Chapter 221

The morning sun filtered through the curtains of Evelyn Sinclair’s penthouse, casting golden streaks across her polished mahogany desk. She sipped her lavender-infused tea, the delicate porcelain cup warming her fingertips, as she scrolled through the latest entertainment headlines on her tablet.

A smirk curled her lips as she stumbled upon a particularly juicy piece of gossip—Seraphina Delacroix Spotted Canoodling with Sebastian Hart at Midnight! The article was accompanied by grainy photos of the second-tier actress locked in a passionate embrace with her notorious ex, Maverick Sutton’s former manager, Isabelle Laurent, nowhere in sight.

Evelyn’s mind buzzed with amusement. Oh, Seraphina, you never learn.

Just then, her assistant, Lillian Graves, hurried into the room, clutching a stack of freshly printed scripts. "Ms. Sinclair, Preston Whitmore’s team just sent over the final revisions for your next project. They’re insisting on a table read by Friday."

Evelyn waved a dismissive hand. "Tell Donovan Sharpe if he wants me to consider it, he’ll have to push it to next week. I have a charity gala to attend tonight, and I refuse to be rushed."

Lillian nodded, but her gaze flickered to the tablet screen before she could stop herself. Evelyn caught the glance and arched a brow. "Something caught your eye?"

Lillian hesitated, then leaned in conspiratorially. "You’ve seen the Seraphina scandal, haven’t you? Rumor has it Isabelle is furious. She’s already pulled Sebastian from three upcoming projects."

Evelyn’s smirk deepened. "Isabelle always did have a temper. But honestly, Sebastian should’ve known better than to sneak around with Seraphina. That woman leaves a trail of broken hearts—and contracts—wherever she goes."

Lillian giggled, then quickly schooled her expression. "Should I draft a statement in case the press asks for your comment?"

Evelyn set down her tea with a soft clink. "No need. Let them speculate. Besides, I have my own drama to focus on."

Her phone buzzed—a text from Nathan Blackwood.

Dinner tonight? I’ll pick you up at eight.

Evelyn’s pulse quickened, but she schooled her features into indifference. As if I don’t have plans. Still, she typed back:

Only if you’re prepared to explain why you were seen having lunch with Vanessa Sterling yesterday.

She hit send, then leaned back, savoring the anticipation. Nathan’s reply would be telling.

Across the city, in his sleek downtown office, Nathan stared at his phone, his jaw tightening. Damn it. He hadn’t expected Evelyn to find out about that meeting so soon.

Victoria Hayes, his ever-watchful secretary, cleared her throat. "Problem, Mr. Blackwood?"

Nathan pocketed his phone with a forced smile. "Nothing I can’t handle."

But as he turned back to his paperwork, his mind raced. How much does Evelyn actually know?

And more importantly—what was she planning to do with that information?

The Morgan household was in chaos. Luna had always been the golden child, doted on by her parents, and now they were furious that Claire had manipulated their naive daughter. They demanded answers from Arthur and Violet.

Meanwhile, Claire’s parents were seething, their anger barely contained.

"If it weren’t for your foolish daughter, none of this would have happened!" Violet snapped.

"That’s rich, coming from you!" Arthur shot back. "Your daughter is the one who played Mason, married Ethan while carrying another man’s child, and made a mockery of our family. No wonder her husband’s family threw her out!"

The argument escalated so violently that other relatives had to intervene before fists started flying.

Just then, the phone rang. To everyone’s shock, it was Ethan’s assistant on the line.

Arthur’s face paled as the cold, professional voice delivered the message:

"On behalf of Mr. Ethan Carter, I am formally notifying Ms. Claire Morgan. Divorce proceedings begin tomorrow. She will leave with nothing. If she fails to appear or causes any further trouble, we will pursue legal action for damages. Consider this carefully."

The line went dead before Arthur could respond.

Before he could even process the blow, his personal phone buzzed—a call from his company.

"Mr. Morris, we have a crisis. Hampton Group just backed out of our contract. Xaven Project has frozen all collaboration. Even our suppliers are pulling out. Word is, Hampton Group has blacklisted anyone who works with us. Our entire supply chain is collapsing. What the hell is happening? Are they trying to bury us?"

Arthur felt the walls closing in. The Morris empire was crumbling in real time. His vision blurred, and then—darkness. He collapsed.

News of Ethan’s ruthless retaliation spread like wildfire. No one had expected him to move so swiftly, so mercilessly. Claire, still reeling from humiliation, was dragged from her hiding place and forced to her knees, begging for forgiveness.

But Ethan was unreachable. When she tried calling Liam or Grace, she was met with venomous insults. Desperate, she turned on her own family, screaming accusations until the Morris residence became a spectacle—ambulances and police cars arriving in quick succession.

