Chapter 67

Evelyn met Alexander's gaze directly. "I want to buy a house."

He instantly understood her concern.

The hidden risks of dividing marital assets made his brow furrow.

"Annabelle's words aren't trustworthy."

"I've checked the marriage laws. She wasn't wrong."

Alexander's Adam's apple bobbed. "I thought... someone was pursuing you."

"Legally, I'm still Mrs. Hamilton. Besides, I don't have an old flame waiting in the wings, ready to rekindle things the moment we divorce."

He gave a bitter smile. "I used to think you were gentle as water. Now I see the steel in your bones."

"I won't deny I'm mocking you." Evelyn tapped the table lightly with her fingertips. "Had she approached me openly, I might have stepped aside. But she chose the cruelest way—from start to finish."

"She wasn't like this as a child..."

"How young?"

"Before she turned four."

Evelyn froze. "...That is early."

How clear could memories from age four really be?

"People change."

"True. When I saw her again at seven, she was already climbing trees and getting into fights. Her teachers called her parents constantly."

Evelyn murmured, "You two were well-matched."

"How so?"

"Richard mentioned you were quite the troublemaker in middle school."

Alexander arched a brow. "You've met Richard?"

"At the class reunion. I overheard some chatter."

He didn't deny it.

"The bullies at our school never picked on the weak. We only fought outsiders."

"Who did I bully? Is that what Richard said?"

"He didn't elaborate. I'm just reminding you—Annabelle's recklessness could lead to disaster. If someone had actually died today..."

Alexander nodded solemnly. "You saved her. I'm ashamed."

"When she pushed me into traffic, she didn't care if I lived or died." Evelyn's laugh was cold. "I'm not that noble."

Her gaze drifted to the window. "But when I saw her clutching her stomach as she fell... If it had been me, I'd have walked away with minor injuries. But she was pregnant..."

"Consider it..." Her voice trembled. "...a blessing for the unborn child. May they find happiness in the next life."

Alexander's knuckles turned white, veins standing out.

"I wouldn't have been a good mother. I refused to trap a marriage with a child, and I couldn't bear to let them grow up without a father's love..."

"...Evelyn." His voice was rough. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"During the procedure... Did it hurt the baby?"