Chapter 40

Nathan Blackwood had graduated from West Point and served three years as an elite special forces operative. Even after leaving the military to take over Blackwood Industries, he maintained peak physical condition.

Dominic Kingsley's punch barely made Nathan stagger, leaving only a faint bruise at the corner of his lips.

Damn love rival! Julian Montgomery cursed internally but kept his expression neutral.

He remembered Evelyn's warning - he was the interloper in their relationship and shouldn't overstep.

Dominic swung again, but Nathan dodged effortlessly.

"Nathan Blackwood! I warned you to stay away from Evelyn!" Dominic's voice shook with rage. "You heartless bastard!"

His chest heaved violently, eyes bloodshot. "If anything happens to Evelyn, I'll make you pay! Your company won't survive this!"

"Mr. Kingsley, you're overreacting," Julian interjected nervously. "It's just a minor dislocation-"

"Just a dislocation?!" Dominic's lips twisted in fury.

"You treat women like disposable toys! How could you possibly understand?" His voice cracked. "Evelyn means everything to me. I'll protect her with my life. Stay the hell away from her!"

Every word carried deadly sincerity.

Evelyn was his priority - even above his own wife.

Nathan's eyelashes fluttered. Such raw, unfiltered devotion. He'd never dared express love so boldly.

Since leaving Nathan, Evelyn had blossomed into someone extraordinary. Both Sebastian Kingsley and Julian Montgomery now pursued her relentlessly.

A bitter taste filled Nathan's mouth.

He felt like a fool who'd discarded a priceless gem, only to watch others covet it. And now he wanted it back.

"Mark my words, Blackwood. I'll sue you into oblivion!" Dominic jabbed a finger at Nathan's impassive face, already planning to send Maxwell after him.

"By all means," Nathan replied coolly. "Though I should clarify - our divorce isn't finalized. Legally, Evelyn remains my wife and a Blackwood."

Julian nearly choked. This man knew exactly where to strike.

Dominic trembled with suppressed violence, too refined to actually spit.

"Mr. Kingsley."

A soft, crystalline voice cut through the tension. All three men turned.

Evelyn stood framed in the doorway, her left arm encased in plaster. Pale but composed, she looked heartbreakingly fragile - a porcelain doll abandoned in the empty hospital corridor.

Nathan's throat tightened.

The fluorescent lights haloed her delicate features, her luminous eyes shining with quiet strength. All three men felt the instinctive urge to shield her.

A fragmented memory surfaced - Evelyn laughing in sunlight, her hair like spun gold. Then it vanished, leaving only a sharp pain behind his temples.

"Evelyn!" Dominic rushed to her side, eyes rimmed red. "Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore." She smiled gently at her brother, the warmth in her expression transforming her entire face. "Let's go home."

The sight inexplicably irritated Nathan.

Dominic slipped a protective arm around Evelyn's slender waist, guiding her away without so much as a backward glance.

Nathan moved to follow when Julian grabbed his arm.

"Enough, Nathan. You caused her injury. Don't you realize she called Sebastian here deliberately? She wants to see him, not you. Don't humiliate yourself further."

Watching Sebastian support Evelyn as they disappeared down the corridor, Nathan's fists clenched until his knuckles whitened.

Dominic summoned Theodore Winslow, who arrived bewildered.

"Ms. Carter! What happened? Who did this to you?"

"That bastard Nathan Blackwood!" Evelyn hissed through gritted teeth.