Chapter 463

Sophia didn't want to be left alone in the bar. As she reached for her clutch, her gaze fell upon Evelyn's phone abandoned on the leather couch.

"Honestly, how could she—"

The screen illuminated when she picked it up, revealing an unread text notification. Her breath hitched as the message content registered.

Lucas noticed her frozen stance. "Is that Zoe's phone?"

Without answering, Sophia snatched her bag and bolted toward the exit.

"Lucas, what's going on?" Damian asked, exchanging confused glances with their companions.

Lucas exhaled sharply and stood. "Keep drinking. I'll handle this."

He caught up with Sophia just outside the bar, gripping her elbow gently. "Call Adrian. Ask his location—I'll drive you there."

Sophia remained shell-shocked.

When she didn't respond, Lucas leaned closer—only for her to suddenly meet his gaze with haunted eyes. "Nathan wants to divorce Zoe."

The neon fountain cast rippling colors across Evelyn's solitary figure on the park bench. Adrian approached through the mist, his shadow stretching long across the damp pavement.

"Do you realize how late it is?" His voice carried equal parts concern and exasperation. "Wandering alone at night—do you want to give Nathan a heart attack?"

"Would he even care?" Evelyn's bitter laugh dissolved into the night. When she lifted her face, the artificial glow highlighted her hollow smile. "I suppose you've heard? The divorce papers are already drafted."

Adrian's mask concealed his momentary shock. "He's serious?"

"Full custody of the children. Fifty percent of CKGold shares." Her fingers twisted the hem of her jacket. "How very generous of him, don't you think?"

The unspoken words hung between them—generous to everyone except her heart.

Adrian studied her profile before speaking carefully. "Do you understand what half of CKGold represents?"

Her silence prompted him to continue. "Even combined with other major shareholders, that stake makes you the company's largest individual owner." He exhaled sharply. "He's handing you the entire empire. Just not as his wife."

Evelyn's breath caught. Nathan surrendering CKGold? The man who'd built it from scratch? It made no sense.

Adrian settled beside her, the bench creaking under his weight. Despite the baseball cap and nondescript hoodie, his aristocratic bearing remained unmistakable. Where Nathan radiated the dangerous allure of aged whiskey, Adrian possessed the layered complexity of rare tea—each encounter revealing deeper facets.

"We grew up together," he murmured, staring at the fountain's dancing waters. "I used to envy him terribly."

"Envy?" The unexpected confession snapped Evelyn from her thoughts.

Adrian's gloved fingers brushed hers briefly. "The way he loved you. Like a man who'd found his compass after years adrift." His voice dropped. "Men like Nathan don't give away their life's work unless they're protecting something more precious."

The fountain's spray turned to diamonds in the moonlight as Evelyn's vision blurred. Protection? Or permanent farewell?

The golden sunlight streamed through the towering windows of the Vanderbilt estate, casting long shadows across the marble floors.

Evelyn stood by the grand piano, her fingers tracing the polished keys absently.

"Adrian Boucher was born with everything," Vivian remarked from the velvet chaise, swirling her wine glass. "A name that commands respect, generations of influence—what more could one ask for?"

Evelyn didn't respond immediately.

She knew better than to engage in Vivian's games.

But the truth lingered in the air, unspoken yet undeniable.

Adrian Boucher wasn't just privileged—he was untouchable.

His family's legacy stretched back centuries, their power woven into the very fabric of high society.

Yet, beneath the glittering surface, Evelyn sensed something darker.

A shadow that even Adrian couldn't escape.

Vivian smirked, taking a slow sip. "People would kill for his life."

Evelyn finally met her stepsister's gaze.

"Or die trying," she murmured.

The words hung between them, heavy with unspoken meaning.

Outside, the wind picked up, rattling the windows like a warning.