Chapter 251

The mourners had all departed as evening fell, leaving only a handful of people in the quiet house.

Isabella and Alexander were hungry. Gwendolyn took them out for dinner.

Dominic received an urgent call. After informing Evelyn, he rushed off.

Evelyn stayed behind to clean up.

The Sinclair family home was modest - just two bedrooms. She glanced around, the surroundings both familiar and strange.

After all, she'd only been brought here as a teenager.

Memories of her father surfaced, though they belonged to another place.

A time before Victoria and her daughter had moved in.

When Robert would visit Evelyn in that small town, he'd carry her on his shoulders, calling her "my precious darling."

She remembered being six years old with a raging fever, drifting in and out of consciousness.

Even the doctors had been helpless.

Through the haze, she'd seen her father kneeling before the physician, begging him to save his daughter.

That moment of helpless desperation had stayed with her.

Miraculously, her fever broke. Fate had granted her a second chance.

Evelyn always knew her father loved her.

She understood his temperament - loving but timid in showing it.

If he hadn't cared, he wouldn't have left her this house in his will.

Yet this very house had led to Robert's death at Victoria and Sophia's hands!

Suppressing her emotions, Evelyn gazed at her father's portrait again.

Her nose stung. "Father..." she whispered.

The front door creaked open. Maxwell had slipped inside, having changed clothes.

He seized Evelyn's wrist coldly. "You're coming with me today."

He'd avoided causing a scene at the funeral, but watching Evelyn with Dominic and the children had become unbearable.

Evelyn yanked her hand free. "Don't touch me. We're strangers now."

Pain flashed in Maxwell's eyes. "Must we pretend? Need I remind you we're legally married?"

Evelyn suddenly laughed.

Her beauty wasn't the flashy sort, but subtle - like a lotus bud on a quiet pond. Her laughter carried a unique gentleness.

Maxwell's eyes darkened with desire.

She'd always been a treasure. In youth, her beauty was fresh; now, it held mature allure. How could he let her go?

He'd lost her once five years ago.

Now that she was within reach again, he'd cling to her even if it meant bleeding.

"Our farce of a marriage ends soon," Evelyn stated calmly.

The air froze.

Maxwell's gaze turned stormy, his handsome face tightening. His lips pressed thin, barely containing his temper.

"Divorce? Dream on!" Maxwell pinned Evelyn against the table, his face inches from hers.

His determined eyes bored into her pale face. "Think Victor Langley can help you? Even God couldn't tear us apart if I refuse!"

Evelyn shoved at him. "Get out..."

Maxwell gripped her chin, bringing his lips closer. "I'd rather chain you to me forever than let you go. Only death parts us!"

Evelyn gasped, eyes filled with disdain. "You're insane, Maxwell Lockwood!"

That disdain broke something in him.

He chuckled darkly. "How lively you are now. I wonder... would you be as spirited beneath me in bed?"

SMACK!

Evelyn's palm connected with Maxwell's cheek.

Shock flashed across his face.

How dare she?

Veins bulged at his temples, his expression turning glacial.

He seized her chin again, his gaze promising retribution. "Who do you think you are? Used goods striking me?"

Spoiled since childhood, Maxwell always got what he wanted.

Even as an adult, he struck others - never the reverse. No one dared lay hands on him.

Yet this seemingly fragile woman had slapped him. The humiliation burned.

His hand rose to strike back, but meeting her defiant, tear-filled eyes, he lowered it. Instead, he crushed his lips to hers.

Like a ravenous beast, he showed no mercy.

"Stop... let go..." Evelyn struggled furiously.

But his strength overwhelmed her. She could evade his kisses, not his iron grip.

Robert's portrait silently witnessed his daughter's violation. Even the air seemed to sigh in despair...

In her struggles, Evelyn knocked over a porcelain vase holding chrysanthemums.

The shattering sound alerted Gwendolyn and the children returning downstairs.

Evelyn's lashes fluttered, her tear-filled eyes shining with humiliation.

Just as fresh tears fell, Alexander charged in.

Seeing his mother attacked, the boy lunged at Maxwell's leg and bit down hard!

Sharp teeth pierced flesh.

Blood instantly stained Maxwell's trousers...