Chapter 243

The fleeting emotion vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Evelyn's face hardened like marble as she took a deliberate step backward. Her voice dripped with icy detachment.

"Then you have absolutely no business driving me to work." With that, she shouldered past Nathan, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement as she marched away.

Nathan's jaw clenched, his stormy gaze tracking her retreating figure. A muscle ticked in his temple as frustration surged through him. Before he could stop himself, he pivoted and closed the distance between them in long, purposeful strides.

In one fluid motion, he caught Evelyn's wrist, bent slightly at the knees, and hauled her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. The entire maneuver took less than three seconds.

Evelyn gasped, her world tilting upside down. "Nathan Black! Have you completely lost your senses?" She pounded her fists against his broad back, her legs kicking uselessly in the air. Behind them, Natalie's shocked gasp cut through the morning air.

"Oh my God..." Natalie whispered, her manicured fingers pressed to her parted lips.

Nathan remained silent, his grip unyielding as he carried his struggling cargo toward his sleek black Mercedes. When they reached the vehicle, he yanked open the passenger door and deposited Evelyn inside with surprising gentleness.

Even as she glared daggers at him, he leaned across her trembling form and snapped the seatbelt into place with practiced efficiency. His expression remained unreadable, though a vein pulsed visibly at his temple.

Without so much as glancing in Evelyn's direction, Nathan slid behind the wheel, fastened his own seatbelt, and started the engine with a low growl.

Evelyn's chest heaved with indignation. She opened her mouth—once, twice—but no words emerged. Finally, she turned her face toward the window, watching the raindrops race down the glass in silent fury.

The tension inside the car grew so thick it was almost suffocating. After what felt like an eternity, Nathan finally broke the silence.

His voice came out rough, almost hesitant. "I didn't realize... when you invited me to dinner before... it was because your grandmother had returned." His fingers tightened around the steering wheel. "Had I known, I would never have turned you down."

Evelyn's eyelashes fluttered briefly, but her expression remained carefully blank. His words might as well have been spoken to the wind for all the effect they had on her.

No explanation could erase the memory of him choosing to dine with Serena instead. That bitter truth remained unchanged, no matter what pretty words he offered now.

A humorless smile touched Evelyn's lips. "Ancient history," she said with deliberate lightness. "No point dredging it up now. Besides..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "It won't happen again."

Nathan's knuckles turned white against the steering wheel. A storm brewed in his dark eyes—anger, frustration, something else too complex to name. His breathing grew noticeably heavier, but he said nothing.

The silence stretched between them, taut as a bowstring, until the only sound was the rhythmic swish of windshield wipers battling the relentless rain.