Chapter 656

Nathan's brow furrowed in irritation. Tristan's presence grated on his nerves.

"Get out. You're insufferable."

Tristan's expression crumpled. Was this really how brothers treated each other?

Nathan leaned back in his chair, voice icy. "State your business or leave. This isn't a damn tavern."

Tristan's lips pressed into a thin line, exhaustion etched across his face.

"Why aren't you upset? We're in the same sinking ship! You can't win Evelyn back, and I've lost Vivian."

Nathan exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. Did Tristan expect them to sob in each other's arms?

Tristan's eyes were bloodshot. "She blocked me. I can't reach her. What do I do?"

Nathan barely suppressed an eye roll. Pathetic. He'd endured worse without crumbling.

"Figure it out."

Tristan dragged his hands down his face. "Ask Evelyn to intervene. She's Vivian's majority shareholder now. Her word carries weight."

Nathan's jaw clenched at the mention of Vivian. That woman was poison.

"Impossible." His tone left no room for argument.

Tristan slumped. "Right. The moment Evelyn speaks to her, Vivian will flee the country."

Nathan's glare darkened. Vivian was a corrupting influence on Evelyn.

Tristan hesitated. "That night I got drunk... was Evelyn okay?"

Nathan stilled. "Explain."

"The bar manager called you to pick me up. Didn't you know?"

A vague memory surfaced. A trivial matter he'd dismissed.

"What does that have to do with Evelyn?"

Tristan swallowed. "She was the one who alerted the manager. Heard some punks targeted drunk women near the new bar's entrance. Evelyn ran into them when she left."

Nathan's entire body went rigid.

"What?" The word was a blade.

Tristan shrank back. "You didn't know? Someone stepped in—beat them bloody. Preston Sinclair, apparently. By the time you got there, it was over. You couldn't have saved her."

The air turned arctic. Nathan's expression twisted into something feral.

His chest burned. He should've been there. The missed opportunity carved a hole inside him, filling with fury.

Tristan kept rambling, desperate for camaraderie, but Nathan had no patience for shared misery.

Defeated, Tristan left.

Thirty minutes later, Nathan summoned Harrison.

"Buy that bar. Track down every thug in the vicinity." His voice was lethal. "Break them."

Harrison hesitated. "Sir, is this about the acquisition... or the beating?"

"Both."