Chapter 267

The morning sun cast golden rays through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Evelyn Sinclair’s penthouse, illuminating the delicate china teacup in her hands. She took a slow sip, savoring the warmth of the Earl Grey, her mind still replaying last night’s confrontation with Nathan Blackwood.

How dare he?

Her fingers tightened around the cup. Nathan had always been infuriatingly stubborn, but last night had crossed a line. His cold dismissal of her concerns, the way his storm-gray eyes had darkened with that infuriating arrogance—it made her blood boil.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.

“Miss Sinclair?” Lillian Graves, her ever-efficient assistant, stepped inside, holding a sleek tablet. “Victoria Hayes is here to see you.”

Evelyn’s lips curled into a smirk. Perfect timing.

“Send her in.”

Victoria strode into the room with the confidence of a woman who knew she held power. Her tailored navy suit accentuated her sharp features, and the glint in her hazel eyes was unmistakable—she was here for a fight.

“Evelyn,” she greeted coolly.

“Victoria,” Evelyn replied, setting her cup down with deliberate calm. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

Victoria didn’t bother with pleasantries. “You’re interfering in matters that don’t concern you.”

Evelyn arched a brow. “Oh? And which matters would those be?”

“Nathan’s business.”

A slow, knowing smile spread across Evelyn’s lips. “Ah. So he sent you to do his dirty work?”

Victoria’s jaw tightened. “He doesn’t even know I’m here.”

Interesting.

Evelyn leaned back in her chair, studying her rival. “Then why are you?”

Victoria’s gaze flickered—just for a second—before hardening again. “Because whatever game you’re playing, it ends now.”

Evelyn laughed, a melodic sound that held no warmth. “Oh, Victoria. You’ve always been so dramatic.” She stood, smoothing the silk of her blouse. “But if you’re here to threaten me, let me save you the trouble. I don’t respond well to threats.”

Victoria took a step closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “Stay away from Nathan.”

Evelyn’s smile didn’t waver. “Or what?”

The tension between them crackled like static before a storm.

Then, Victoria did something unexpected.

She smirked.

“Or you’ll regret it.”

Before Evelyn could respond, Victoria turned on her heel and strode out, leaving behind the faint scent of her expensive perfume and a challenge hanging in the air.

Evelyn exhaled slowly, her fingers curling into fists.

Game on.

Outside, the city buzzed with life, unaware of the battle lines being redrawn in the shadows.

And Evelyn Sinclair had never been one to back down from a fight.

At this point, Luna couldn’t hold back any longer, her voice trembling as she asked, “Do you find me unattractive, Nathan?”

Evelyn nearly scoffed aloud. Good heavens! Lucas is as cunning as a fox, but how is his sister this dense? She’s practically begging to be humiliated at this point. A part of her was relieved that Beatrice and Lucas weren’t meant to be—dealing with a sister-in-law like Luna would be exhausting.

Nathan, though appearing to carefully weigh his words, delivered them with icy precision. “You lack distinctiveness. In this industry, uniqueness is an artist’s greatest asset. Your expressions, your speech—they’ve become painfully artificial. Don’t waste your time auditioning for this role. Our most basic requirement is a face that moves naturally.”

Evelyn bit back a laugh. Nathan really has a talent for crushing young women’s spirits.

Sure enough, the next second, Luna fled the room, tears streaming down her face.

Nathan blinked, genuinely perplexed. He had merely stated facts—no malice intended.

“Luna!” Caleb’s expression darkened instantly. “Nathan, it seems you’ve forgotten how to respect anyone from the Bennett family.”

Evelyn feigned shock. “Wait, she’s a Bennett? I thought her last name was Reed?”

Caleb stiffened, clearly flustered. With the recklessness of someone who’d never been denied anything, he snapped, “Do you want me to remove you from my engagement party guest list?”

Oh, here we go, Evelyn thought, amused. The classic tantrum of a spoiled heir. Does he really think that threat holds any weight?

As expected, Nathan’s expression turned glacial.

“Our invitation was delivered by Mrs. Bennett’s personal assistant,” Nathan said coolly. “If you’re so opposed to our attendance, Mr. Moore, perhaps I should call her and clarify.”

The invitation hadn’t come from Lucas or Beatrice—it had been sent directly by Mrs. Bennett herself, a gesture of mutual respect between two powerful families. If she found out Caleb was making a scene like this, she’d likely drag him back by the ear to apologize.

Caleb paled, his face cycling through a spectrum of emotions before he finally gritted out, “Attend if you want.” Then, like a coward, he turned on his heel and fled.

Evelyn and Nathan exchanged a glance, silently agreeing the fool wasn’t worth another thought. They had gifts to buy, after all.

But as they turned to leave, an unexpected voice called out.

“Wait.”

They turned to see Vivian Grant stepping forward, a small, knowing smile on her lips. “I couldn’t help but overhear. If you’re looking for a natural actress for your project… I might have a suggestion.”

