Chapter 466

"Nathan, you—" Lucas Laurent lunged forward, fists clenched, but Sophia Hill held him back with surprising strength.

He couldn't just shove her aside.

Lucas rarely lost his temper - violence wasn't in his nature unless provoked beyond reason. But Nathan had crossed every line imaginable.

"That's enough."

Evelyn Vanderbilt stood motionless as marble, her expression unreadable. Her fingers curled into fists, turning bone-white with tension.

Her red-rimmed eyes locked onto Nathan's profile, but he refused to meet her gaze. Couldn't bear to.

"Nathan," her voice trembled, "what will you do if I refuse to sign those divorce papers?" She'd swallowed her pride, offering one last olive branch. Retreating, but not surrendering. She wouldn't leave, even if he dragged her out by her hair.

How could she believe the man who'd taken bullets for her in Stoslo had stopped loving her? That he'd grown tired of their marriage?

"Evelyn, are you deaf? Divorcing this bastard is your best option." Lucas ground his teeth so hard his jaw ached.

Since discovering their familial connection, he'd treated Evelyn like a sister. When she'd chosen Nathan, he'd respected her decision - never badmouthed the Goldmanns, never interfered. But this? This was unforgivable.

If Nathan couldn't appreciate her worth, the Laurents and Harrisons certainly would.

Sophia nodded vehemently. "Zoe, if he wants out, let him go. The world's full of better men!"

They'd both seen Nathan's true colors today.

Tired of her? Planning to pass her off to another man post-divorce? What kind of monster said such things?

In hindsight, she should've set Zoe up with her cousin ages ago.

This broken version of Evelyn was unrecognizable. Love might be blind, but this was self-destruction. And they couldn't let it continue.

But they didn't understand what Evelyn and Nathan had survived together. A bitter smile twisted her lips. "I wish I could be as ruthless as him...but I need to know—"

Her entire body trembled as she faced him. "Nathan, do our promises still mean anything?"

He'd sworn death alone could part them.

Vowed she'd be his only bride.

Promised a wedding that would make Bassburgh's elite weep with envy.

In return, she'd pledged eternal loyalty. Were those just pretty lies now?

Nathan's lips pressed into a bloodless line. She searched his eyes desperately for any flicker of hesitation—found none.

His jaw clenched as those obsidian eyes traced her delicate yet resilient features. "We'll settle this in court then. You know my win record. Evelyn...don't make this harder than it has to be."

Each word shattered her heart anew. No attempt to reconcile. Just cold legal threats to end what they'd built.

"Nathan...is this truly what you want?"

Was their love so disposable?

Silence. Nathan wrenched his car door open, pausing with one foot inside. "Time's up for second chances." The door slammed like a judge's gavel.