Chapter 197

Nathan stood frozen for a moment, his mind reeling. He had never imagined that Evelyn had been hiding a secret first love all this time.

Grace noticed the shift in his expression and immediately regretted bringing up the story in front of him. She forced a light laugh, quickly adding, "But after that, she never mentioned him again. I’m sure she forgot all about him. Besides, the person she loves most is you, Mr. Black."

Nathan let out a quiet scoff, his lips curling into a faint, humorless smile, but he remained silent.

Grace opened her mouth as if to say more, then hesitated, biting back her words.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them.

Meanwhile, at the Sterling estate, the front door burst open, revealing Victoria Sinclair in complete disarray. Her hair was tangled, her clothes wrinkled, and the faint scent of coffee clung to her skin.

Victor’s eyes widened in shock. "Victoria, what happened to you?" he demanded.

Celeste rushed forward, her brows knitting in concern. "Mom, why do you smell like coffee? What the hell happened?"

Victoria let out a bitter laugh, collapsing onto the sofa with a dramatic huff. She shot a sharp glare at Victor, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Why don’t you ask your precious niece about that?"

Victor blinked, confused. "Lila did this to you?"

But Celeste’s expression darkened with realization. "It was Evelyn, wasn’t it?"

Victoria’s face twisted with fury, her teeth clenched. "Of course it was Evelyn! She’s just as unbearable as her mother—that homewrecking—"

Victor’s frown deepened, a shadow passing over his face at the insult.

Victoria continued, her voice sharp with indignation. "Grace ran crying to Evelyn, claiming I bullied her. And then Evelyn had the nerve to invite me out, dump coffee on me, and threaten me! She demanded I apologize to her mother—or else, she said, I’d face consequences!"

"What?" Celeste’s voice rose in outrage. "That’s insane! How dare she treat you like this? You’re her aunt!"

Victor remained silent, his expression unreadable. On one hand, Evelyn’s actions were undeniably excessive—disrespecting family was unacceptable. But on the other, he understood her motives. She was protecting her mother. How could he condemn her for that?

"Victor," Victoria snapped, her sharp tone cutting through the tension. "Don’t you have anything to say?"

"What do you want me to say?" Victor replied evenly.

Victoria’s eyes flashed with fury. "Your daughter humiliated me. You should discipline her—make her kneel and apologize!"

Victor met her gaze steadily. "If you apologize to Grace, I’ll make sure Evelyn apologizes to you."

Victoria shot to her feet, her face contorted with disbelief. "What did you just say? You’re siding with that woman over your own sister? Have you lost your mind? What would Diana think?"