Chapter 403

The dim glow of the chandelier cast long shadows across the study as Evelyn sat across from Theodore Goldmann. The air was thick with tension, the weight of unspoken history pressing down on them.

"I had dinner with Sir Harrison that evening," Evelyn began, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions inside her. "He told me it was your father who severed his leg and murdered his father. I need to know—is it true?"

If Theodore confirmed it, then where did that leave the decades-old feud between the de Armas and the Goldmanns? Who was right? Who was wrong?

To her surprise, Theodore’s expression darkened, his lips curling in disdain. "That old fool actually told you that?"

Evelyn didn’t deny it.

Theodore scoffed, his face hardening. "Harrison has a talent for twisting the truth, doesn’t he? My father did use him as leverage against the de Armas back then, but he never laid a finger on him. As for how he lost his leg—that had nothing to do with the Goldmanns."

Evelyn blinked. "So… it’s false?"

Theodore’s jaw tightened. "Absolute nonsense. My father despised the royals’ hypocrisy, but he would never harm a child. Harrison’s lies are on another level entirely."

Evelyn fell silent, her mind racing.

Her maternal grandfather had insisted it was Philip Goldmann’s doing, yet Theodore denied it. The feud between their families was far more complicated than she’d realized—filled with gaps and contradictions that needed unraveling.

"What else did that snake say?" Theodore demanded, his voice sharp. "Did he ask you to hurt Nathan?"

Evelyn shook her head, a faint smile touching her lips. "No."

She hesitated before adding, "He wouldn’t use me against Nathan."

Theodore stiffened, his expression flickering with something akin to guilt. He remembered how easily he’d once turned against Evelyn, swayed by Rosalind’s poisonous words. The memory stung.

At Goldmann Holdings, Oliver Lawson stared at Nathan in disbelief.

"You want me to book a flight to Stoslo?"

Nathan closed the file in his hands, his gaze unreadable. "Is there a problem?"

Oliver hesitated. "Sir, you know your father has always forbidden you from going there."

Nathan’s eyes darkened. "I need answers about my mother’s death. I have to know if those people were involved."

Oliver paled. "But… that was fifteen years ago. Why now?"

A cold smirk curled Nathan’s lips. "Rosalind might be connected to them. Whether it’s a trap or not, I’ll find out when I get there."

Late that night, at Blue Bay Villa…

Steam curled through the bathroom, the mirror fogged from the heat. The reflection in the glass was hazy, but the intensity between them was unmistakable.

Nathan carried Evelyn back to the bed, her body still humming from their earlier passion. The moment her skin touched the cool sheets, she yanked the blanket up, wrapping herself tightly like a cocoon.

What’s gotten into him tonight? she wondered, heart pounding. Is he trying to devour me whole?

Before she could overthink it, his arms encircled her, pulling her close.

A deep, velvety voice murmured above her. "Zoe, I’ll be away for a few days."

Evelyn twisted to look at him. "Away?"

Nathan sat up, reaching for the bedside lamp. The soft glow illuminated his sharp features, casting half his face in shadow. "Are you saying you’ll miss me?"

Evelyn, bathed in the warm light, met his gaze. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair a wild tangle against the pillow. There was something unspoken in her eyes—something dangerously close to affection.

His voice dropped lower. "If you keep looking at me like that, I won’t hesitate to—"

She surged forward, pinning him beneath her before he could finish. "How long will you be gone?"

Nathan chuckled, the sound rich and warm. "Just a few days."