Chapter 175

Evelyn felt Nathaniel's piercing gaze on her.

She quickly pulled her hand away, as if burned.

Turning deliberately, she attempted to brush past him without a word.

But Nathaniel moved with effortless grace, blocking her path with an air of arrogance. "Don’t you have anything to say to me?" His voice dripped with condescension.

Evelyn lifted her chin, meeting his eyes. "There’s nothing left to say."

A smirk curled his lips. "Already moved on, I see. Though I must say, your new choice is... underwhelming. Do you really find him appealing?"

The irony wasn’t lost on her.

She arched a brow. "Funny, coming from you."

After all, Nathaniel was the one openly pursuing Victoria.

His expression darkened. "Evelyn, I never expected you to become such a troublemaker. Three years of silence, and now this? Pathetic."

Her fingers curled into fists. "Speaking of trouble, Mr. Whitmore, perhaps you should focus on reigning in your family. Now that we’re divorced, make sure Penelope stays out of my life."

Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed. "What are you implying?"

Evelyn scoffed. "Exactly what I said. If it weren’t for Penelope’s meddling, Cassandra wouldn’t have dared cross Reginald."

She leaned in slightly, voice low. "She thought she had protection, but in the end, she was just a pawn. Used and discarded."

Nathaniel stiffened.

Evelyn straightened, her gaze unwavering. "I spent three years bending to your family’s whims. Not anymore. Don’t expect me to swallow my pride again."

With that, she sidestepped him and walked away.

Nathaniel stood frozen for a moment before pulling out his phone. "Robert," he snapped. "Look into Penelope’s recent communications with Cassandra Blake."

Within the hour, Robert delivered his findings. "Penelope has been in close contact with Cassandra since the Fleur International Design Competition."

He hesitated. "There’s more. When Cassandra was questioned, she repeatedly implicated Penelope. But since no one wanted to provoke the Whitmores, they directed their anger toward Evelyn instead."

Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. For three years, he’d assumed Evelyn’s life had been uneventful.

He hadn’t expected Penelope to overstep so boldly.

His expression hardened. "Go to the Whitmore estate. Bring Penelope to me. If she refuses, freeze all her accounts."

That evening, Evelyn returned home to an unexpected call.

"Evelyn," Alexander’s voice came through the line. "Olivia and I have some free time. We’re thinking of visiting Bern City."

She could hear the concern in his tone.

Evelyn sighed. "Alexander, I’m fine. You don’t need to drop everything for me."

But the warmth in her chest betrayed her words. Her brothers’ unwavering support meant everything.

Alexander cleared his throat. "It’s just a short trip. Work’s slow right now."

She relented. "Alright."

After hanging up, Alexander turned to Charles, his expression grim. "How did the investigation go?"

"Perfectly," Charles replied.

"Good. Make sure they apologize to Evelyn. Or they won’t see a cent."

Alexander’s eyes were steel. If this had happened closer to home, the consequences would have been far worse.