Chapter 279

Before Evelyn could finish her sentence, Nathan swiftly cut in, "Dylan was behind the photos..."

"I've traced the uploader. They were just looking to create chaos."

Evelyn froze, her wide eyes locking onto Nathan’s. For a moment, she couldn’t find her voice. Why was he shielding her? He had to know she was the one who orchestrated the leak.

She had braced herself for this—ready to confess if Leonard or Margaret confronted her, prepared to bear the backlash. Her actions had been fueled by vengeance against Serena, but they’d also painted Nathan as the villain in the public eye. At the time, emotions had clouded her judgment, pushing her to act recklessly. Yet, she never expected Nathan to step in and cover for her.

Leonard slammed his fist on the table, his anger palpable. "Dylan’s behavior is unacceptable! I’m calling Gregory right now—does his family think they can meddle in our lives without consequences?"

Nathan stayed silent. Leonard’s expression softened slightly as he turned to Evelyn. "I’ll handle this. Don’t worry."

"Thank you," Evelyn murmured, nodding gratefully.

"It’s been a long day. Both of you should get some rest," Leonard said, gesturing toward the stairs.

Evelyn stood. "You should rest too."

Leonard gave a tired smile. "I will."

They ascended the stairs in silence, the weight of the evening pressing between them. Once inside their bedroom, Evelyn turned to Nathan the moment the door clicked shut.

"Nathan," she began, her voice steady, "you know I arranged for those photos to be leaked, don’t you?"

She searched his face, waiting for confirmation.

"Yes," he answered simply, his tone unreadable.

Evelyn held his gaze. "Aren’t you going to ask why I did it?"

A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "I assumed it was your way of retaliating against Serena—and maybe me, too."

She blinked slowly, surprised by his insight. "Then why did you cover for me in front of your parents?"

Nathan studied her for a long moment before responding in a low, measured tone, "Because complicating things further benefits no one." With that, he turned and walked into the bathroom, leaving Evelyn standing there, her thoughts swirling.

After a beat, she exhaled sharply and left the room, heading straight for Leonard’s study.

When she arrived, Leonard and Margaret had just settled in. Leonard looked up, brows furrowed. "Evelyn? Is something wrong?"

Evelyn straightened her shoulders. "There’s something I need to tell you both. I can’t keep it from you any longer."

Before they could react, she continued, her voice firm. "I was the one who leaked those photos."

She refused to hide the truth any longer—especially not from Leonard.