Chapter 529

Evelyn's voice was thick with sleep, as if she'd been dragged from the depths of a dream.

She murmured, "What is it? I just fell asleep."

Hearing her, Alexander exhaled sharply, tension easing from his shoulders. "Evelyn, where are you?"

Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at her phone. Over a dozen missed calls from Alexander, all within the last thirty minutes.

"I'm in the orchestra dorm. Why the sudden urgency?"

The night was cold, the wind biting.

Outside, Alexander rolled down his car window halfway, letting the chill tangle through his hair.

The icy air kept him sharp. Even past 1 AM, sleep was the furthest thing from his mind.

Nathan's words from earlier gnawed at him, stirring an unease he couldn't shake.

Dim streetlights painted shadows across Alexander's striking features, his expression unreadable.

"Evelyn, did anything happen tonight? Did you... see anyone?"

He didn’t know what was happening, but he needed answers.

Still groggy, Evelyn didn’t catch his meaning. "Well, I saw some orchestra members, the lunch crowd at the cafeteria, and..." She hesitated. "Oh, right. Dominic."

Alexander's jaw tightened. "Dominic?"

So Nathan hadn’t lied.

Evelyn had met with Dominic.

Just then, a sleek black car glided into the driveway of a nearby mansion.

Alexander’s gaze followed it, landing on the Powell family crest mounted beside the entrance.

His eyes narrowed.

This wasn’t just any neighborhood.

Only the elite of Cresthaven lived here. The Powells were practically next door to the orchestra—just a wall away. He hadn’t noticed earlier.

Alexander stepped out of his car.

Leaning against the hood, phone pressed to his ear, he kept his tone casual. "How do you know Dominic?"

Evelyn hesitated. She remembered the fireworks, the near-accident, the way Dominic had pulled her to safety.

She owed him.

But she’d promised secrecy about his condition.

"Tonight, I was walking around campus when Dominic fell from the wall. He was limping, so I helped him back to Powell Manor."

Silence stretched between them. Then, carefully, Alexander asked, "And after? Did he give you trouble?"

Not wanting to worry him, Evelyn deflected. "Nothing serious. Where are you? I hear wind."

"I'm outside your dorm."

Evelyn froze.

She scrambled out of bed, pulling her robe tight as she rushed to the window.

There, beneath the glow of the streetlights, was Alexander’s car, headlights still on.

Her heart leaped.

She threw open the door and raced downstairs, appearing before him moments later, breathless.

"What are you doing here?"