Chapter 266

Nathan Blackwood's eyes flew open, taking in the familiar opulence of Highland Estates. His body jerked upright, fingers already clawing at the IV line embedded in his arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sophia Blackwood's voice cracked like a whip across the sterile room. The family butler and two attendants immediately blocked Nathan's path.

A suffocating silence descended. Nathan's jaw tightened. "I'm finding Evelyn."

The words hit him before they left his grandmother's lips. "She's gone, Nathan." Sophia's voice held the finality of a judge's gavel. Everyone knew the truth. Everyone except him.

The words detonated in his chest, shattering the fragile dam of his denial.

Nathan froze like prey caught in floodlights. Something vital inside him snapped. When he lifted his gaze, his bloodshot eyes burned with manic intensity. "No. Not Evelyn. She wouldn't—she couldn't—" His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "I left her in that ocean. I'm bringing her home."

He surged forward, only for the butler to signal the attendants. They pinned him back against the mattress with practiced efficiency. "Master Blackwood, you're in no condition—"

"Move!" Nathan's command carried the bite of an Arctic storm.

Sophia's lips thinned. "After everything we've sacrificed to keep you alive—"