Chapter 293

For a brief moment, Alexander thought he heard someone whisper "Lex." The sound jolted him back to reality as his confused gaze landed on Evelyn.

Her delicate brows were furrowed, those rosebud lips parting slightly as if speaking in her sleep.

"Why...?"

Evelyn's expression twisted further at the murmured question.

'Why?'

'Did she just say why?'

Studying the distress on Evelyn's sleeping face, Alexander leaned closer to catch her words.

"Why won't you believe—"

BANG!

Just as Alexander moved to press his ear nearer to Evelyn's lips, the hospital door crashed open.

The interruption came right before he could hear Evelyn's full sentence.

His sharp eyes darkened with irritation as he lifted his gaze, meeting the intruder with icy displeasure.

Eleanor stormed in, fury radiating from every pore. "How dare you sit here mooning over this woman while my daughter remains hospitalized because of you, Alexander Blackwood! And to think you'd kiss her too! What does that make Victoria?"

Kiss her?

Alexander's frosty stare could have frozen lava. Clearly Eleanor had seen him leaning toward Vivian and drawn the wrong conclusion.

With deliberate casualness, the proud Alexander met Eleanor's glare, his sensual lips curling. "Yes, I kissed her. Got a problem with that?"

Eleanor's face purpled. "How can you say such things, Alexander? Victoria—"

"Victoria and I are no longer engaged." Alexander's voice turned arctic, disgust flashing in his mesmerizing eyes. "How many times must I repeat this before it penetrates that thick skull of yours?"

"You—" Eleanor clutched her chest as rage threatened to choke her. "You heartless monster! Victoria devoted years to you. You were her entire world! And now you discard her for this Madeline Crawford lookalike witch? Have you no shame, Alexander?"

"Enough!" Alexander's roar silenced Eleanor mid-tirade.

His handsome features twisted with fury, eyes glinting like shards of ice. "I won't tolerate anyone insulting her again."

"Her?" Eleanor rolled her eyes dramatically at the sleeping Evelyn, assuming Alexander meant Vivian Prescott. "Hmph. The Lancasters will make you pay for hurting Victoria, Alexander. And this scheming witch won't escape justice either!"

With that final threat dripping with aristocratic menace, Eleanor stormed out.

Alexander remained unfazed. The Lancasters might be one of Willowbrook's elite families, but they were gnats compared to the Blackwoods.

Since when had threats ever worked on Alexander Blackwood? He feared no one.

His only terror? The memory of Evelyn's lifeless body in his arms, crimson staining her lips...

He'd wanted to hear more of Evelyn's sleep-talking, but the moment had passed after Eleanor's interruption.

After studying Evelyn's peaceful face a moment longer, Alexander turned and left.

Only when the door clicked shut did Evelyn dare open her eyes.

Eleanor's dramatic entrance had startled her awake.

Pretending to sleep, she'd absorbed every venomous word about both her past and present selves.

A bitter smile touched Evelyn's lips as unshed tears burned behind her eyelids.