Chapter 4
Evelyn fought to suppress the triumphant smile threatening to break across her face. With practiced grace, she feigned magnanimity. "For Nathaniel's sake, I'll let this slide."
Victoria straightened her posture, her gaze locking onto Nathaniel. "May I leave now?" Every fiber of her being screamed to escape this suffocating room.
She bent to retrieve the discarded divorce papers, thrusting them toward him with renewed determination. This time, her resolve was unshakable.
Nathaniel's brow furrowed as he examined the signed documents. This wasn't the reaction he'd anticipated. Previous attempts had always involved Eleanor's interference - he'd prepared entire arguments to sway the matriarch.
Yet here stood Victoria, compliant without struggle. The ease of it unsettled him.
His eyes flicked to her packed suitcase. "You've arranged accommodations already?"
The question slipped out before he could stop it.
Victoria blinked in surprise. "No." Was that... concern in his voice?
Nathaniel abruptly turned away. "Fetch ice for Evelyn's ankle first. She injured herself because of you - you can't just walk away."
Of course. Always about Evelyn. For one fleeting moment, Victoria had dared hope. Three years of marriage meant nothing compared to his precious first love.
She exited stiffly, each step mechanical. The absurdity burned - the mistress commandeering their marital bed while she played errand girl.
"Pathetic," Victoria chastised herself silently. "Have you no self-respect left?"
Her descent down the staircase turned treacherous when her foot missed a step. Instinctively, she grabbed for the nearest vase, sending it crashing down the steps.
Strong arms yanked her backward.
Nathaniel.
Her back collided with his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat thundering against her cheek. The familiar scent of his cologne enveloped her.
Before she could process the intimacy, he'd swept her into his arms, carrying her down effortlessly. Heat flooded her cheeks at the unprecedented contact - three years of marriage, and this was their first embrace since... that night.
He set her down with clinical efficiency. "Watch your step unless you fancy brain damage," he snapped, though his grip lingered a second too long.
Victoria's gaze fell to the shattered porcelain and scattered soil. "I'll clean this-"
"Let the staff earn their keep." Nathaniel's frown deepened. "Don't you have other obligations?"
The reminder struck like a slap. Evelyn's ice.
Noticing the dirt smeared across Nathaniel's pristine shirt, Victoria opened her mouth to mention it. But he'd already turned toward the master bedroom, apparently unconcerned about his usually immaculate appearance.
Priorities clear.
Returning with the ice pack, Victoria found the bedroom empty save for Evelyn lounging against the headboard.
"Leave it and go," Evelyn purred. "Unless you'd like to attend to my other needs? Or perhaps you're hoping to witness our reunion?" Her smirk turned predatory. "Three years is such a long drought, after all."
The running shower answered Victoria's unspoken question.
Her stomach plummeted. The ink hadn't even dried on their divorce papers, and Nathaniel was already... Her vision blurred. Some reunities required no audience.