Chapter 136

Nathan Blackwood's expression darkened as the lights from Kingsley Manor reflected in his eyes. The distant laughter from Willow Creek Estate made him feel an icy loneliness settle in his chest.

Evelyn Carter, as Sebastian Kingsley's girlfriend, was clearly adored by the Kingsley family.

Nathan had initially assumed the Kingsley family dynamics would be complicated.

Harrison Kingsley had three mistresses in addition to his legal wife. Though they weren't officially married to him, they were treated as his spouses and had already borne his children.

Nathan had thought these women would be a major obstacle for Evelyn if she ever intended to marry Sebastian.

He had hoped the tension would push Evelyn to her limits, forcing her to walk away.

But to his surprise, Evelyn fit seamlessly into the Kingsley household. Even from this distance, he could hear their laughter—bright and unrestrained.

It was obvious how much they cherished her.

Nathan's face paled, bitterness twisting inside him. His chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.

"Got a cigarette?" he muttered.

——

"Harrison! I'm home!" Evelyn's voice rang through the grand living room the moment she stepped inside.

"What took you so long? I'm starving!"

Harrison sighed dramatically as he approached, flanked by Dominic.

"Oh my, look at you, all dressed up!" Evelyn teased, eyeing her father's impeccable attire. "Trying to outshine your own sons?"

Harrison wore a tailored three-piece suit, a crisp white shirt, and a gold pocket watch. Despite his age, he carried himself with the effortless elegance of a silver-screen tycoon.

"Outshine them?" He smirked. "I don't even need to try."

He adjusted his cuffs with a flourish. "I could wear a potato sack and still look like a leading man. Back in my prime, my face was on every calendar in the country. Women worshipped me."

"Ahem." Dominic cleared his throat. "Dad, 'worshipped' is a bit... funereal. People usually reserve that for the deceased."

"You little—!" Harrison shot him a glare. "No one would've noticed if you hadn't pointed it out!"

The unspoken response from everyone else: Oh, we noticed.

"You didn’t call Cassandra, Raymond, and Arabella back, did you?" Evelyn asked, concerned.

"Wouldn’t dare disobey your orders," Lillian Hartwell said with a knowing smile. "Don’t worry, I kept my mouth shut."

"Hmph! So you're the reason those little troublemakers didn’t come home. I was wondering why they were so heartless. Turns out they didn’t even know you were back."

Harrison sighed dramatically. "We should’ve had a proper family reunion tonight."

"Cassandra’s in Serenia—why drag her all the way back for one meal? Raymond’s buried in police work, and Arabella has exams. She can’t just skip school. Stop making a fuss! Isn’t it enough that we’re here?" Evelyn scolded.

"And Maxwell?" Harrison’s temper flared. "That boy does nothing but gallivant around. Crestview is two hours away. Is he dead?!"

"Maxwell is—"

Before Evelyn could finish, a smooth, amused voice cut in from behind her.

"I was waiting for you to yell at me. How else was I supposed to make my grand entrance?"

Everyone turned to see Maxwell Kingsley strolling in, hands tucked into the pockets of his black windbreaker. His smirk was pure mischief as he shook his head.

"Sorry to disappoint, Chairman Kingsley, but I’m alive and kicking."

The moment Maxwell appeared, Lillian and Sophia subtly retreated, their smiles fading. They knew better than to draw his attention—Maxwell despised them, and they weren’t eager to test his patience.

Evelyn exhaled in relief.

Of course he’d show up at the last possible second. He avoided this house like the plague.

"Where’s the food?" Maxwell asked, scanning the room. "You called me back for dinner, right? Let’s eat fast—I’ve got places to be."

His gaze flicked to Evelyn.

The unspoken message: I kept my end of the deal. Now you keep yours.

Evelyn blinked innocently and looked away, pretending not to understand.

The temperature in the room dropped.

Harrison’s jaw clenched as he stormed toward Maxwell.

"Send me a recent photo of yourself."

"What?"

"In case you drop dead one day, I’ll need something for your memorial. Now."