Chapter 356

"That's between Evelyn and me. It's nobody else's business." Nathan's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "She's moved on with her life, so stop dragging up our past."

Isabelle's pulse hammered violently in her throat, bitter resentment coiling in her chest. The unspoken message in Nathan's words was crystal clear - he was protecting Evelyn's privacy. Defending her.

"Isabella Laurent has left. If you're not up to performing tonight, I can have Oliver arrange your ride home immediately."

Nathan didn't even glance at Isabelle's ashen face before withdrawing his arm and striding away. Oliver shot her a disdainful look, clicking his tongue. He couldn't reconcile this sharp-tongued girl with Julian's refined sister. She was practically begging for trouble.

"Nathan! Nathan Blackwood!"

He didn't pause until she shouted his full name, the syllables cracking with emotion.

"Are you still in love with her? Is that why you keep defending Evelyn?" Her voice trembled with barely contained fury.

"No, I don't love her." The denial came too fast, as if even a second's hesitation might betray some hidden truth.

"Then why take her side? She never loved you! She played you, stole from you, then sabotaged your banquet!" Isabelle's pitch rose hysterically. "She's toxic! Everything she touches turns to ruin. Why protect her?"

Unlike Rosalind, Isabelle had never learned to mask her emotions. The pampered Montgomery heiress always got what she wanted. This rejection was foreign, unbearable.

The harder she chased Nathan, the further he retreated. When he finally turned, his gaze was glacial.

"You've never been married. You wouldn't understand the respect between spouses. Evelyn was my wife - showing her mercy is my prerogative." Each word struck like an arrow.

"Even if I don't love her, she was mine. I'm the only one who gets to criticize her."

Outside, rain began pelting the pavement. Eleanor slipped out of Cliffside Manor, clutching a stuffed bear to her chest. The downpour soaked her cotton dress within minutes, yet the toy remained pristine.

Trembling with social anxiety, Eleanor couldn't approach the hotel's grand entrance. She crept through the service door, dodging elegantly dressed guests as she scurried down back corridors.

"Halt!" The command froze Eleanor mid-step. Despite being Leonard Blackwood's daughter, she felt like a criminal under the guards' scrutiny.

"No solicitors tonight. Get lost!" one sneered, eyeing her damp, disheveled appearance.

"Please...I just want to see Isabella Laurent. One minute, that's all!" Eleanor begged.

"Invitation only. Scram!" The guard moved to shove her.

"Look at this dumpster diver thinking she belongs here!" his partner mocked.

But Eleanor's admiration for Isabella bordered on obsession. Gritting her teeth, she hugged the bear tighter, took three steps back, and charged.

The guard easily caught her slight frame, flinging both girl and toy aside. Eleanor squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact—only to land in strong, familiar arms.