Chapter 896

The crisp winter air hit Evelyn's face as she stepped outside. The chill instantly cleared her turbulent thoughts.

She exhaled slowly, relieved. It was finally over.

If Nathan valued his reputation at all, he would back off now. No more games, no more empty promises.

A hand appeared beside her, holding out a charcoal-gray handkerchief. The faint scent of sandalwood clung to it—warm, masculine.

Evelyn looked up into Preston's silent gaze. His eyes held quiet sorrow.

Her words had been brutal. Necessary. But Preston understood the courage it took for Evelyn to sever those final ties to Nathan.

She wasn't just cutting Nathan loose—she was carving pieces of her own heart out in the process.

The realization struck Preston like a blade: she still loved him.

Gently, he brushed away tears she hadn't realized were falling.

Preston sighed. "Evelyn, if letting go hurts this much, take your time. Seeing you like this..." His voice cracked. "It breaks me."

Evelyn's eyes were still red-rimmed, but her smile returned—bright, dazzling. "I loved him for years. A year to grieve was enough. Today just... made it final. Some wounds need ripping off fast."

The slower the bandage came off, the worse it burned. She knew that agony intimately.

Preston understood her history. Evelyn's love for Nathan wasn't some fleeting crush—it had been bone-deep, all-consuming.

She'd reshaped herself for him. Compromised her pride for the Blackwood family. That knowledge twisted Preston's heart.

Post-divorce Evelyn was radiant. Confident. Alive. This was her true self, finally free.

Preston smiled, opening the car door. "Office or a detour?"

Evelyn slid in, checking her phone. No urgent messages from Alexander. "Take me to Isabella's studio?"

Preston's grin could power cities. "My pleasure."

The drive passed in comfortable silence, soft jazz filling the space between them.

Evelyn caught Preston's secret smile in the rearview mirror. "What's that look for?"

Preston held her gaze. "Want the truth?"

She rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

His voice dropped to that velvet rumble she loved. "Because I finally see my worth to you."

Evelyn blinked.

"That woman assumed I was yours—you didn't correct her. First time." He counted on his fingers. "She flirted with me, and you shut it down like a jealous girlfriend. Second time. Then you told Nathan Blackwood himself I'm your man. Three strikes."

Evelyn gaped. "I did not—"

Preston's smirk was pure sin. "Three public declarations, darling. Memory lapse?"

Heat flooded her cheeks. Damn him for remembering every detail.

In the moment, those words had been weapons—nothing more.

Preston leaned closer. "Seems you've given me permission to chase you properly."

Evelyn turned to the window, watching snow melt into glittering puddles. A smile tugged her lips. "Don't read too much into it. That was... situational."

The unspoken hung between them: But maybe not entirely.