Chapter 778

Nathan slammed the phone down.

The engine roared to life as he peeled out of the parking spot, tires screeching against the pavement. His knuckles turned white gripping the steering wheel, the speedometer needle climbing dangerously high.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this alive.

When his car skidded to a halt outside Sterling Manor, reality came crashing down. The night air felt like ice against his skin.

He grabbed his phone again.

Evelyn's number went straight to voicemail.

Nathan smashed his fist against the horn. The blaring sound shattered the quiet night.

Inside the manor, the butler jolted awake. Security monitors showed the familiar black Range Rover at the gates.

Nathan Blackwood.

The butler hesitated only a moment before knocking on Evelyn's door.

She was still awake when the knock came. Leo, her AI tiger companion, padded to the door, tail swishing.

"Miss Sinclair," the butler said quietly. "Mr. Blackwood is at the gates."

Evelyn's laugh was bitter. "Let him rot out there."

She'd seen his true colors now.

The respectable CEO facade? A lie. The man was petty, vindictive.

Yesterday's stunt with Preston Sinclair proved that.

It wasn't about defending Preston. It was about Nathan's underhanded tactics.

The butler bowed. "As you wish, Miss. Rest well."

The manor remained silent, ignoring the man at their gates.

Nathan watched the darkened windows. Part of him hoped the horn had woken them. Another part knew better.

He was so close to her. Yet an ocean might as well separate them.

In the cold stillness, realization hit him like a bullet.

It was over.

The ache in his chest was unbearable.

Dawn came. Nathan hadn't slept. His stubble darkened his jaw, his eyes bloodshot.

The manor gates swung open. A car glided past without slowing, as if his presence meant nothing.

The Sterlings' message was clear.

Nathan almost laughed at the irony. CEO of Blackwood Industries. One of the most powerful men in the city.

Yet here he was, begging scraps of attention from his ex-wife.

What would the business world say if they saw him now?

But he couldn't leave. The fear of losing her completely rooted him to the spot.

If Evelyn would just look at him—just once—he'd give her anything. Everything.

Morning slipped away unnoticed.

At 9 AM, his phone buzzed. Harrison, his assistant.

"Sir, the board meeting starts in twenty. Your driver went to Highland Estates but—"

"Cancel it." Nathan's voice was raw. "Don't call unless the building's on fire."

He hung up before Harrison could protest.

His assistant's unspoken words hung in the air: Every meeting is important.

Nathan didn't care.

His gaze never left the manor.

Inside, Evelyn stretched lazily. She applied a jade roller to her face, reclining her wheelchair slightly.

The scent of Lucas' famous pancakes drifted from the kitchen.

William Sterling had planned to go fishing. Hearing about Nathan's vigil killed his mood.

He settled for the koi pond in the gardens instead.

At breakfast, only Evelyn and Lucas sat at the table. She ate with surprising appetite.

Lucas nearly choked on his coffee when the butler updated them.

"That bastard actually stayed all night?"