Chapter 85

Evelyn Carter lifted her tear-filled almond eyes to gaze at the striking man before her.

The man took long strides forward before dropping to one knee. His chiseled features tilted upward with undisguised adoration.

"Rumor has it you're trying to disown me." His lips curved into that familiar roguish smile that always made her heart flutter.

"Maxwell..." Evelyn's rosebud lips trembled as she whispered his name.

"Thank God you still remember what to call me." His shoulders visibly relaxed with relief.

Maxwell Kingsley, the fourth son of Harrison Kingsley, was known for his brooding intensity. Yet whenever Evelyn was near, his obsidian eyes would sparkle with rare warmth.

In one fluid motion, he wrapped an arm around her slender waist while fishing something from his trench coat pocket. With practiced ease, he tore open a chocolate wrapper with his teeth and offered it to her.

"Ankora's finest - your favorite."

"Max!"

Evelyn buried her face against his broad chest as emotions overwhelmed her. Hot tears soaked through his crisp cotton shirt.

The floodgates opened for countless reasons - the bittersweet reunion with her long-absent brother, guilt over breaking Reginald's bracelet, seething hatred toward Victoria Sterling, and frustration at being unable to recreate the jade bracelet.

But mostly, she wept for the gaping wound Nathan Blackwood had left in her heart.

"Little star, are those tears?" Maxwell's voice held rare concern as he gently massaged the nape of her neck.

"No." She stubbornly shook her head.

"My shirt's drenched and you're still denying it?"

"I said no!"

Her voice cracked despite her defiance. Evelyn had always been fiercely proud - in their entire childhood, Maxwell could count her tears on one hand.

Understanding her pride, he simply held her closer, murmuring soothing words while his own heart ached. Silently he vowed: I'm back now, Evelyn. And that bastard Nathan will pay.

Outside the doorway, Sebastian and Dominic Kingsley stood shoulder-to-shoulder, watching the tender scene.

Dominic ground his teeth in frustration. "That damn rogue always swoops in at the last minute! Why doesn't she ever cry like that for me? Shows up once every blue moon and steals her affection. Who does he think he is?"

The helicopter landing had wreaked havoc on Celestial Atelier's manicured gardens - shattered tiles and uprooted shrubs littered the once-pristine grounds.

Sebastian sighed, adjusting his cufflinks. "I'll inform Maxwell that landscaping repairs will be deducted from his trust fund."

Exhausted from working through the night, Evelyn had finally perfected the bracelet before collapsing atop a pile of gemstones in slumber.

Walter Grayson had prepared a luxurious suite. Under Dominic's watchful glare, Maxwell carefully carried his sister's limp form to bed.

After tucking her in and pressing a kiss to her forehead, he exited with quiet satisfaction, closing the door behind him.

"Real generous of you - globe-trotting secret agent and all you bring our sister is a damn chocolate bar? Cheapskate." Dominic crossed his arms with a derisive snort.

"Stop making assumptions, Dom." Maxwell shot him an unimpressed look.

"You better show some respect!"

"Not happening."

"Asshole!"

Enraged, Dominic aimed a powerful kick at his brother.

But a top-tier operative like Maxwell dodged effortlessly, leaving Dominic stumbling awkwardly, nearly splitting his tailored trousers in the process. The humiliated prosecutor barely caught himself on a console table.