Chapter 221

Evelyn's long lashes fluttered as goosebumps rose on her porcelain skin.

"How did you know I wear size six shoes?" she demanded.

Nathan maintained his composed demeanor. "Just a lucky guess. Your feet look exceptionally petite."

Her toes curled instinctively in her house slippers. "Men are such perverts," she scoffed.

Nathan remained silent.

He couldn't possibly admit the truth.

The real reason he knew Evelyn's shoe size was because he'd meticulously examined every trace she'd left behind at Cliffside Manor, treating each discovery like buried treasure.

Through this secret investigation, he'd learned she hoarded snacks like a squirrel preparing for winter, with chocolate making up eighty percent of her stash.

Her signature perfume was Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin. He'd once thought its bold fragrance didn't suit her delicate nature. Now he realized how wrong he'd been - this intense, romantic scent might as well have been created exclusively for her.

The size six shoes revelation came from the neatly arranged white sneakers she'd left on the shoe rack, positioned as if awaiting her imminent return.

That day when she'd accused him of never understanding her had cut deep.

This was his way of rediscovering her.

The two-hour drive passed in near silence.

When the Ferrari pulled into Cliffside Manor's courtyard, Nathan unbuckled first and leaned toward Evelyn.

She anticipated his move, blocking him with her arm. "I can manage my own seatbelt."

But Nathan exploited her momentary hesitation, his arm brushing her flat stomach as he swiftly released the buckle.

"You're welcome," he murmured.

Evelyn narrowed her striking eyes. His speed was inhuman! She'd heard from Maxwell that while most cadets took ten seconds to assemble a pistol, Nathan could do it in eight.

This explained how he kept outmaneuvering her.

Their arrival sent shockwaves through the staff.

"Oh my God! Is that Ms. Carter with Mr. Blackwood?"

"She's even more stunning than I remembered! How could he let her go?"

"What do we call her now? Ms. Carter or...?"

"Definitely Ms. Carter. If Victoria hears us using 'Madam' for anyone else..."

"You're right. That woman's jealousy knows no bounds. Nothing like Ms. Carter's kindness."

The whispers reached Nathan's ears. He glanced at Evelyn, whose indifferent expression only deepened his discomfort.

"Where are my belongings?" she asked coolly.

"Exactly where you left them."

"You knew I was coming today. Why wasn't everything prepared?" She frowned.

"I wouldn't dare touch your treasures," Nathan said pointedly.

Men truly were fools, he reflected. When Evelyn had been his devoted wife, he'd taken her for granted. Now that she pushed him away, he found himself obsessed with understanding her.

Avoiding his gaze, Evelyn asked, "Should I retrieve them myself, or will you have someone pack them?"

His phone interrupted with an urgent call. "I need to take this. I'll be right back."

"Whatever."

As Nathan hurried off, Evelyn exhaled, releasing the tension that had built during their journey.

The irony wasn't lost on her - as his wife, she'd schemed for moments alone with him, only to be ignored. Now this same man had personally driven to Fairhaven to fetch her, purchased her favorite heels, and performed small intimacies like fastening her seatbelt - all the attentions she'd once begged for.