Chapter 828

Tristan Whitmore sobbed uncontrollably until he realized the line had gone dead long ago.

He was stunned into silence.

Nathan Blackwood set down his phone and observed Theodore Winslow meticulously feeding the koi fish across the room.

"Find out what happened at that gala Evelyn attended today."

Theodore immediately abandoned his task without hesitation.

"Right away, Mr. Blackwood!"

Nathan scrolled through his contacts until he found Evelyn's profile. The page was blank.

'Why hasn't she posted anything?' He typed out a private message.

[Every bite I take reminds me of you - my love shaped into edible form.]

Such saccharine words.

Nathan was determined to prove he wasn't the same emotionally-stunted man Evelyn had divorced.

Ten seconds... Thirty seconds... No response.

'Did her phone die?' One minute...

Five minutes...

Still nothing.

'She must be asleep.' He typed another message.

[Goodnight.]

A red exclamation mark appeared instantly. The system notification read: [You are no longer connected to this contact.]

Nathan was speechless.

The air suddenly felt too thick to breathe.

Harrison knocked excitedly on the office door. "Sir, can we all go home now?" Nathan lifted his icy gaze without responding.

Harrison forced a smile. "Message received. The answer is no." He retreated quickly, shutting the door behind him.

The assistant was thoroughly confused. Just hours ago, Nathan had offered to treat the entire staff to dinner and drinks. Now his mood had darkened again. Harrison exhaled heavily.

Being Nathan Blackwood's assistant was exhausting.

Theodore returned shortly with a full report, delivering it with dramatic flair. He concluded with, "Young Master Adrian has quite the way with women."

Had Adrian tried those tactics on Evelyn, Nathan would have murdered him. Tristan was too principled to make a move.

Nathan's brows furrowed dangerously. For the first time, he felt genuine sympathy for Tristan.

That nephew of his was truly insufferable. "Mr. Blackwood, should we assist Mr. Whitmore?"

Theodore instantly regretted the question.

While Tristan was Nathan's closest friend, Adrian was family. Nathan's expression darkened.

"No. Tristan's ex-wife was unbearable. He's better off without her."

Loyalty won out in the end.

Theodore nodded, then had a sudden realization.

"Sir, you could actually learn from Young Master Adrian's techniques—"

Theodore had originally thought Preston Sinclair was the pretentious one. But if Nathan acted first, Preston wouldn't have stood a chance.

Seizing the initiative would be advantageous.

Nathan's face twisted in disgust. "You want me to emulate that idiot?"

His voice turned glacial.

Theodore quickly reframed Adrian's approach.

"It's called coquetry. Imagine if Ms. Sinclair flirted and acted cute with you—wouldn't that captivate you?"

"So if you behaved similarly, she'd certainly respond favorably—"

Nathan's expression became unreadable, but he didn't immediately reject the idea.

Theodore snapped his fingers. "Wait here! I'll find reference materials!"

His frantic search history included:

[Mastering the art of flirtation]

[How men can appear adorable]

[The sophisticated man's guide to affectation]