Chapter 289

The call ended with a sharp click.

Nathan Blackwood's piercing gaze locked onto Lucas Sterling, hostility simmering beneath the surface.

"What are you doing here?" Lucas crossed his arms, his tone dripping with challenge. "No one's here to back you up now."

Before this, Nathan had relied on his military connections to force Lucas—who refused to move—out of the way.

It had been pure humiliation.

Nathan's expression darkened. "I'll contact my friend—he's a psychiatrist."

The psychiatrist Nathan recommended was undoubtedly top-tier, but Lucas immediately shook his head.

"Not necessary. Alexander will handle it. You don't need to worry about it."

Nathan opened his mouth to argue, but Donovan Sterling cut in, siding with Lucas as he politely declined the offer.

After all, a psychiatrist would delve into personal vulnerabilities—and Evelyn Sinclair would never want her weaknesses exposed to Nathan or his associates.

Late that night, the hospital corridor was silent.

Lucas sprawled across the sofa outside Evelyn's room, exhaustion pulling at his limbs.

Inside, Nathan sat vigil by her bed, watching the subtle shifts in her sleeping expression—tension, fear, fleeting moments of calm.

Sleep was impossible.

His chest ached.

Evelyn always put on such a strong front, but now, stripped of defenses, her trauma was painfully visible.

The quiet stretched on.

Then—

A soft groan.

Evelyn stirred, her lashes fluttering before her eyes cracked open, dazed.

"Water..." she murmured weakly.

Nathan moved instantly, pressing a straw to her lips as he held a glass of warm water for her.

She drank greedily, awareness slowly returning.

When her gaze landed on him, she parted her lips, voice barely audible.

Nathan leaned in, his pulse quickening.

"…Nathan."

His name on her lips sent warmth flooding through him.

It had been so long since she'd said it.

"Evelyn," he answered softly, voice tender in the dim light. "What do you need?"

She was only half-conscious, her words slurred with exhaustion.

"…Get out."

Then her eyes fluttered shut again, her breathing evening out as she slipped back into sleep.

She missed the way Nathan's expression shattered.

The brief light in his eyes snuffed out instantly, replaced by something hollow.

The tenderness in his face fractured, piece by piece, until only devastation remained.

Silence swallowed the room, thick and suffocating.

After a long moment, Nathan reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Evelyn's forehead.

His voice was rough, barely above a whisper.

"Okay."

Two days later, the cruise ship docked.

Lucas and Donovan escorted Evelyn onto a private helicopter, which soared straight for New York City.

William Sterling had spent days sick with worry.

He needed to see his daughter with his own eyes—needed proof she was truly safe—before he could breathe again.

The helicopter touched down on the hospital's rooftop helipad.

With the finest doctors, cutting-edge equipment, and round-the-clock care, Evelyn's physical wounds healed swiftly.

Few knew of her return.

So, during her recovery, aside from the Sterling family and medical staff, no outsiders disturbed her.

William had no intention of announcing her survival—not yet.

She needed peace.

A psychiatrist visited daily, monitoring her progress.

Evelyn's mental resilience was remarkable. Her psychological barriers held firm, her state steadily improving.

Meanwhile, Donovan returned to the lab, resuming his confidential research.

Alexander Sterling juggled hospital visits and office duties, but despite the exhaustion, he was happier than he'd been in months.

The change in atmosphere at Sterling Corp was palpable.

Before, grief had clung to Alexander like a shadow, casting a gloom over the entire company.

Now, that weight had lifted.

He smiled more.

Lucas and William kept Evelyn company constantly—meals, drinks, binge-watching dramas.

As a superstar, Lucas didn’t just provide entertainment—he delivered real-time celebrity gossip about the actors on-screen, much to Evelyn's amusement.

Then, a few days later, a popular influencer dropped an explosive video.

Alongside Adrian Blackwood, the renowned explorer, there was another key figure in the footage—

Evelyn Sinclair.