Chapter 335

Dylan Reeves took a deep breath to steady himself before walking away. He needed to inform Serena Cole about what had just happened. It was becoming painfully obvious that Evelyn Hartley and Nathan Black were growing closer—a situation that couldn't be allowed to continue. He and Serena had to come up with a plan to sabotage Nathan's relationship with Evelyn before it was too late.

Nathan's marriage to Evelyn needed to end. Soon.

Later that afternoon, Evelyn's phone buzzed with an incoming call from Cassandra Blake.

"Evelyn, how are you feeling? Did you recover from last night?" Cassandra's voice dripped with false concern.

"I'm fine now," Evelyn replied coolly, her fingers tightening around her phone.

"Oh, thank goodness," Cassandra sighed dramatically. "I feel terrible about last night. That wine is usually my favorite, but it's stronger than most people realize. I completely forgot to warn you, and you ended up... well, you know."

Evelyn's eyes narrowed as a flicker of suspicion crossed her face. Something about this didn't add up.

After a brief pause, she said, "That's strange. I've always had a high alcohol tolerance, but last night... I got drunk unusually fast. Cassandra, any idea why that might be?"

On the other end of the line, Cassandra's expression faltered for just a second before she quickly recovered. "Really? But last night it seemed like you couldn't handle your liquor at all!" She paused, then added hastily, "Oh! I know what it was! You must have been emotionally vulnerable—that always makes alcohol hit harder! After my last breakup, I got wasted on just two glasses!"

Her voice remained smooth, betraying no hint of deception.

Evelyn's gaze turned calculating. Whether Cassandra was telling the truth or just an excellent liar was impossible to determine over the phone. Without being able to see her face, Evelyn couldn't detect any tells.

Waiting for the lab results was her only real option right now.

"Maybe you're right," Evelyn conceded, her tone carefully neutral.

Cassandra continued her charade of concern for several more minutes before finally ending the call. When work finished, Evelyn headed straight to Eleanor Sinclair's residence. Eleanor had called earlier inviting her to dinner—the perfect opportunity to question Isabelle Laurent about certain matters.

Only Eleanor and Isabelle were home when Evelyn arrived; Grace Monroe had stepped out on an errand. The moment Isabelle saw Evelyn, she beamed. "You're here! We're in for a treat tonight—Eleanor's cooking for us!"

Evelyn gave a slight nod but remained silent. Her intense gaze lingered on Isabelle, studying her closely. Just then, Eleanor emerged from the kitchen carrying a steaming dish. "Wash up, dinner's ready," she said with a warm smile.

After washing her hands, Evelyn took her seat at the dining table. As Isabelle opened her mouth to speak, her eyes suddenly caught on the unmistakable marks visible above Evelyn's collar. Her eyes widened. "Evelyn, are those... hickeys on your neck?"

Eleanor turned to look, her expression shifting to one of quiet understanding. The older woman recognized the marks immediately and knew exactly how they must have gotten there.

Before Evelyn could respond, Isabelle pressed on, "Did Mr. Black give you those? You and Mr. Black... Did you two...?" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, as if refusing to acknowledge the possibility.

Evelyn let out a soft laugh, her eyes glinting with amusement. "You seem unusually interested in my relationship with Nathan, Isabelle."