Chapter 227

The moment the words reached Nathan's ears, his expression darkened. His voice was icy as he retorted, "Do I need to report my every move to you?"

Evelyn felt a sharp pang in her chest, her throat tightening. Before she could respond, Nathan added coldly, "There's nothing left to say." Then, the line went dead.

Evelyn stared at her phone, the screen now black. A storm of questions swirled in her mind. What had caused this sudden shift in Nathan? Had she done something wrong? It made no sense. If he didn’t want to come home, fine. He could stay away for good.

Frustrated, she silenced her phone, tossed it onto the nightstand, and turned off the lamp. But sleep refused to come. She tossed and turned for what felt like hours, her mind restless. By 3 AM, Nathan still hadn’t returned. She bit her lip, resisting the urge to call him again, and forced herself to close her eyes.

Eventually, exhaustion pulled her under, though she wasn’t sure when. When her alarm blared the next morning, her gaze immediately flicked to the untouched bed across the room. He hadn’t come home—or at least, not to their room. A fresh wave of irritation surged through her as she took a deep breath.

Without wasting another second, Evelyn freshened up and left for the hospital.

In the VIP ward of Grand Pines General Hospital, Serena Cole stirred awake, her eyes fluttering open. Surprise flickered across her face when she spotted Nathan asleep on the sofa, but it quickly melted into delight.

"Nathan," she murmured softly.

He stirred, instantly alert, and moved to sit beside her bed. His voice was rough with sleep as he asked, "How are you feeling? Any discomfort?"

"No, I'm fine," Serena replied, shaking her head gently.

Nathan nodded, his tone steady. "Stay one more night for observation. If all goes well, you can leave tomorrow."

"Okay," she whispered, her gaze lingering on him. After a beat, she sighed softly. "It would be perfect to wake up to your face every morning."

Nathan remained silent, his expression unreadable.

After a pause, Serena spoke again. "Nathan… were you here all night?"

Instead of answering, his voice turned firm. "Don’t drink like that again."

Serena lowered her eyes, absorbing his quiet but stern warning.

Nathan watched her closely before adding, his voice softer but no less serious, "I made you a promise. I intend to keep it."

The weight of his words settled between them, heavy with unspoken meaning.

Serena’s face lit up instantly, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Nathan, hearing you say that makes everything worth it," she breathed, her voice thick with emotion.

But beneath her joy, Nathan felt an invisible pressure constricting his chest.

"I have to go," he said abruptly, standing and avoiding her gaze. "Get some rest."

"Alright," Serena murmured. "But you should rest too."