Chapter 493

Evelyn gasped as Alexander's strong arms suddenly wrapped around her. She hadn't even seen him approach.

Sebastian's usually gentle face darkened with anger. "Release her, Alexander. Stop harassing my fiancée."

"You know exactly who I'm holding, Sebastian," Alexander countered, his grip tightening. "Legally, Evelyn remains my wife. Don't play the homewrecker."

Sebastian's expression turned stormy.

With a faint smirk, Alexander guided Evelyn toward his car by the waist. "Let's go, darling."

Evelyn hesitated, torn between resistance and awareness of the watching parents.

Remembering Ethan's proud introduction of them as his parents moments ago, she reluctantly followed.

Only when they'd left the school grounds did Evelyn speak. "Pull over."

Alexander complied, stopping along the tree-lined avenue.

Evelyn's gaze was icy. "I only got in this car for Ethan's sake. We're done, Alexander. I'm not your wife anymore."

His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel.

As she reached for the door handle, he turned sharply. "You are. You'll always be Evelyn Blackwood."

She scoffed. "Have you forgotten forcing my signature on those divorce papers three years ago? All so you could marry Victoria Lancaster, that scheming witch?"

Alexander winced at the memory of his cruelty.

His remorseful eyes met hers, yet she detected something else - relief?

"The papers were signed," he admitted quietly. "But the divorce was never finalized."

Evelyn froze. "What?"

"I told you then - I have no ex-wife. You're the only woman I've ever married."

Her breath caught.

"Legally, we're still husband and wife, Evelyn. Then, now, always."

Her composure shattered.

Clenching her fists, she stared at his satisfied expression in disbelief. "What game are you playing? You forced a divorce, then never completed it?"

The absurdity made her voice shake.

"Fine. If we're still married, let's fix that immediately!"

She slammed the car door and strode away without looking back.

Alexander watched her retreating figure, his heart aching. The irony wasn't lost on him.

He'd once forced divorce papers on her.

Now she'd be serving them to him.

He'd brought this on himself.

Thirty minutes later, Evelyn locked herself in her Diamond Boulevard boutique office.

She pulled up divorce templates, but each draft ended up deleted.

Her hands trembled too much to type properly.

Why hadn't he finalized their divorce? The question tormented her.

Every keystroke felt like reopening old wounds. The past she'd buried kept resurfacing, and Alexander Blackwood remained the storm she couldn't escape.