Chapter 493

That same chilling gaze returned—the one that made no distinction between demon and mortal—as if Nathan had just stepped off the blood-soaked battlefields of Kridor.

Leonard's breath came in ragged gasps, his lips trembling uncontrollably.

The last time he'd seen that look was years ago, when young Nathan clung to his mother's lifeless body after her tragic fall. The boy had stared at his father with those very same hollow, devastated eyes.

Leonard despised that gaze. But more than anything, it terrified him.

And now, for the sake of Evelyn Carter—a mere woman—Nathan dared to defy his own flesh and blood?

Penelope and Cassandra had expected Nathan to humiliate himself. Instead, they stood frozen, barely daring to breathe.

Nathan exhaled sharply, his eyes fluttering shut. There was nothing left to say. He turned on his heel and strode toward the door.

"Nathan Blackwood!"

Leonard's voice cracked, raw with desperation. "You're choosing to protect Evelyn Carter over your own father? Have you forgotten your name? Your bloodline? Without my support, do you think you'd be sitting in that CEO chair at Blackwood Industries?"

The same tired threats. The same empty words.

Nathan felt nothing but exhaustion.

"You owe everything to me!" Leonard's voice rose to a scream. "Cross me, and I swear I'll strip you of your title! You'll be nothing!"

Even Penelope, his devoted wife, had never seen him unravel like this.

"Do what you must." Nathan paused at the threshold, his voice eerily calm. "If you can."

His next words were a blade, sharp and final. "For her, I'd wage war against the entire Blackwood dynasty."

The moment Nathan stepped into the hallway, his shoulders sagged. It was as if his soul had been hollowed out.

"Nathan."

A familiar voice made him stiffen. His vision blurred as Reginald materialized before him.

The old man hadn't changed into sleepwear. His crisp dress shirt suggested he had no intention of staying at Cliffside Manor tonight.

Ever since Margaret's passing and Leonard's remarriage to Penelope, Reginald considered Moonlight Cove his true home.

"Grandfather..." Nathan's voice broke.

"I heard everything."

Nathan knelt without hesitation, bringing himself level with the wheelchair.

Reginald's wrinkled hand landed on his shoulder. "It's disrespectful to speak to your father that way..." A sly grin tugged at his lips. "But this time, I agree with you!"

He gave Nathan's shoulder an approving squeeze. "That Lawrence Pembroke snake has no place in Blackwood Industries. Profit-hungry vultures don't belong in our family legacy."

The old man's eyes gleamed. "Don't worry, boy. I may be retired, but my vote still holds weight. If your father pushes this, I'll intervene."

"Grandfather, this is my responsibility as CEO. You should enjoy your retirement in peace."

"Nonsense! An old man needs excitement!" Reginald leaned closer, eyes twinkling. "Now, about what you said earlier... That you'd fallen for Evelyn. Was that true?"

Nathan's pulse roared in his ears.

After a weighted pause, he swallowed hard. "I spoke in anger. I didn't mean it."

Reginald snorted. "Stubborn boy."

As Nathan pushed the wheelchair down the corridor, the old man hid a knowing smile.

Foolish child.

The words that slip out in anger are often the truest of all.