Chapter 264

Evelyn lay beside her, gazing blankly at the ceiling.

Sleep refused to claim her as her thoughts twisted into knots, spiraling endlessly. She couldn’t even remember when exhaustion finally dragged her under, pulling her into a fitful, uneasy slumber.

Meanwhile, at the Black family estate...

The clock ticked closer to midnight, and still, Evelyn hadn’t returned.

Nathan sat in the dimly lit study, the silence pressing in around him. Her absence weighed on him like a physical thing, gnawing at the edges of his composure. He knew she had chosen not to come back tonight.

Yet, he didn’t call her.

Just as he was about to retire for the night, his phone shattered the quiet with its sharp ring. His fingers twitched slightly before he reached for it, his expression carefully blank.

But when he saw the caller ID, his brows drew together—just a fraction—and something flickered in his gaze. Disappointment? Irritation? He didn’t even register it himself.

He answered, voice cool and detached. "Yes?"

"Nathan, you need to get to Grandview General Hospital—now! Serena—she—" Dylan’s voice was frantic, tight with urgency. "She hit her head. There’s blood everywhere, and she’s unconscious!"

Nathan’s jaw tightened as he processed the words. A beat of silence stretched before he finally spoke, his tone low. "How did this happen?"

"I don’t know the details!" Dylan snapped, breathless. "Just get here!"

The line went dead before Nathan could respond.

Dylan had already hung up.

Nathan stared at the darkened screen for a long moment before slipping the phone into his pocket, his expression unreadable. He didn’t know what to make of the churning in his chest—irritation, restlessness, something else he couldn’t name.

His fingers curled into the edge of the sheets, hesitating.

Then, with a sharp exhale, he threw them aside, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and strode to the wardrobe. Within minutes, he was dressed and out the door, heading straight for the hospital.

At Grandview General’s VIP ward...

Nathan arrived just in time to catch the tail end of the doctor’s update to Dylan.

"She needed stitches and has a mild concussion..."