Chapter 443

The group returned to the chateau well past midnight, when the last firework had faded from the sky and the streets of Paris grew quiet.

Highland Estates glowed warmly against the night. The ever-efficient butler had prepared a late supper.

Servants guided everyone to their respective suites.

William Sterling retired immediately, exhaustion lining his face. Preston Sinclair carried the sleeping Oliver in his arms toward the east wing.

Evelyn Sinclair felt weary too, her appetite diminished. As she ascended the grand staircase, she noticed Nathan Blackwood's suite stood directly across from hers.

Theodore "Teddy" Winslow appeared with a silver tray. "Ms. Sterling, you barely touched dinner." His voice carried that practiced concern only elite staff perfected. "Some light refreshments before bed? They'll help you sleep."

When Evelyn hesitated, Teddy smoothly maneuvered into her room. "Did you know?" He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Mr. Blackwood personally arranged tonight's fireworks display! Coordinated with six government departments and spent nearly twenty million euros—just so you could see fireworks over River Aurora!"

He sighed dramatically. "If I were a woman, I'd be so moved I could die happy right now."

Evelyn's breath caught. "The fireworks...weren't they for King Alexander III's birthday celebration?"

Teddy's expression twisted in theatrical surprise. "What an odd coincidence! Then this Alexander fellow got terribly lucky." He waved a dismissive hand. "Those fireworks were absolutely not for him. Mr. Blackwood said your Paris tour couldn't be ordinary—it might disappoint you and Chairman Sterling. So he orchestrated this entire spectacle."

Leaning closer, he added, "When has France ever celebrated a monarch's birthday with such extravagance?"

Evelyn's fingers tightened around her shawl. During her years studying in France, she couldn't recall any grand celebrations for historical kings' birthdays. Not that she'd paid much attention—she'd always joined festivities on whim rather than tradition.

This had been Nathan's doing. Entirely.

"That's...excessive," she murmured, the weight of yet another unpayable debt settling on her shoulders.

Across the hallway, a door clicked open.

Nathan stood framed in the doorway, leaning slightly on an ebony cane. His tall silhouette appeared almost healthy—if one ignored the pallor of his face. Dark hair fell carelessly across his forehead, giving him an uncharacteristically approachable air.

"Why aren't you two resting?" His voice, rich and low, carried down the corridor.

Teddy practically bounced from Evelyn's room. "Ms. Sterling discovered you arranged the fireworks! She's so touched she nearly wept." The butler clasped his hands dramatically. "She said despite your busy schedule, you still—"

Evelyn's jaw dropped.

"—found time for such grand gestures, proving your thoughtfulness. Now she prays for your swift recovery, so you might stand together along River Aurora, hand in hand, beneath the fireworks!"

Evelyn's door nearly slammed shut from the force of her disbelief. She'd said four words—four simple words—and Teddy had spun them into this...this absurd romantic soliloquy!

Her gaze sharpened on the unflappable butler. Teddy hadn't become Nathan's head of household merely by being Harrison's cousin, had he? This man could flatter royalty into abdicating their thrones.

Nathan's lips quirked. The usual ice in his gaze softened as it swept over Evelyn, amusement dancing in those dark depths.

"Don't cry," he murmured, the words tender yet teasing. He promised to recover quickly—for her sake, apparently.

With his hair slightly mussed and wearing casual loungewear, Nathan looked nothing like the untouchable CEO of Blackwood Enterprises. Here, he seemed almost...human.

Evelyn stared between the two men, utterly speechless. Nathan actually believed Teddy's ridiculous fabrication? How had this man built a business empire with such gullibility?

Preposterous!