Chapter 31
Agnes Thornton had warned Ms. Sterling explicitly when she entered Nathan's room. "Don't touch that box on the nightstand," she'd said, casting a meaningful glance at Evelyn Carter, whose face darkened immediately.
The senior housekeeper deliberately addressed Evelyn as "Young Madam" in Victoria Sterling's presence, knowing it would provoke the jealous woman into revealing her actions.
"I threw that damned box away!" Victoria exploded, unable to contain her fury any longer.
Nathan Blackwood's expression turned thunderous. "Where?"
"Why do you care so much about Evelyn's gift?" Victoria's voice cracked with emotion. "We're engaged now! Shouldn't my feelings matter more than some trash from your ex-wife?"
Tears welled up in her eyes - a skill perfected under her mother's tutelage. But Nathan remained unmoved.
"I asked where you threw it." His voice could have frozen hell.
Victoria's fake tears stopped mid-stream. "The... the dumpster in the back."
Without hesitation, Nathan strode into the pouring rain. He rolled up the sleeves of his tailored shirt and began digging through the overflowing trash bin with bare hands.
"Nathan! Stop this madness!" Victoria shrieked from the covered walkway. "It's disgusting!"
Disgusting?
No one in the Blackwood family knew about the five-year-old boy who'd scavenged through garbage to survive. The illegitimate child who'd followed his mother through back alleys, collecting scraps to sell for their next meal.
Filth was his childhood companion. He had no reason to fear it now.
When his fingers finally closed around the sodden box, Nathan exhaled sharply. Agnes arrived with an umbrella just as he pried open the damaged container.
His breath hitched.
The meticulously pressed suit inside had been reduced to ribbons. Someone had taken scissors to every inch of fabric, leaving nothing but shredded memories.
Nathan turned slowly toward Victoria.
She stumbled backward, chilled by the glacial fury in his gaze. For a terrifying moment, she thought he might strike her.
Instead, he walked past without a word.
"Nathan!" Victoria lunged, wrapping her arms around him desperately. "Do you still love her? Is that why you're punishing me?"
"No." The word came out strangled.
"Then why?" She tightened her grip. "It's just some stupid handmade suit! Why does it matter more than my feelings? Every time I see her things, I remember the three years you were married! Doesn't that hurt me too?"
Nathan peeled her arms away with deliberate calm. "What exactly do you want from me?"
He inhaled deeply before continuing. "I divorced her. I'm marrying you against Grandfather's wishes. Yet you destroy her belongings, leak false stories to the press, paint her as the other woman... She's gone, Victoria. When will it be enough?"
Victoria froze as if doused in ice water. He knew everything.
"I did it because I love you!" she cried.
Nathan's expression hardened. "Next time you have a problem, come to me directly. I'll help - so long as it doesn't harm others. But don't disguise your schemes as affection. I particularly dislike being manipulated." His gaze turned piercing. "You announced our engagement to save your father's company. I'll let it slide this once. Don't test me again."
As Nathan walked away, Victoria clenched her fists until her nails drew blood. She'd make Evelyn pay for this humiliation.
Meanwhile, across town...
Evelyn Carter lounged by floor-to-ceiling windows, watching rain patter against the glass. A vintage opera record spun lazily on the turntable.
Theodore Winslow swirled his wine thoughtfully. "Ms. Carter, the waitress just called. Nathan intercepted her after her shift tonight. He knows she's just a lookalike now."
Setting down his glass, Theodore knelt to massage Evelyn's aching feet - a habitual kindness after her long days in heels.
"I expected he'd find out," Evelyn mused, flexing her toes appreciatively. "Just not this soon."
Her eyes gleamed with calculation. "First the Sterlings. Then the Blackwoods. After Grandfather Reginald's little performance today, how could I possibly ignore his challenge?"