Chapter 71

Evelyn Sullivan stood at the corridor's bend, her fingertips trembling faintly. Ethan Sullivan's voice defending Isabella Jackson reached her ears with painful clarity, like a blunt knife scraping against her heart.

"Evelyn?"

The voice of Grandma Sullivan snapped her back to reality. She bent to pick up the dropped phone, forcing a strained smile.

"Grandma, your phone."

By the time Grandma Sullivan took it, Evelyn had already turned away. She walked swiftly, as if fleeing from some unseen monster.

"Stop."

At the elevator doors, Ethan grabbed her wrist. His intense gaze searched her eyes for any trace of emotion.

"What is there to explain?" Evelyn laughed lightly. "How you defended Isabella in front of Grandma?"

The sound of the elevator doors opening and closing echoed through the hallway.

Suddenly, Ethan stepped inside. In the confined space, his presence overwhelmed her.

"That day in Iceland—"

"It doesn't matter anymore." Evelyn cut him off. "You know what I realized when I fell into that frozen lake?"

Her eyes were like ice-covered waters.

"Some warmth was never meant for me."

Ethan's throat moved as he swallowed. He remembered that snowy night three years ago, when she had curled into his arms and whispered promises of forever.

"I won't divorce you."

"Why bother?" Evelyn pressed the floor button. "A marriage without love is colder than any frozen lake."

The elevator's chime announced their arrival. Ethan's hurried retreat mirrored the way she had once chased after him.

Alone in her bedroom, Evelyn stared blankly at the ceiling. The sudden ring of her phone shattered the silence—Sophia Reynolds' name flashed on the screen.

"Evelyn! Something terrible happened!"

The voice on the other end was choked with tears. Evelyn bolted upright. Outside the window, the sunset bled crimson across the sky.