Chapter 161

A sharp knock at the door shattered the moment.

Nathan answered it to find Winston Graves standing there, holding a steaming bowl of soup. Taking the bowl, Nathan turned and handed it to Evelyn, who was now perched on the edge of the sofa. "Drink this," he ordered, his voice firm but not unkind.

Evelyn straightened her posture, trying to appear composed despite the lingering haze of alcohol. "Okay," she murmured before downing the soup in three quick gulps.

Setting the empty bowl aside, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand—then let out an embarrassingly loud belch.

Before Nathan could react, she flopped face-first onto the couch, completely spent.

Nathan stared at her for a long moment, torn between exasperation and reluctant amusement. With a sigh, he scooped her up effortlessly and carried her back to bed.

Exhausted from the night’s antics, Evelyn was already fast asleep, her breathing deep and even. Nathan draped a blanket over her before retreating to the bathroom.

Standing in front of the mirror, he examined the faint but unmistakable bite mark on his neck—a stark reminder of Evelyn’s drunken recklessness.

"Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

The Next Morning

The shrill alarm jolted Evelyn awake, her head pounding as if someone had taken a hammer to it.

She groaned, pressing her palms against her temples. What the hell had happened last night? Had she been in a fight?

Slowly, the fog in her mind cleared, and fragments of the previous night resurfaced.

Her eyes widened in horror.

Oh.

Oh no.

That drunken idiot—that had been her.

Evelyn buried her face in her hands, silently screaming. She wanted to melt into the mattress and never resurface.

The bathroom door clicked open, and Nathan stepped out, freshly showered. The moment he saw her curled up in mortification, a smirk tugged at his lips.

"Well, well. The diva finally graces us with consciousness."

Evelyn bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood. She couldn’t even look at him—not after the way she’d shamelessly referred to herself as a superstar last night.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to meet his gaze, her expression carefully neutral.

"I… apologize for last night. I had too much to drink and lost control."

Nathan strolled toward her, stopping just inches away. He crossed his arms, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Oh, this should be good. Go on."