan's memory.

He turned away from the window, the weight of his decision settling like stone.

Tonight changed everything.

The game had entered its final phase.

And Evelyn?

She stood at the crossroads, unaware she held all the power.

Ethan's fingers tightened around his glass.

The whiskey burned going down, but no flame could match the fire in Evelyn's eyes when she discovered the truth.

Let Alexander explain this.

Let him try.

Wasn't this misunderstanding actually working in his favor?

Ethan Caldwell couldn't believe his luck.

Nathan Reeves' unexpected move had been reckless, but now it seemed even fate was conspiring to help him.

Ethan had always considered Nathan's personality difficult to handle. Yet now, he found himself oddly grateful.

The man had unknowingly handed him the perfect opportunity.

Vanessa Hart would be furious when she found out, but that was a problem for later.

Right now, Ethan needed to focus on damage control.

He glanced at the legal documents spread across his desk.

The divorce papers stared back at him, their crisp edges mocking his predicament.

But perhaps... just perhaps... this wasn't the disaster it appeared to be.

Alexander Whitmore would never see this coming.

Evelyn Carter certainly wouldn't.

And that gave Ethan the advantage he desperately needed.

His phone buzzed with an incoming message.

It was from Simon Graves.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Ethan allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.

The game had just gotten infinitely more interesting.

Let them think they had won.

He would show them all what true strategy looked like.

After all, when opportunity knocked, only fools failed to answer.

And Ethan Caldwell was no fool.

Wasn't this the perfect storm of misunderstandings that even fate seemed to be orchestrating in his favor?

Ethan couldn't help but admire Lucas's unexpected maneuver. If not for the man's notoriously prickly demeanor, Ethan might have actually considered buying him a drink as a token of gratitude. After all, Lucas had unwittingly handed him the upper hand.

The tension between them had reached a boiling point, and now, with this new development, the scales had tipped dramatically.

Ethan smirked to himself.

Sometimes, the universe worked in mysterious ways—and right now, it was working for him.

Vanessa would be furious when she found out.

But that was a problem for another day.

For now, he had everything he needed to turn the tables.

And he wasn’t about to waste this opportunity.