Meanwhile, Ethan stood over Mason’s unconscious form, his expression ice-cold. He turned to Liam and Grace.

"Have him sent abroad tonight. Permanently. Unless it’s life or death, he doesn’t step foot back here."

Though guilt gnawed at them for their eldest son, their hearts ached for their second. Exiling Mason felt like losing him all over again.

But Ethan’s mind was already elsewhere. Justice had been served.

And he wasn’t done yet.

"Um..."

"Do you really want the entire world to remember our family's disgrace when Mason shows his face in public?"

Silence fell between them.

To prevent any reckless behavior, his assets would be frozen immediately. He would receive only a basic monthly allowance, and I expect neither of you to secretly fund him."

"Isn't this too extreme? Mason has never lived a day without luxury."

"Does living modestly mean suffering? It's not that bad. Didn't he claim money ruined his relationship? Let him see if he can survive on love alone. I'm giving him the chance to prove himself."

Ethan was convinced Mason was a fool. Did he really think women were drawn to him for his personality and not his wealth?

"Mom, Dad," he said firmly. "His stupidity could have destroyed our family. This punishment is justified."

Had Mason spoken up sooner, they would never have allowed Ethan to marry Claire, avoiding this entire scandal.

Seeing his parents' reluctant acceptance, Ethan exhaled in relief. He wasn't completely heartless. "But don't worry," he added. "If he ever redeems himself and makes people forget his mistakes, I'll allow him back."

Liam and Grace knew better than to argue. They could only watch, stunned, as their still-unconscious son was whisked away to another country before dawn.

When Mason finally woke, he found himself powerless—unable to chase after Violet, unable to return home. All he could do was seethe with regret.

Of course, Violet had no idea she'd never have to face that hypocrite again. All she'd receive from now on were repayments and legal settlements.

Meanwhile, the Blackwood family had likely heard Ethan's ruthless resolution through Evelyn's thoughts.

It was satisfying, yes—but there was also unease as they glanced at Nathan.

Though Mason and Claire were despicable, one had been Nathan's close friend, the other a longtime acquaintance. To see them fall so low...

Nathan's brows knitted briefly before he sighed, his gaze steady.

In the end, karma had played its part.

Wait... What is that on Nathan's cheek?

Evelyn's inner voice suddenly cut through the tension. After learning of Ethan's plans, she couldn't help but worry—would Nathan ever grovel over that leaked video in the future?

When Evelyn dared a furtive glance toward Nathan, the dim interior lighting revealed something peculiar on his usually immaculate cheek—a faint smudge that stood out against his fair skin.

The others couldn't help but notice Evelyn's sudden shift in demeanor.

Julian, seated closest to Nathan, couldn't contain his curiosity. "Nathan," he blurted out, "is that... lipstick on your face?"

The words tumbled out before he could stop himself. The sheer absurdity of the idea—his notoriously reserved brother sporting a lipstick mark—made his brain short-circuit. If it was true, then...

Oh no. Evelyn's stomach dropped. Did I really just kiss him? I was so distracted by the video earlier that I didn’t even realize— Her face burned. Julian, you and your sharp eyes! And your even sharper mouth!

Though she gritted her teeth in mortification, the damage was done.

All eyes locked onto Nathan’s cheek, even Violet Carter, the outsider in the car, blinked in stunned silence.

The Blackwoods collectively thought: They kissed?! Right in front of us?! How did we miss that?!

Violet tilted her head. Now that I think about it… I did see Ms. Sinclair suddenly throw her arms around Mr. Blackwood earlier. But why…? She frowned, lost in thought.

Nathan responded to Julian’s question with deliberate ambiguity, but his chest swelled with quiet satisfaction. His gaze flickered toward Evelyn, only to find her suddenly engrossed in her phone, pretending she hadn’t heard a thing.

The Blackwood siblings internally combusted, though none dared voice their thoughts aloud.

Ever the considerate one, Julian fished out a wet wipe from the car’s compartment.

After all, it wouldn’t do for a CEO to parade around with a lipstick stain on his face. The mental image of Nathan walking through Hampton Manor, oblivious to the mark while dozens of guests stared, was enough to make them cringe on his behalf.

But Nathan merely shot them a frosty glare, making no move to take the wipe.

Just then, his phone buzzed violently in his hand.

Richard thought: Have you lost your mind?

Margaret added: No wonder you're still single.

Sophia mused: Should he even wipe it off?

Genevieve chimed in: This is a milestone in their relationship!

Julian rolled his eyes. Might as well get it tattooed on his face at this point.