Chapter 476

Gasp!

A strong hand clamped around Evelyn's wrist, dragging her into the shadows.

She collided with a solid chest. The man's ragged breathing stirred the hair at her crown, his touch igniting trails of fire across her skin.

That prolonged embrace felt foreign yet achingly familiar.

Nathan.

His arm remained locked around her waist, protective against the precarious height of her stilettos.

The grip spoke volumes - desperate to shield her, terrified she might vanish again.

"Nathan! How did you—" Evelyn struggled, her cheeks flaming with fury.

"Julian mentioned the security here was impenetrable." Nathan's voice emerged rough and strained. His military training made breaching hotel defenses child's play.

After assuming leadership of Blackwood Industries, his combat skills had gathered dust in corporate boardrooms.

Yet seeing Evelyn required more tactical maneuvering than any special ops mission.

"Skulking around like a common thief?" She ground her teeth, attempting to stomp on his foot.

Nathan pivoted, pinning her against the wall. Their gazes collided, electricity crackling between them.

Now that he'd captured this stolen moment, Nathan drank in every detail of her face.

"Stop staring, you bastard!" Evelyn hissed, her ears burning crimson.

"You've gained weight." His gaze lingered on her softened cheekbones, the sharp angles now gently rounded.

Evelyn's jaw dropped at the audacity.

"Angry? There's nothing wrong with filling out. You were practically skeletal before." Nathan's tone carried genuine concern beneath the teasing. "You should eat more."

A resounding slap echoed through the hallway.

Nathan caught her wrist, the stinging imprint on his cheek a scarlet brand. "Is this how you repay favors, Evelyn? I don't expect gratitude, but must you assault me every time we meet?"

"Gratitude? For what? Restraining Vivian Prescott to testify against Cassandra?" Evelyn's chest heaved with bitter laughter. "You're the one who should thank me, Nathan. Without my cooperation, you'd have lost this game long ago."

"Nathan!"

His eyes darkened to crimson, raw emotion breaking through. "I just wanted to see you."

"And you're the last person I want to see!"

Evelyn twisted futilely against his hold. Outmatched against special forces training, she fumbled for her phone.

Nathan anticipated the move, effortlessly capturing her other wrist.