Chapter 288

The door stood firmly between them, its soundproofing so impeccable that not a single whisper escaped.

Nathan remained oblivious to the conversation inside. That cryptic remark from Lucas had left him burning with curiosity. Evelyn bit her lower lip.

Her lashes fluttered downward as she murmured, "It's nothing. Lucas, how soon can we return home?"

"Two days, maybe three." His brow furrowed deeply.

"If there's something you're not telling me, I swear I'll make that bastard Nathan Blackwood pay." Leo peeked out from Evelyn's arms, his mechanical whiskers twitching.

"Mama said no to Papa," the AI tiger said mournfully. "Papa's heart is broken." Lucas froze mid-step.

"Papa? You mean Nathan Blackwood?!" Leo sighed dramatically, swinging his tiny paws. "The Great God Donovan reprogrammed me to be fair. All my bad memories of Papa are gone now."

Evelyn's eye twitched. "Donovan went too far this time. He can't just alter Leo's core programming!"

The robotic tiger puffed his chest proudly. "The Great God Donovan says emotional bias corrupts artificial intelligence!"

Exchanging exasperated glances, Evelyn and Lucas simultaneously realized arguing with Donovan Sterling's genius was futile.

Exhaustion finally overwhelmed Evelyn. The adrenaline from days of survival drained away, leaving her wounds throbbing and defenses shattered. She surrendered to the fever creeping through her limbs.

Nathan's haunting words echoed relentlessly in her mind, an inescapable mantra. She squeezed her eyes shut, but the memories flashed brighter - gunfire on foreign streets, the metallic scent of blood, screams swallowed by explosions.

Nightmares came in relentless waves. When she finally surfaced, dawn's pale light revealed Lucas keeping vigil at her bedside, dark circles shadowing his eyes.

She met his worried gaze steadily. "Lucas," her voice rasped, "I need a psychiatrist."

Moonlight fractured across the restless ocean, painting silver trails on the waves. Nathan stood motionless on the deck, his silhouette carved against the indigo night. The sea wind carried his unspoken anguish into the void.

"Here to drown your sorrows, Mr. Blackwood?" Dr. Maxwell Carter's teasing tone cut through the silence. He'd never seen the famously unflappable billionaire so visibly shaken by a woman's rejection.

Nathan's chiseled profile revealed nothing at first glance. But the military doctor recognized the storm beneath - that particular brand of helpless rage only love could inspire.

"She'll never forgive me." The words scraped raw from Nathan's throat.

Maxwell arched an eyebrow. "You saved her life. Surely that counts for something?"

A bitter laugh escaped Nathan. "She stopped hating me months ago." His knuckles whitened on the railing. "Not hating someone isn't the same as loving them."

The Blackwood and Sterling empires might be financially inseparable, but Evelyn Sinclair would carve out her own path - one that deliberately avoided his.

Maxwell clapped Nathan's shoulder. "Listen, you absolutely deserved that epic screwup six years ago. But if she's your person? Fight like hell. Otherwise what was the point of our SEAL team risking their necks?"

A reluctant smile tugged at Nathan's lips. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. "The team got back safely?"

"Had to split up. You know how authorities react to multiple military choppers entering airspace." Maxwell hesitated. "By the way, your brother-in-law Donovan asked about trauma specialists today. Do you think Ms. Sterling—"

He stopped abruptly. Considering what Evelyn endured, most people would've shattered completely. Her ability to maintain composure was remarkable.

Nathan's entire body snapped to attention. All melancholy vanished, replaced by urgent concern. He was already striding away before Maxwell finished speaking.

"Damn, I'm just the emotional support sidekick now?" the doctor muttered to the empty deck.

Rounding the corridor, Nathan overheard Lucas's phone conversation with Alexander Sterling.

"—constant nightmares, low-grade fever, but coherent. Yes, I've got everything under control. She actually requested psychiatric evaluation herself—"

Nathan's breath hitched. He would've lingered, but Donovan's sharp gaze caught him from across the hall.

Lucas shot Nathan a withering look while continuing his report. "Of course I'm taking care of Evie! She's stable now, just... she specifically asked for a therapist."

Nathan's hands clenched into fists, his expression darkening with worry.