Chapter 13
"Evelyn?" Nathan's tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Nathan! Come help me!"
Victoria's panicked voice crackled through the phone. "I'm trapped in your corporate lobby surrounded by reporters! I'm terrified!"
"I'm coming now."
Without a second thought, Nathan grabbed his suit jacket and strode toward the exit.
"Mr. Blackwood! You can't go out there!"
Oliver rushed to intercept him. "Let security handle Ms. Sterling. If you show up personally-"
Nathan's expression darkened as he pushed past his assistant.
"Ms. Sterling! When will you and Mr. Blackwood announce wedding plans?"
"Is it true you've known each other since childhood?"
"What do you think about Mr. Blackwood's ex-wife? Reports claim she came between your relationship!"
Microphones and cameras jostled against Victoria's face. Though bodyguards formed a protective circle, the chaos intensified.
Victoria maintained a carefully crafted facade of vulnerability while secretly reveling in the attention.
She had orchestrated this media circus herself - leaking news of their engagement while painting Evelyn as the villain who'd stolen her rightful place.
"That bitch took my bracelet and humiliated me," she thought viciously. "Now the whole world will see her as the homewrecker she is."
"Thank you for your concern," Victoria demurred, flashing what she considered her most photogenic smile. "As for Ms. Carter... please don't harass her. Their divorce is finalized, and she deserves peace."
Her calculated words only fueled the reporters' frenzy. Just as the mob surged forward, strong arms enveloped her. Nathan shielded her with his body, guiding her swiftly toward the exit.
"Nathan, thank God you're here!" Victoria's eyes shimmered with manufactured tears.
Nathan's jaw tightened as he remained silent.
Suddenly, he froze, scanning the chaotic scene with unsettling intensity.
An inexplicable certainty gripped him - Evelyn was watching this unfold somewhere nearby.
But that was impossible...
The security camera above Blackwood Industries' entrance adjusted its angle minutely.
Seated in her office, Evelyn observed every humiliating moment in crisp high-definition.
Her breath hitched as she watched Nathan protectively embrace Victoria.
The pain cut deeper than she cared to admit.
"You'd never shield me like that," Evelyn whispered, throat tightening. "That stormy night two years ago when I nearly died from pain, I called you. Even knowing you wouldn't come, I still hoped. Three years of devotion meant nothing - I was just a tool to please your grandfather. You're not worth these tears, Nathan. Loving you was my greatest mistake."
Her phone chimed with a message from the Kingsley Intelligence Network.
[Sebastian: Evelyn, the Savrow Daily editor who leaked your marriage details was fired. Your ex-husband ordered it. Apparently his girlfriend released the news without his knowledge.]
Evelyn's long lashes fluttered as she typed her reply.
[Evelyn: Makes no difference. They're two sides of the same coin.]
[Dominic: Damn right! Birds of a feather!]
[Dominic: By the way, I've uncovered something explosive. Private chat.]
[Maxwell: Just say it here.]
[Dominic: No way! I did the legwork - you want the scoop, do your own digging!]
A voice message followed moments later.
"Evelyn, wait till you see what I found on Victoria Sterling."
Though publicly known as a prosecutor, Dominic Kingsley possessed formidable hacking skills. While not as proficient as their brother Donovan, his talents frequently proved invaluable.
The attached photos made Evelyn's eyebrows shoot up.
One showed Victoria in scandalous attire, locked in a passionate embrace with an unidentified man.
"Nice work, Dom!" Evelyn whistled appreciatively. "Where'd you dig these up?"
"Victoria has hundreds of Instagram followers. Took days combing through them all. This guy seemed suspicious - hacked his account and phone gallery. Turns out he's a popular fitness instructor."
"Impressive. Dinner's on me tonight."
"Drinks too?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Don't celebrate yet. The real bombshell's coming." Dominic's tone turned serious as medical records and abdominal photos appeared.
Evelyn gasped. "Is this...?"
"Believe it? Victoria gave birth in Silvercrest. These are her postpartum stretch marks."
Evelyn zoomed in, hands trembling slightly.
"That 'illness' was a cover. She was actually getting cosmetic treatments to remove the evidence. Modern medicine makes deception so convenient." Dominic snorted. "Handled enough paternity fraud cases, but stretch mark removal? First time. Means she and Nathan never slept together - she'd have been exposed otherwise."
Evelyn exhaled shakily. "That's... good."
"Good? How? He still cheated! Don't soften now, Evelyn." Dominic feared his sister might reconsider forgiving Nathan. He wanted to shake some sense into her.
"You misunderstand," Evelyn chuckled darkly. "I don't love him anymore. Just relieved he didn't betray me physically during our marriage."
"Karma's a bitch! Serves him right getting played by his precious Victoria!"
Dominic ranted on. "Idiot chose that trash over the Monarch Group heiress!"
"That's Nathan for you. Love can't be bought." Bitterness laced Evelyn's words. Thirteen years of affection wouldn't vanish overnight.
But she'd sworn never to love Nathan Blackwood again.
"That bitch attacked you publicly. Let's destroy her!" Dominic burned for vengeance.
"I've always saved the best delicacies for last." Evelyn's eyes glinted dangerously. "This trump card deserves a dramatic reveal - when it'll hurt her most."