Chapter 283

Evelyn Sinclair felt her breath catch in her throat. A tremor ran through her body as her vision blurred with unshed tears.

She ducked her head quickly, letting her hair fall like a curtain to hide her expression.

Nathan Blackwood. The name alone made her chest constrict. If not for his intervention, she would have been lost forever in that unforgiving wilderness.

But how could she possibly repay such a debt? The doctor slipped out silently, leaving the room heavy with unspoken words.

Evelyn's lungs burned as if an invisible weight pressed against her ribcage.

The door creaked open to reveal Lucas Sterling sneaking in like a teenager avoiding curfew. He exhaled dramatically when he saw they were alone.

"Honestly, if they hadn't saved you, I would've thrown those idiots overboard days ago!" Lucas ran a hand through his tousled hair. "The tension on this ship could choke a whale."

Evelyn's lips twitched despite herself. "How's Dad? And Alexander? Donovan?"

Lucas perched on her bedside, fingers gently combing through her tangled locks. "Donovan's been glued to the navigation deck. Without his algorithms, we'd still be combing that godforsaken jungle."

A genuine laugh bubbled up in Evelyn's chest. "Leave it to my genius brother to calculate my rescue."

She'd never doubted for a second that Donovan would find her. The man could probably locate a needle in the Pacific if given enough data.

"Alexander's holding up. Dad's recovering at Mass General." Lucas's voice dropped. "He... wasn't doing well those first few days."

Evelyn's fingers clenched the sheets. "What happened?"

Lucas grimaced. "When we couldn't find any trace of you after the crash... Dad nearly liquidated the entire Sterling fortune to fund the search."

Evelyn's head snapped up. "Tell me we're not actually bankrupt." Her voice rose an octave. "I still have shopping to do!"

Lucas barked a laugh and squeezed her shoulder. "Relax, princess. I stopped him before he could sign anything. Your trust fund's safe."

Evelyn flopped back against the pillows with exaggerated relief. Then she noticed the clean linen gown replacing her torn clothes. Someone had bathed her, scrubbing away the jungle's grime.

With Lucas and Donovan handling everything, she could finally breathe.

"Why is Nathan here?" The question slipped out before she could stop it. Seeing him again after everything felt like reopening a barely healed wound.

Lucas's expression darkened. "Because the bastard's persistent as hell."

The door swung open to reveal Donovan Sterling, his sharp features pinched with disapproval. "Lucas, must you always jump to conclusions?"

Leo the AI tiger bounded past Donovan's legs, chirping happily as he nuzzled Evelyn's hand. She scratched behind his mechanical ears absently.

Donovan approached with the careful movements of someone handling fragile cargo. Evelyn reached for him with a tired smile. "I knew you'd come for me."

Her brother returned the embrace gingerly, shooting Lucas a warning look over her shoulder. "We needed Blackwood's resources. His private fleet had access to waters we couldn't penetrate."

Lucas crossed his arms. "He's just covering his own ass."

Donovan sighed. "Nathan mobilized his entire security division the moment the plane went down. He's invested just as much in finding Evelyn as we have." A pause. "Frankly, neither Father nor I expected him to go this far."

Evelyn's smile froze. A strange electric current seemed to race through her veins, making her fingertips tingle.

In another life, this news would have sent her heart soaring. Now it only filled her with a quiet dread. She couldn't afford to owe Nathan anything—not after their divorce.

Lucas made a disgusted noise. "If he hadn't sent that damn invitation, none of this would've happened! This is damage control, not heroism."

Donovan massaged his temples. "Be reasonable. The mechanical failure wasn't his fault. Yet he's still footing the entire rescue bill." He turned to Evelyn. "You don't have to engage with him if you're uncomfortable."

Lucas threw up his hands. "Now you're defending him? Have you forgotten what he put Evelyn through?"

Evelyn caught Lucas's hand before he could storm out. "You're both right." She squeezed his fingers. "Let's just... not talk about Nathan right now."

Lucas huffed but allowed her to pull him down beside her. "Fine. But only because you're the peacekeeping queen."