Chapter 981

The silence stretched on endlessly after the footsteps ceased.

Evelyn had just begun to sense something was amiss when a familiar baritone voice shattered the quiet.

"What has captured your attention so completely?"

She froze, turning to find Preston Sinclair's towering frame filling the doorway.

"Why are you here?"

Preston's lips curved into that gentle smile she'd grown accustomed to. His lowered brows and warm gaze softened his usually sharp features.

"Must I have a reason to visit my beloved?"

He stood with arms open, that unspoken invitation clear in his eyes. Evelyn stiffened. The man was shamelessly obvious.

By now, she'd grown accustomed to Preston's boundary-pushing tendencies.

His touch no longer startled her. Worse still, she'd developed an addiction to his sandalwood scent that clung to his clothes.

Gritting her teeth, Evelyn stepped forward and allowed herself to be enveloped in his embrace.

The deep chuckle that vibrated through his chest sent heat rushing to her cheeks.

She burned.

Instinct screamed to flee, but Preston's arms tightened around her waist - that perfect balance of gentle yet unyielding.

His hands settled at the small of her back as he followed her earlier line of sight.

"Quite the view..." His whisper tickled her ear like a feather's caress.

Electricity shot down her spine. The double meaning in his words was unmistakable, yet Evelyn refused to assume he meant her. She squirmed slightly, and Preston - ever the strategist - released her. He knew better than to push too far. Today's victory was sufficient.

Evelyn turned with practiced nonchalance, settling into the chair before the panoramic window.

"Why didn't you bring Oliver?"

Preston's expression instantly morphed into something wounded.

"I arranged for his tutor and security detail to occupy him at the library until evening." His sigh was theatrical. "Though clearly, I'm no match for my son's charm."

Evelyn gestured to the opposing chair without comment.

Preston crossed the room, sunlight sculpting dramatic shadows around his frame as he sat. His long legs folded with effortless grace, that aristocratic profile softened by the golden light.

For once, his usual predatory edge was absent. Only quiet intensity remained as his gaze locked onto Evelyn.

She averted her eyes first.

"You're terrible - manipulating children like that."

Preston's laughter rang out. "Boys require discipline. Indulge them once, and they'll monopolize your attention." The way Oliver gravitated toward Evelyn drove him mad.

The mention of children reminded her. "Isaiah came by earlier."

Preston showed no surprise. As if he'd anticipated this move.

"I know."

"You knew?"

He nodded, ice flashing in his eyes before vanishing. "Did you truly think he'd surrender so easily? The man's desperate for your compliance - his final move to humiliate me completely."

Evelyn hesitated, conflict playing across her features.

She wanted to ask but feared overstepping.

Preston read her perfectly. "What else did he say?"

"Just... about your father's condition." She studied him carefully. "Are you certain you won't visit?"

If the rumors proved true, this might haunt Preston forever.

His lashes lowered, veiling the storm in his eyes. "That chapter closed when I left the Sinclair name behind. His fate no longer concerns me."

The forced calm in his voice betrayed the tempest beneath.

Evelyn observed him silently before offering a small smile. Some wounds ran too deep to probe.