Chapter 283

Evelyn lifted her gaze to find Nathaniel standing a short distance away, his eyes glinting with something dark and unreadable.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Why was Nathaniel here? The timing couldn’t have been worse.

If Julian spotted him, the situation would spiral out of control.

Thinking fast, Evelyn tugged Julian’s arm sharply, pulling his attention away from the corridor where Nathaniel stood.

A distraction—she needed one now.

"Julian," she said quickly, "I almost forgot to ask—how is Mrs. Whitmore Senior doing? Why are you the one handling her examination today?"

The question caught him off guard, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. "Didn’t I mention her case is complicated? A surgery like hers requires extra hands. We need to be prepared for any emergencies."

Evelyn vaguely recalled him saying something similar. Still, his presence here made sense.

He cleared his throat, masking his unease. "Now that you mention it, I just remembered I have a meeting to attend—about Mrs. Whitmore Senior’s surgery."

Without another word, Julian turned and strode away. Evelyn’s pulse spiked.

Nathaniel was still here.

But when she glanced back at the corridor, he was gone.

Where had he disappeared to?

Relief loosened the tension in her shoulders. She called after Julian, "Will the surgery still proceed as scheduled?"

"Of course," he replied, though a hint of nervousness colored his tone.

Had she noticed something was off?

Evelyn hesitated before pressing further. "Julian, I heard the lead surgeon is one of the best in Nord City. And that his sister—Victoria—has feelings for Nathaniel. After everything that’s happened, I thought he might refuse to operate."

She was testing him.

Julian understood exactly what she was implying.

Nathaniel had broken off his engagement with Victoria because Julian had revealed he only agreed to the surgery for Evelyn’s sake.

It had been a warning—stay away from her.

But Julian never expected them to already be married. If he had known, he would never have interfered. Never.

Regret twisted inside him.

If he had realized their relationship sooner, he would have taken Evelyn far from Nord City, away from the Whitmore family’s tangled affairs.

"Don’t worry," he said smoothly. "A renowned surgeon is handling the procedure. I promise."

"Does this surgeon attend meetings with the other doctors?"

The question caught him off guard.

His words stumbled. "Why do you ask? Do you want to meet him?"

What if she did? How would he explain?

Hire an imposter?

Evelyn shook her head. "No, just curious. It doesn’t matter if I meet him. The only thing that matters is the surgery’s success."

That surgeon was Victoria’s brother. If Evelyn showed her face, his resentment might jeopardize everything.

What would she do then?

She could only hope things would go smoothly.

Julian exhaled in quiet relief.

It was better this way.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t know how to explain the truth.