Chapter 763

Theodore's steps faltered as realization struck him like a physical blow. This entire hospital visit had been a colossal waste of time.

His head hung low as he approached the exit, only to freeze mid-step. A familiar figure was walking through the automatic doors.

The man carried himself with effortless grace - tall, impeccably dressed, exuding quiet confidence beneath his polished exterior. That carefully cultivated aura of approachability couldn't mask the aristocratic bearing beneath.

Theodore's breath caught. Preston Sinclair.

Wall Street's golden boy. The charming, six-foot-two, broad-shouldered hypocrite who smiled like a saint while playing chess with people's lives.

His pulse spiked. Every instinct screamed to turn back, to warn Evelyn. But professionalism won out.

As Nathan Blackwood's representative, Theodore couldn't afford to make Evelyn despise his employer further.

He bolted straight for Blackwood Industries.

Nathan had been a walking storm cloud lately. His temper turned boardrooms into minefields.

Employees tiptoed around, baffled by the CEO's abrupt personality shift. Even Harrison, Nathan's most trusted lieutenant, avoided unnecessary contact.

Theodore burst in, gasping for air. Harrison arched an eyebrow. "You look like hell."

"Is Mr. Blackwood in?" Theodore jabbed a finger toward the corner office.

Harrison's curt nod was all the confirmation he needed.

The knock echoed sharply.

That familiar baritone growled "Enter," and Theodore pushed through.

"Sir, I've returned."

Nathan's obsidian eyes lifted from his paperwork. "How is she?"

Had Evelyn not barred him from visiting, Nathan would have camped outside her hospital room. But forcing his presence would only hinder her recovery and deepen the rift between them.

Each day without seeing her felt like slow torture. The pent-up frustration had nowhere to go but down the corporate food chain.

Fortunately, incompetent executives made convenient punching bags.

Theodore cleared his throat. "Ms. Sinclair's recovering well. The doctors have strict visitor protocols due to her condition." A diplomatic lie - Nathan wasn't the only one being turned away.

Nathan's pen hit the desk with a sharp crack. "Incompetents get turned away. You saw her."

Theodore swallowed. No fooling this man.

Then inspiration struck. His grin stretched ear to ear. "Sir, I know how to expose Preston Sinclair's true nature."

Nathan's gaze turned predatory. Just hearing that name made his jaw clench.

'Should've broken his neck when I had the chance.'

Theodore leaned in. "A man like Sinclair? Venture capital's most eligible bachelor? There must be skeletons in his closet. The mother of his child. Ex-lovers. Family-approved fiancées." His voice dropped. "If we flood Evelyn's feeds with his scandals..."

Nathan stilled. His fingers tightened around the pen.

The idea had merit.

Previously, Nathan had relied on brute financial force to crush Preston. Minimal effect.

But a man with an illegitimate child couldn't have a spotless past. And Evelyn would never compete for a man already claimed.

Theodore's plan was elegant in its simplicity. A surgical strike where it would hurt most.

Nathan's slow smile told Theodore everything he needed to know. Checkmate.