Chapter 292

The morning sun cast golden rays through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Evelyn Sinclair’s penthouse, illuminating the scattered scripts on her coffee table. She traced her fingers over the bold title of the latest project—Midnight Whispers—her heart pounding with anticipation. This role could redefine her career.

Nathan Blackwood leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching her with an amused smirk. "Still obsessing over that script?"

Evelyn shot him a playful glare. "It’s not obsession. It’s preparation."

Nathan chuckled, pushing off the frame to stride toward her. He plucked the script from her hands, flipping through the pages. "You’ve already memorized half of it. What’s left to prepare?"

She snatched it back. "The other half."

His phone buzzed before he could retort. A frown darkened his features as he read the message.

Evelyn’s playful mood evaporated. "What’s wrong?"

Nathan exhaled sharply. "Victoria Hayes just leaked details about our engagement to the press."

Evelyn’s stomach twisted. "What? How?"

"Does it matter?" Nathan’s jaw tightened. "She’s been waiting for an opportunity like this."

Evelyn’s fingers curled around the script, crumpling the edges. Victoria, Nathan’s former secretary and long-time adversary, had always resented their relationship. But this—this was sabotage.

Her phone chimed with a notification. A news alert flashed across the screen: Evelyn Sinclair and Nathan Blackwood’s Secret Engagement Exposed!

Nathan’s hand covered hers, warm and steady. "We’ll handle this."

Evelyn met his gaze, the storm in his eyes mirroring hers. "How?"

A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips. "By turning her game against her."

Meanwhile, across town, Victoria Hayes sipped her latte, satisfaction curling through her as she scrolled through the headlines. The media frenzy had already begun.

Her phone rang. An unknown number.

She answered, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Hello?"

A smooth, unfamiliar voice responded. "Miss Hayes, I believe we have a mutual interest in discussing Nathan Blackwood."

Victoria’s grip tightened on her cup. "Who is this?"

The caller chuckled. "Let’s just say… I have a proposition for you."

A shiver ran down her spine. This wasn’t part of her plan.

Back at the penthouse, Evelyn’s assistant, Lillian Graves, burst in, her tablet clutched tightly. "You need to see this."

Evelyn took the device, her breath catching at the live footage of Nathan’s brother, Julian Blackwood, surrounded by reporters.

"Mr. Blackwood!" a journalist shouted. "Any comment on your brother’s engagement?"

Julian smirked, adjusting his cufflinks. "Oh, I have plenty to say."

Evelyn’s blood ran cold.

Nathan’s phone buzzed again—a message from Julian: Time to settle our debts, brother.

The screen went black.

Evelyn looked up, meeting Nathan’s hardened expression. The game had just gotten more dangerous.

And Victoria Hayes wasn’t the only player.

The room had been buzzing with lively chatter, but the moment Nathan made his unexpected move, everyone fell silent, their eyes wide with disbelief.

He was becoming more and more unrecognizable to them. Their gazes then shifted to Evelyn, who remained utterly unfazed, as if she hadn’t noticed a thing.

Wasn’t it just a short while ago that Evelyn had been the one hopelessly infatuated, relentlessly pursuing Nathan?

Had the roles reversed now?

Given the current dynamic between the two, it wouldn’t be surprising if wedding bells were already in the works.

Speaking of weddings, Daniel and Vivian exchanged sympathetic glances toward Marcus. Though it might have been presumptuous, they couldn’t help but imagine the inevitable gossip if Evelyn attended any event without stirring up drama.

Marcus seemed to sense their thoughts, yet his expression remained carefree. He draped an arm around his beloved Vivian’s shoulders, flashing her a teasing grin. "Next time we gather for gossip, it’ll probably be at my place. Who knows what kind of spectacle we’ll witness then."

"Must you always be like this?" Vivian chuckled, lightly swatting his chest. "Behave yourself."

"That depends entirely on whether they behave," Marcus countered with a smirk. "Anyway, I have my doubts about the baby in my father’s new wife’s belly. I’m not entirely convinced it’s my little brother. It’d be perfect if Evelyn could help me verify it." He winked. "After all, the truth always comes out when Evelyn gets involved with someone who has… issues."

Am I some kind of human lie detector now? Shouldn’t you be consulting a doctor for this?

No sooner had Marcus spoken than Nathan shot him a sharp glare, clearly displeased with someone speaking about his wife in such a manner.

Marcus immediately raised his hands in surrender, offering an apologetic smile.

"Wait—your father’s new wife is pregnant?" Vivian gasped, stunned.

Not just her—even Daniel looked taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise.

Marcus arched a brow and let out a dry laugh. "See? Even you think it’s suspicious, right? And apparently, it was a natural conception, not IVF. Not that I disrespect her, but… it’s hard to believe."

