Chapter 16

Dylan chose a private booth by the window on the second floor. The view was expansive, and the seclusion was perfect.

The waiter handed them the menu. Cantonese cuisine prized freshness, tenderness, and smooth textures—just the soups alone numbered over a dozen. Dylan flipped through the pages, his eyes glazing over at the options.

Nathan hadn’t spoken a word. His fingers kept spinning the lighter in restless circles.

"I heard the head chef here was brought in from Guangzhou. Anything you’re craving, Nathan?" Dylan broke the silence.

"Whatever." Nathan’s tone was icy.

His mood hadn’t improved since leaving the jewelry store. Evelyn’s deliberate indifference was a thorn lodged deep in his chest.

How dare she pretend not to know him?

She’d already moved out of Sophia’s place—why hadn’t she come back?

How long did she plan to keep this up?

Amid the swirl of cigarette smoke, he crushed the butt with sharp impatience.

Dylan ordered salted pork with bamboo shoots, duck braised with perilla leaves, sweet-and-sour pork with pineapple, and the signature seafood casserole.

The dishes arrived swiftly, their aromas rich and inviting. Dylan, ravenous, dug in immediately.

"Don’t overthink it, Nathan." His mouth full, he swallowed before adding cautiously, "Evelyn’s just upset right now. She’ll come around in a few days."

He hesitated. "But you did break up with her in front of everyone that day. That was kind of—"

"Shut it." Nathan’s glare was razor-sharp. "Who said I was thinking about her?"

Dylan wisely focused on his meal.

Then Nathan’s phone buzzed.

The moment he opened the message, his pupils constricted.

The photo showed Sebastian’s hand inches from Evelyn’s face.

Bang!

He slammed the phone onto the table.

Dylan jumped, his chopsticks clattering. "What’s wrong?"

"So this is what you meant by ‘coming around’?" Nathan’s voice was glacial. "She’s already lining up her next option."

Dylan glimpsed the photo and sucked in a sharp breath.

Sebastian, that bastard, had chosen the perfect moment to make his move.

Nathan smirked darkly. "If this is the caliber of men she’s settling for without me, she’s even more pathetic than I thought."

Did he care?

...

Evelyn remained oblivious to the storm brewing outside her quiet world.

Her life now was simple: her rented apartment, the library, and her kitchen.

She studied late into the night and occasionally brought supper to her overworked neighbor.

Though her space was smaller, every breath she took was free.

"Evelyn, still at the library?" Sophia’s call came right on schedule.

"Yeah." Evelyn stepped softly into the hallway.

"It’s Friday. Let’s get dinner."

"I—"

"No excuses. Even scholars need breaks." Sophia left no room for refusal. "Six o’clock. The sushi place."