Chapter 10

The evening air was thick with tension as Evelyn Sinclair stood by the grand floor-to-ceiling windows of Nathan Blackwood’s penthouse. The city lights twinkled below, but her mind was far from serene.

Nathan had been unusually quiet since their return from the charity gala. His sharp jawline was tense, his stormy gray eyes distant. Evelyn knew something was off—she could feel it in the way his fingers had lingered on her waist a second too long before pulling away.

"Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?" she finally asked, turning to face him.

Nathan exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his dark hair. "It’s complicated."

Evelyn crossed her arms. "Try me."

A beat of silence stretched between them before he spoke again, his voice low. "Victoria Hayes has been digging into your past."

Evelyn’s breath hitched. "What?"

Nathan’s gaze hardened. "She thinks she can use it against you—against us."

A cold dread settled in Evelyn’s chest. Victoria, Nathan’s cunning secretary, had always been a thorn in her side. But this? This was a direct attack.

Before she could respond, Nathan closed the distance between them, his hands gripping her shoulders. "I won’t let her touch you," he vowed, his voice rough with conviction.

Evelyn searched his eyes, seeing something raw and unguarded there—something she hadn’t expected.

And then, in a moment that shattered every carefully constructed wall between them, Nathan whispered, "I can’t lose you."

Her heart stuttered.

But before she could process his words, his phone buzzed violently. Nathan cursed under his breath as he glanced at the screen—Victoria’s name flashing ominously.

Evelyn’s stomach twisted.

Whatever game Victoria was playing, it had just escalated. And now, Evelyn had a choice—retreat or fight back.

She clenched her fists.

Game on.

The Blackwood family was shockingly naive when it came to protecting their own interests. Weren’t elite families supposed to be ruthless and calculating? Yet here they were, soft-hearted and trusting, easily played by some arrogant man.

The Blackwoods felt personally attacked by Evelyn’s thoughts.

Nathan, especially, was a disappointment. Shouldn’t a business tycoon like him be a master strategist? He’d always seemed so sharp before!

Nathan was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to read someone’s deepest thoughts? Only Evelyn could do that with her system.

He’d never thought much of Daniel—just some guy his sister had fallen for. Their marriage had been lukewarm at best, but Daniel had never outright harmed Sophia… until today. Nathan had always stayed out of his siblings’ personal lives, offering advice only when asked. He never imagined the mess lurking beneath the surface.

Evelyn had indulged in so much gossip that she felt sick. Finally, she set down her fork.

No way. This was too infuriating. Time to stir the pot. Even if she couldn’t reveal what she knew, she could still wreck this doomed marriage.

Nathan watched the little troublemaker plotting, the corner of his mouth twitching. Let her have her fun.

Straightening, Nathan cut straight to the point. "Sophia, our family’s stance hasn’t changed. We want you to divorce. If you refuse, it’ll be a disgrace. And if that happens, we’ll cut all ties with the Prescott family."

The Blackwoods quickly realized Nathan was setting a trap—testing whether Daniel was truly after power.

Though Nathan fully trusted Evelyn’s words, the others were still skeptical. After all, Daniel’s true motives were impossible to verify. This was Nathan’s way of proving it to them.

And it forced Margaret to open her eyes.

"What are you saying?!" Beatrice shrieked, whipping her head toward Richard and Margaret.

Richard didn’t mince words. "Nathan is the head of this family now. His word is final."

Daniel’s expression twisted, humiliation and fury flashing across his face. The Blackwoods had initially doubted Evelyn’s assumptions, but now, they sensed something was very wrong.

Only Beatrice was in full panic mode. She grabbed Sophia’s arm, pleading, "Listen to your brother! He doesn’t even see you as family! You’re driving us into ruin—no heir to carry on the Prescott name! If you could just give us a child, we wouldn’t be in this mess!"

The words were a slap in the face. Margaret’s expression darkened instantly. Without hesitation, she pulled Sophia back to her side.

"Then let your son remarry. No one’s stopping him from having as many children as he wants. He could even bring home the mother of his other child. What’s the problem? Or are you all just desperate to keep my daughter trapped?"

Beatrice yanked Daniel to her side. He scowled at Nathan, about to speak—

Nathan smirked. "If you’re worried about reputation, don’t be. If you divorce, just say the Blackwoods couldn’t tolerate an illegitimate child. It won’t reflect badly on you. After everything our family has done for the Prescotts, you can’t possibly think Sophia still owes you anything."

One sentence. That was all it took to shut down every excuse. Daniel paled.

Damn, that’s cold. The Blackwoods finally made their move! Guess I won’t be needed after all.

Listening to Evelyn’s delighted mental commentary, Nathan’s lips curved slightly.

Of course, the Blackwoods didn’t want an innocent child left homeless. But they also couldn’t stand seeing their beloved Sophia miserable.

One neglectful husband was bad enough. Look what Sophia had become. Add a child to the mix? She’d break.

Divorce was the only option.

A dangerous glint flashed in Daniel’s eyes. His voice dripped with threat. "Sophia, is this how you feel too?"

In the past, Sophia would’ve rushed to soothe him, bending over backward to protect his pride and the Prescott family’s interests.

But this time, she stayed silent. She was still reeling from Evelyn’s revelations.

For a split second, Daniel’s mask slipped.

Beatrice wailed, "No! You can’t divorce! Sophia, who else would want you if you can’t even have children?"

"Tch. The Blackwood heiress has no shortage of suitors," Richard snapped.

Sophia’s face burned. How does Evelyn know about this?

Faced with such humiliation, she’d been too ashamed to speak up. She’d assumed the problem was with her own body—never suspecting anything else.

The Blackwoods were livid. How dare Daniel blame Sophia when he was the one who’d never even tried!

But confronting him about it was beneath them. At this point, there was no need for further questions.

This marriage was over. Daniel had gone too far.

If Sophia still refused to see reason, they’d force the separation.

Meanwhile, Evelyn’s thoughts had taken another wild turn.

This doesn’t add up. Even if he didn’t love Sophia and refused to share a room with her… where else would he go? The hospital? Was he really that busy? He’s the director—surely not. Unless…

A chill ran down the Blackwoods’ spines.

Evelyn didn’t let her assumptions cloud her judgment. Following her gut, she considered the possibility: What if he’s been raising a child somewhere else this whole time?

She could theorize, but she needed proof. Accusations couldn’t be thrown around lightly.

Holy sh— Hell no!

Hearing Evelyn’s mental cursing, the Blackwoods braced themselves.

They held their breath, waiting for the bombshell.

Even Sophia froze, her emotions flatlining.

On the eighteenth floor of the luxury apartments next to the hospital… for the past nine years, Daniel and Adriana have been living there as husband and wife.