Chapter 335

Evelyn's frosty demeanor didn't elicit even a hint of irritation from Nathan.

Instead, his gaze softened, warm and tender as it lingered on her. "I was just asking. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Not that it mattered—Nathan had other ways of finding out.

Beside Evelyn, Raphael Dubois cleared his throat lightly.

"Ms. Sinclair, is this your friend?"

"No." Evelyn shut that down immediately.

"Since we've resolved the matter, would you consider staying a few more days before leaving?" Raphael suggested smoothly.

Nathan's eyes darkened, the warmth vanishing as his gaze sliced toward Raphael. The chill in the air was palpable.

Evelyn frowned and shook her head. "Next time. I have urgent matters waiting for me back home."

"What a shame. Safe travels, then."

Raphael extended his hand politely. Evelyn offered him a perfunctory smile, shook it, and turned to leave.

Nathan followed, his long strides easily keeping pace.

Together, they looked like a vision—two striking figures who commanded attention effortlessly.

Nathan persisted, trailing after Evelyn despite her pointed silence. He boarded the Sterling family's private jet without hesitation.

"I came looking for you last night," he murmured. "Did I startle you?"

Evelyn scoffed.

"Sorry, I didn't see you."

Nathan paused, his voice dropping lower. "No one was with me the whole time?" He tilted his head slightly. "And yet, my side aches a little. There’s even a footprint on my clothes."

Evelyn pressed her lips together, a flicker of guilt crossing her features before she schooled them back into indifference.

Nathan was surprised by her unusual tolerance today.

It almost felt... rewarding.

Unable to bear his scrutiny any longer, Evelyn finally snapped. "Mr. Blackwood, why are you here?"

Nathan hesitated. Every prepared excuse evaporated on his tongue.

His voice came out rough, barely above a whisper. "I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore. So I came to find you."

Evelyn blinked, caught off guard, then let out a derisive snort and turned away, feigning sleep.

Nathan watched her, his expression unreadable. There were a thousand things he wanted to say—words that lodged in his throat, unspoken.

"Evelyn," he said suddenly, "is there anything you want?"

He would give it to her. Stars, the moon—anything.

Evelyn laughed, sharp and humorless. "All I want is for you to stay away from me."

Nathan's smile faltered for a fraction of a second before he smoothed it back into place. He lowered his lashes, masking the pain that flashed in his eyes.

When he looked up again, his expression was carefully neutral.

"That’s the one thing I can’t do," he said lightly. "So don’t waste your breath."

With that, he reclined in his seat and closed his eyes, feigning sleep just as she had.

Evelyn rolled her eyes and exhaled sharply before doing the same.

Back in Montecito, Evelyn finally had a few peaceful days to herself. She went fishing, indulged in shopping sprees—blissfully free of Nathan Blackwood’s relentless presence.

The first episode of Adrian’s adventure show had been a roaring success, earning rave reviews and skyrocketing in popularity. Julian Moreau, riding the wave, secured several lucrative deals. Even Ethan Caldwell was tapped for commercials.

The only one floundering was Sophia Laurent, whose reputation had taken a hit after the backlash. Still, the controversy kept her name in the headlines—a twisted silver lining.

Fans demanded she quit, but Sophia knew walking away now would be career suicide.

So, despite everything, she signed on for the second episode.

Evelyn, reluctantly accepting her own invitation, arrived at the filming location with minimal enthusiasm.

Rumors claimed this round wouldn’t be as grueling as the first, but Evelyn wasn’t holding her breath.

When she got there, the others were already waiting. Adrian lit up and moved to sweep her into one of his signature spins—only to yelp when Evelyn’s foot connected with his shin.

"You—you’re vicious!"

"Oops. Didn’t see you there, Niel."

"Liar!" Adrian groaned, rubbing his leg.

Evelyn smirked before smoothing her expression and greeting the rest of the cast with practiced charm.