Chapter 179

The tension in the penthouse was palpable as Evelyn Sinclair gripped the edge of the marble countertop, her knuckles turning white. Across from her, Nathan Blackwood stood with his arms crossed, his stormy gray eyes locked onto hers. The air between them crackled with unspoken accusations.

"You think I don’t know what you’ve been hiding?" Nathan’s voice was low, dangerous.

Evelyn swallowed hard, her heart pounding. She had expected this confrontation, but not so soon. Not when she was still piecing together the fragments of the truth herself.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," she lied smoothly, lifting her chin in defiance.

Nathan’s lips curled into a humorless smile. "Don’t play games with me, Evelyn. I have eyes everywhere. You’ve been meeting with Marcus Donovan behind my back."

Her breath hitched. So he knew. But he didn’t know everything—not yet.

"It’s not what you think," she said, forcing her voice to remain steady.

"Then enlighten me." He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming. "Because from where I’m standing, it looks like betrayal."

Evelyn’s pulse raced. She had to choose her words carefully. One wrong move, and everything she’d worked for could crumble.

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed violently on the counter. The screen lit up with a single name: Lillian Graves.

Nathan’s gaze flicked to the device, his expression darkening further. "Answer it," he commanded.

Evelyn hesitated, then swiped to accept the call.

"Evelyn, you need to get out of there now," Lillian’s voice was urgent, barely above a whisper. "They know about the files. They’re coming for you."

Ice flooded Evelyn’s veins. Her grip on the phone tightened. "Who’s coming?"

But the line went dead.

Nathan’s eyes narrowed. "What files?"

Evelyn didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed her coat and bolted for the door.

Nathan moved like lightning, blocking her path. "You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on."

She met his gaze, desperation clawing at her chest. "If you care about me at all, you’ll let me leave. Now."

For a heartbeat, they stood frozen in a silent battle of wills. Then, with a muttered curse, Nathan stepped aside.

Evelyn didn’t look back as she fled into the night, the weight of secrets heavy on her shoulders.

But she knew one thing for certain—this was far from over.

And the next move would change everything.

Even though Evelyn had transformed remarkably, Julian still vividly recalled the disastrous state of the last reunion she attended with Nathan.

That had been their first gathering as a married couple—even if only on paper. As partners, Nathan had always respected Evelyn's choice to accompany him to social events where spouses were expected.

Back then, Evelyn had been consumed by paranoia over the disapproval surrounding their marriage. She guarded Nathan's every interaction, especially gatherings ripe for gossip. That time, she had gone to assert her dominance—and the outcome had been predictably catastrophic.

Several of Nathan's closest friends had just returned from abroad when they heard about the chaotic wedding. They despised Evelyn for trapping their friend in such a mess. Though they remained civil out of respect for Nathan, their coldness was palpable.

Nathan, ever the ice prince, maintained his usual detached demeanor. Evelyn, already insecure, felt suffocated in that atmosphere.

Then, someone carelessly brought up a humorous university memory—"Remember when Cassandra—"

The speaker caught herself too late, offering a hasty apology. But it was enough.

Evelyn exploded.

She flung wine in the girl's face, then slapped the man who defended her. When others intervened, she overturned the table, screaming obscenities. Nathan couldn't control her.

The reunion was ruined. Humiliated and furious, even the Blackwood family's influence couldn't salvage the situation. Nathan could only apologize before dragging Evelyn away.

At home, Evelyn collapsed into hysterics, convinced Nathan's friends despised her. She shattered vases, overturned furniture—leaving the household in chaos.

After that, Nathan declined all future invitations.

This time, however, Daniel had personally sent an invitation to the Blackwood estate—specifically for Evelyn. Perhaps recent events had softened his opinion of her.

But Julian was uneasy. That last gathering had been a nightmare. What was Evelyn planning? An apology? An attempt to reconcile with Nathan's old classmates?

Frankly, Julian didn't care much about most of them. It was Nathan's inner circle that worried him. A few had volatile tempers, and given how badly things had ended last time...

Now that Evelyn intended to attend, the entire family was on edge.

The group chat was still buzzing with the juicy gossip.

Julian couldn't help but ask again. If he were Evelyn, he’d rather jump off a cliff than face those people. Dealing with someone like Daniel was one thing, but a whole gathering? Just the thought made him want to dig a hole and disappear into it.

