Chapter 865

Nathan had been awake for hours, unable to find peace in sleep. The only comfort came from the warmth of Evelyn nestled in his arms.

When she finally stirred, his dark eyes softened with amusement, lips curving into a lazy smile.

"Morning, darling."

Evelyn blinked, disoriented. Was this some kind of twisted dream?

"Darling, my *ss."

No way would her subconscious conjure up something this absurd.

She jerked upright, putting as much distance between them as possible.

Had they really spent the entire night in the same bed? Nathan's arm fell away as she scrambled back.

Evelyn's mind raced. Sure, she'd had too much to drink last night, but not enough to black out.

She remembered coming home in agony, swallowing painkillers, washing up, and collapsing into bed alone.

Nathan hadn't been there. So why was he here now?

"What the hell are you doing here?" Her voice was ice, expression sharp with suspicion.

Nathan exhaled, voice rough from sleep.

"I brought you medicine, but you vanished. I searched everywhere. Lucky for you, you didn’t go far—" He reached for her, but she recoiled.

"This is my house. How did you even get in?"

Her guard was up, though she noted with relief that her clothes were untouched. To her, he was nothing more than a mistake she’d already moved past. This cozy domestic scene had no place between them.

Peaceful coexistence was the best they could hope for.

Nathan didn’t push, withdrawing his hand. The faint scent of mint clung to him—he must’ve showered before slipping into bed. He rubbed his temples, explaining with forced patience.

"You left the door open."

Evelyn froze.

Damn it.

She’d been too distracted to notice.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. Any thought of using this against him evaporated.

"A normal man would’ve closed the door and left. Do you understand, Mr. Blackwood?"

Nathan’s jaw tightened. His gaze darkened, voice dropping to a husky murmur.

"A normal man wouldn’t have walked away. I was worried something might’ve happened to you."

It sounded reasonable—if you ignored how flimsy the excuse was.

She scoffed, unimpressed by his deflection, and stalked downstairs. The living room was a disaster—scattered bags, spilled contents, all of it medicine.

No prizes for guessing who was responsible.

Evelyn hesitated, something unfamiliar flickering in her chest.

At least he hadn’t crossed any lines.

"Since you brought me home, I’ll let last night’s behavior slide. But watch yourself, Mr. Blackwood."

Nathan straightened, one hand in his pocket, the picture of effortless arrogance.

"Trying to get rid of me so fast? We did spend the night together. Maybe we should give this another shot—"

Evelyn whirled, eyes flashing.

"Planning to leak this to the press? Did you already tip them off to stake out my place?"

Nathan stayed silent, watching her.

The idea had crossed his mind—briefly. But even he had limits.

Evelyn’s smile was razor-sharp.

"Go ahead. To the world, we were married for three years. One night changes nothing. We’re adults—we can handle a little scandal."