Chapter 470

The sharp scent of antiseptic stung Evelyn's nostrils as she blinked awake. Sterile white tiles stretched above her, reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights.

"Zoe, you're finally awake!" Sophia rushed to her bedside, relief washing over her features.

Richard and Chloe stood nearby. After collapsing, Richard had received word from Chloe about Evelyn's hospitalization and immediately rushed over. "The doctor said you need complete bed rest," Richard said gently, smoothing her blanket. "The stress nearly caused you to lose the baby."

Evelyn's breath hitched. Her fingers trembled as they brushed her still-flat abdomen, guilt twisting in her chest. In a hoarse whisper, she asked, "Who...who brought me here?"

Flashes of a dark silhouette surfaced in her foggy memory. Sophia exchanged a glance with Chloe before answering carefully. "It was Nathan. His assistant called him away for an urgent matter."

Evelyn's lips pressed into a thin line, her lashes fluttering rapidly.

Chloe moved to adjust her pillows when she saw Evelyn struggling to sit up. Only after Nathan's call had she learned the shocking truth - Evelyn was carrying his child.

After a prolonged silence, Evelyn spoke with eerie calm. "Please...I need to be alone."

Chloe hesitated, but Sophia squeezed her shoulder. "Of course. We'll check on you later." Richard nodded in agreement, casting one last worried glance before following them out.

Left alone, Evelyn leaned against the cold headboard, staring blankly at the rain-streaked window. Her eyes held the emptiness of a battlefield after the war.

Meanwhile, at the Goldmann estate...

"Pregnant? Ms. Vanderbilt is pregnant?" Oliver nearly dropped his phone upon hearing Chloe's news. His gaze darted toward the closed bedroom door where Nathan lay unconscious. This complicated everything.

Theodore stormed in, his cane tapping impatiently. "What now?"

Oliver debated withholding the information but ultimately confessed, "It's Chloe. She just called—"

"That girl with Evelyn?" Theodore interrupted with a scoff. "Unless someone's dying, it can wait." Compared to his grandson's condition, a fainting spell meant nothing.

As Theodore marched toward Nathan's room, Oliver blurted, "Sir, about the divorce papers—"

"What about them?" Theodore whirled around, eyes blazing. "The announcement's already made. Do you want this farce to continue indefinitely?" His voice turned glacial. "If Nathan won't end it, I will."

Oliver swallowed his protest. He understood Nathan's cruel strategy - pushing Evelyn to leave voluntarily rather than through legal force.

Theodore's phone rang abruptly - undoubtedly Nichs calling about the scandalous headlines.

Three days later...

Evelyn stood by the hospital window, watching pedestrians navigate the freshly washed sidewalks. The post-storm air carried the earthy fragrance of damp soil and new grass.

Chloe entered with a food tray, gasping when she saw Evelyn upright. "You shouldn't be out of bed!"

"Just stretching my legs," Evelyn murmured without turning.

Then, the question Chloe had been dreading: "When can I leave?"

After three days of confinement, Evelyn's patience wore thin. Worse, she'd forbidden Richard and Chloe from telling the children about her hospitalization, terrified they'd see her weakness.