As he was lost in thought, Nathan packing and handed everything to his assistant. Then, he walked over to Evelyn and said, "We should get going soon."

Evelyn had been contemplating whether to expand her agency when his voice snapped her back to reality—today was the day.

She sprang up, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Julian raised an eyebrow. "You’re actually looking forward to Nathan’s little reunion?" Had she forgotten the chaos she caused last time?

Evelyn gave a subtle nod, but inside, she was practically bouncing. Reunion? More like a boiling pot of drama! This was going to be epic. Finally, she’d get front-row seats to the mess. Nathan’s friends? Oh, they were goldmines.

Her lips twitched, betraying her glee.

Nathan noticed immediately. Is she only going for the gossip? He paused. Wait… Do my friends really have that much drama?

Julian’s curiosity flared. Something’s up. What the hell is going to happen? Damn, now I’m invested!

Evelyn’s thoughts raced: One of them watched his ex become his sister-in-law. Another is paying for a lookalike of his childhood crush. Then there’s the guy about to watch his love marry his cousin. Oh, and let’s not forget the one whose dad is marrying a woman half his age. Daniel’s the most normal, and even he knocked up his girlfriend before marriage—some "redemption arc," huh?

Nathan was stunned. What? Who—

He usually stayed out of personal drama, but he thought he’d at least hear about it. Aside from the scandal about the friend’s dad, which had already made rounds in high society, the rest was news to him.

Is she even talking about my friends?

Julian’s eyes widened. Holy shit. How wild are Nathan’s buddies? He needed to see this firsthand.

But crashing wasn’t an option. Left with no choice, he forwarded the tea to the group chat. Why suffer alone when you can drag everyone else in?

The Blackwood family, bombarded with scandalous updates but stuck miles away, replied: Are we sure this is supposed to be fun?

Nathan Blackwood arrived in a daze with Evelyn Sinclair by his side.

They were fashionably late. By the time they made their entrance, most of Nathan's inner circle had already settled in, drinks in hand and conversations flowing.

The moment Daniel Wright walked in with his new girlfriend, all eyes—especially those at the most elite table—snapped toward them.

Though it was billed as a casual reunion, unspoken hierarchies still dictated the seating arrangements. That particular table? The unofficial VIP section.

Mason Hunter was the first to break the silence, his voice dripping with disdain. "Have you lost your damn mind? You actually invited that lunatic from the Sinclair family?"

Beside him, Claire Morgan—ever the diplomat—cleared her throat. "Mason, she's Nathan's wife now. Show some respect."

Mason scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Spare me the lecture, Claire. Are you here as my ex or as Ethan's wife? Pick a lane."

Claire's smile froze.

The sharper attendees exchanged knowing glances, while the oblivious ones—like Marcus Prescott and his bubbly partner Vivian Grant—laughed it off.

Marcus nudged Mason. "What's the deal? Still not over having Claire as your sister-in-law? It's been two years, man. Move on."

Vivian giggled, twirling her cocktail straw. "Oh, I remember! You were the first one to jump in when Evelyn threw that drink in Claire's face after she 'misspoke.' Even took a slap for it. Guess family loyalty runs deep, huh?" She winked. "Adorable."

A beat of silence. Then—

"Shut. Up," Mason gritted out.

From across the table, Grayson Hart—lounging with an arm around his quiet date, Lila Carter—chuckled. He pointed at Daniel. "And here I thought you were the traitor for borrowing that police dog."

Beatrice Holloway, who'd just ended a call, arched a brow. "I caught that show. Evelyn was surprisingly decent. Heard she's been doing charity work too. She's practically the darling of the entertainment circuit now."

"All an act," Mason sneered. "Your fiancé's in the industry, isn't he? Tell her, Beatrice. Those 'good girl' personas are bought and paid for."

Beatrice merely shrugged. She never wasted breath on pointless arguments.

Lucas Thornton, seated beside her, studied Daniel through narrowed eyes. As Daniel helped his girlfriend into her chair—ignoring the tension—Lucas drawled, "Funny. You used to hate her guts."

Because while Daniel and Evelyn appeared civil now? No one forgot that he'd once been her fiercest critic.