Evelyn raised a brow. Now this was an interesting twist.

"All right," Nathan replied as he drove.

"I'm already disgusted on Beatrice's behalf for ending up with such a fiancé," Evelyn complained. "If he doesn't care about his fiancée, why agree to the engagement in the first place? I thought this brat would be more rebellious."

"He is rebellious—just not toward Mrs. Harrison," Nathan explained. "Besides, Beatrice was the one Mrs. Harrison personally approved."

This was new gossip to Evelyn, who immediately turned to look at Nathan with interest. "Go on," she urged.

"Beatrice has a steady personality—no drama, no trouble. At best, marrying her might help Caleb mature. At worst, she won’t make a scene over his misbehavior. Mrs. Harrison knows their marriage is transactional, so it’s not like Beatrice is wasting her time. It’s a practical arrangement. She doesn’t expect Beatrice to manage the family business, nor will she interfere with her freedom. As long as they live peacefully and produce heirs, that’s enough."

Evelyn arched a brow. "Sounds like they'll have the perfect mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship."

"Mrs. Harrison is reasonable, much like Beatrice. They laid everything out clearly during negotiations and actually got along well. As long as Mrs. Harrison is alive, Beatrice’s future is secure."

Evelyn mentally noted: So even if Lucas takes over later, Beatrice will still be protected. Interesting. But the real intrigue was Caleb and Luna’s relationship.

Nathan frowned. What relationship? Still, seeing them together had surprised him. Given the bad blood between Lucas and Caleb, he’d assumed Caleb would despise Luna too. Yet here he was, supporting her career. Wait—why would he skip a family gathering just to accompany Luna?

Just as Nathan was lost in thought, his phone rang. He gestured for Evelyn to answer.

Seeing the caller ID, Evelyn hesitated. "Given that you just insulted his little sister, is he calling to yell at you?"

Nathan chuckled. "Don’t worry. He won’t."

Skeptical, Evelyn answered—only to hear Lucas’s exasperated voice. "Luna just called me sobbing and ranted for ten minutes. What’s this about you calling her ugly? Sure, plastic surgery isn’t ideal, but she did it to look better. You’ve learned to treat your wife well—why are you still so harsh with other women? Where’s your chivalry?"

It was no secret that while Lucas inherited the striking looks of the Bennett family, Luna took after their father’s plain features. Naturally, no one in their family objected to her cosmetic procedures.

"It’s me," Evelyn said.

Lucas laughed. "Ah, right—these days, Nathan might not be the only one answering his phone. My bad. Should’ve asked first. Did you two run into my sister together? She didn’t offend you, did she?"

The lingering awkwardness from their previous encounter had completely dissipated, replaced by an effortless grace and casual ease between them.

“You guessed correctly,” Evelyn admitted without hesitation.

“It wasn’t difficult to deduce. Let me be frank—my sister had an unrequited crush on your husband. He rejected her years ago, but she’s never been one to surrender easily. Honestly, I suspect her endless cosmetic procedures stem from her lingering feelings for Nathan. But rest assured, I have no intention of playing matchmaker for them,” Lucas said bluntly.

Evelyn arched a brow. “When you two first met, I wasn’t even his wife yet. I’m surprised you didn’t consider keeping the benefits within your own family.”

“I did consider it,” Lucas admitted with a dry chuckle. “But I’m neither blind nor foolish. She’s my sister, yes, but unless she undergoes a complete rebirth—physically, mentally, and emotionally—she’ll never be a match for Nathan.” Having observed Nathan for years, Lucas knew better than to meddle. Even if it meant enduring his sister’s complaints, he refused to take on such a thankless, doomed endeavor.

Evelyn nearly laughed. I completely forgot—this man used to ship Nathan and Cassandra. Now, it seems he’s shifted his support… to us.

Amusement flickered in Nathan’s eyes. Perhaps he’s now an advocate for our relationship.

Seeing Lucas’s open-mindedness, Evelyn decided to confide in him, recounting the earlier incident in detail.

The revelation left Lucas silent for a long moment.

Compared to Ruby’s offense, this was far more serious.

When he finally spoke again, his voice was tightly controlled, simmering with suppressed anger. “So, Ruby was auditioning for the female lead role—without informing our family. And Oliver skipped our gathering to escort her there?”

Evelyn smirked, her tone laced with sarcasm. “You truly had no idea, did you? Well, here’s something else you should know…”

Recalling the scene she had witnessed, she leaned in slightly, her words dripping with mischief. “There’s something more between those two. I saw Oliver with his hand on her waist—and then sliding lower.”

Those cousins are already at odds, with Deborah caught in the middle. Now, Lucas’s sister is entangled with Oliver? Evelyn stifled a laugh. This is getting deliciously messy.

A thought struck her. Wait… does this count as sabotaging their engagement party?

Huh. Maybe fate has a twisted sense of humor after all.