Chapter 84

Nathan Blackwood stepped directly into their path without hesitation, his presence deliberate and unyielding. He clearly had something to say.

Evelyn Sinclair's patience was wearing thin.

Nathan approached the car and rapped his knuckles against her window.

She exhaled slowly, her lips curling into a faint, humorless smile before she lowered the tinted glass.

"Mr. Blackwood," she said coolly. "Is there a problem?"

His dark eyes bore into hers, intense and unreadable. "Evelyn, about those two conditions you proposed—"

She cut him off with a sharp laugh. "Oh? Have you finally made your choice? Which one will it be? Vanessa Holloway or the emerald pipe?"

His jaw tightened. "Change your terms. Vanessa is off-limits."

The words hit her like a physical blow.

Thankfully, the dim lighting of the parking lot concealed the way her expression darkened.

Vanessa Holloway is untouchable?

How special is she to him?

Does she really hold that much weight in his heart?

Evelyn had convinced herself she was over Nathan Blackwood—that his choices no longer affected her.

Yet here she was, wounded by a single sentence.

The familiar ache spread through her chest, sharp and suffocating.

The only person Nathan Blackwood ever willingly hurts is me.

Suddenly, a warm, calloused hand closed over hers, squeezing tight.

She blinked, startled, and turned to meet Alexander Sterling's knowing gaze.

His lips quirked in amusement.

"Mr. Blackwood," Alexander drawled, voice dripping with disdain. "I must say, your taste in women is... questionable. If I were you, I'd rather gouge my eyes out than spare Vanessa Holloway a single glance."

Nathan's expression darkened further.

Evelyn smirked, regaining her composure. "You still don’t understand, do you? I set the terms. I gave you a choice. You don’t get to rewrite the rules."

With that, she rolled the window back up, cutting off any response.

The engine roared to life as she slammed her foot on the accelerator, leaving Nathan standing in the shadows.

She didn’t look back.

"Damn, Evie," Alexander teased once they were on the road. "You were all fire and confidence back there. What happened to that energy?"

She shot him a glare.

He knew her too well—had grown up with her, fought with her, seen her at her weakest.

Of course he could read her like an open book.

He tugged at her hand again, refusing to let go.

"Stop it," she muttered, pulling away.

Alexander only grinned, unfazed. "Come on. Admit it. You’re still hung up on him."

Evelyn exhaled sharply. "I’m an idiot."

He reached over, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Don’t worry. You’ve still got me, alright?"

She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched. "I’m not scared of losing something I never had."

And she meant it.

Nathan Blackwood wouldn’t get another chance to break her.

So he chose Vanessa Holloway.

Fine.

Then the Blackwood heirloom would be lost forever.

Back in the parking lot, Tristan Whitmore jogged up to Nathan, breathless.

"Dude, what the hell? I thought we were taking my new car for a spin!"

Nathan didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on the empty space where Evelyn’s car had been.

Tristan frowned, then noticed the dent in his car door.

His face paled.

"No. No, no, no—" He crouched down, running his fingers over the damage in horror.

"My baby!" he wailed. "I’ve had her for three days!"

He whirled on Nathan. "Who the hell did this? I’ll kill them!"

Nathan barely glanced at him.

"Doesn’t matter," he muttered, turning away.

Tristan gaped after him.

"Doesn’t matter?! Nathan, this is a crime!"

But Nathan was already walking off into the night.