Chapter 162

The storm raged with violent intensity.

Fierce winds howled through the trees as torrential rain pounded the earth. Jagged streaks of violet lightning split the sky.

Nathan Blackwood remained motionless beneath the swaying branches, his silhouette barely visible through the downpour.

To make matters worse, his phone kept ringing insistently. Was the man actively trying to get electrocuted?

"Nathan, I'm not coming out! Stop calling and go home!" Evelyn Carter's voice trembled with barely contained fury, her eyes burning crimson.

"I'm not leaving until I see you." Nathan's deep baritone cut through the storm, unwavering in its resolve.

That absolute madman!

Cursing under her breath, Evelyn stormed toward the staircase, ignoring Theodore Winslow's concerned calls.

Nathan tightened his grip on his phone, his brow furrowing as he maintained his vigil.

His piercing gaze remained fixed on Cliffside Manor's grand entrance, unblinking despite the stinging rain.

Then - movement.

The heavy oak doors swung open.

Nathan's dark eyes ignited with sudden intensity, his breathing growing ragged.

Evelyn emerged wearing only a thin jacket, struggling against the gale with a massive black umbrella.

Her raven hair whipped wildly about her face as the wind threatened to knock her off balance. She looked like a delicate flower about to be torn from its roots.

Yet her expression remained glacial, her posture radiating aristocratic defiance despite the tempest.

Something about those brilliant eyes - like twin stars blazing through the darkness - struck Nathan as hauntingly familiar.

Before he could process the thought, Evelyn was upon him, her beautiful face set in lines of cold fury.

As the cherished heiress of Monarch Group, daughter to Fairhaven's wealthiest magnate with four overprotective brothers, Evelyn Carter had always held the reins in every relationship. Yet here she stood, emotionally manipulated by this infuriating man.

"Nathan Blackwood, have you completely lost your mind? Are you actively trying to get struck by lightning?" Her voice dripped with venom, her fingers itching to claw out his throat.

A faint smirk touched Nathan's lips as he rasped, "Do you actually care what happens to me?"

"Care about you?" Evelyn let out a bitter laugh. "Don't flatter yourself. I only came out to tell you to go die somewhere else. Don't you dare tarnish my doorstep with your corpse."

Her words were daggers aimed straight for his heart.

Paradoxically, Nathan found this fiery version of Evelyn far more captivating than the obedient puppet she'd once been.

Attraction often begins with intrigue.

"Let's continue this in the car." His gaze dropped to her rain-soaked blouse clinging to her curves.

"No." Evelyn's refusal was absolute. "Say what you came to say and leave. Now!"

"Get in the car." Nathan's stubbornness matched hers as he took a threatening step forward.

At that precise moment, a searing bolt of lightning struck the ancient oak beside them.

With an earsplitting crack, a massive branch came crashing down.

Deafened by the storm and blinded by rage, Evelyn remained oblivious to the danger.

"Nathan--!"

Her protest died as she found herself suddenly engulfed in his powerful embrace.

Nathan moved with preternatural speed, twisting his body to shield hers as the falling timber struck his back with a sickening thud.