At this, Evelyn’s eyes gleamed with interest. She already knew about this, having stumbled upon the information while keeping tabs on Marcus’s latest drama.

The Prescott family was a classic example of the old saying, "The more sons, the more blessings." In their world, the more sons a man had, the greater his contribution to the family—and the larger his share of the inheritance. That was why Marcus’s father, Grayson, had a swarm of brothers—over a dozen of them, with the youngest barely older than Marcus himself.

Influenced by this tradition, Grayson also believed in having as many children as possible. He even saw it as a competition with his siblings. So, not long after Marcus was born, he impregnated his wife again. Unfortunately, due to complications from the rushed pregnancy, both the mother and the newborn died during childbirth, leaving Marcus motherless.

When Nathan first met Marcus, Marcus was the poster child for a troubled youth, seemingly abandoned by parental guidance.

Growing up motherless with a father too obsessed with remarrying and expanding his family, the title of "eldest grandson" felt more like a cruel joke than an honor.

Despite Ralph—no, Grayson—taking multiple wives over the years, no more children followed. A visit to the doctor revealed he had a naturally low fertility rate. Looking back, it was Grayson’s mother who had been unusually fertile—otherwise, the Prescott bloodline might have ended with him. Now in his fifties, even if he found another woman with a high fertility rate, conception would be near impossible. No wonder Marcus was skeptical.

Evelyn had never met Grayson or his latest wife, Adriana Laurent, so she could only piece together the situation from Marcus’s frustrated ramblings.

Marcus was still venting, his voice tight with irritation. "Vivian and I met her. She’s around our age, soft-spoken, and weirdly eager to please me. But let’s be real—what kind of decent woman gets involved with my father? She’s just another secretary who clawed her way up by stepping on her predecessor. I’ve lost count of how many wives he’s had. If not for the family’s ironclad prenups, he’d be broke by now."

At that moment, Vivian’s expression flickered with something unreadable.

Vivian was usually the picture of sweetness, her face an open book of cheerful naivety. So when confusion or distress crossed her features, it was impossible to miss—especially for Evelyn and Nathan, who stood directly across from her.

Nathan wasn’t one to pry into others’ personal affairs, but Evelyn? She lived for gossip.

The second she caught that look, her curiosity flared. Oh, this is interesting.

Vivian had mixed feelings about Adriana. On one hand, she seemed kind and gentle. But during their first dinner together, when Marcus mentioned marrying Vivian, Adriana had pulled her aside and said something… strange.

Even Nathan’s interest was piqued now.

Was she marking her territory? he wondered. Does she see Marcus as competition for her unborn child and wanted to intimidate Vivian?

Adriana had whispered, "While society insists on marriages of equal standing, it’s cruel to chain someone already suffering to an alliance. If you truly love him, set him free. When I marry into the Prescott family, I’ll ensure the next generation has the right to choose their own partners. I want them to find real happiness—real love. And I hope you find someone who truly loves you too."

Nathan blinked.

What kind of twisted logic is that?

Evelyn mirrored his thoughts aloud. "Even I’m confused, and I wasn’t the one she said it to."

Nathan mentally agreed. It was baffling. Adriana’s words sounded like the idealistic ramblings of someone who’d never navigated high society’s cutthroat politics. She preached freedom in love, but how could she be so sure Vivian and Marcus weren’t together by choice?

Vivian, caught in the middle, looked more lost than ever.

And the real question lingered—what game was Adriana really playing?

Evelyn observed Vivian and Marcus from across the room. Marcus was practically glued to Vivian, his arms wrapped around her like a possessive vine. Their affection was so palpable it made the air around them thick with sweetness. Anyone with eyes could see they were deeply, madly in love.

So why couldn’t Adriana see it?

Was the woman blind? Or was there something more sinister at play?

No wonder Vivian had such mixed feelings about Adriana after hearing her ridiculous claims.

But honestly, Evelyn wasn’t worried. Marcus and Vivian wouldn’t have to deal with the older generation for long. After the wedding, they’d likely jet off abroad again, far from the drama.

There were two reasons the couple hadn’t tied the knot yet. First, every time Grayson Brooks returned home, he dragged himself into some scandal or another—bad omens all around. Second, the Grants adored their daughter and weren’t in any rush to let her go.

Of course, Evelyn had uncovered the real reasons through her Gossip System. But this was Vivian’s private business, and Evelyn had only stumbled upon it by accident. Even Nathan’s friends seemed clueless. So, she’d decided to play dumb. As long as the two of them were happy, nothing else mattered.

Still, they were both twenty-eight now—old enough to settle down. Maybe this wedding would finally push them to make it official.

Meanwhile, Marcus was still rambling, completely unfazed by the idea of someone contesting his inheritance. All he cared about was Vivian. Love was enough for him. Ambition? What was that?

Just then, his phone buzzed.

An unknown number.

He frowned and answered.

"Hello? Is this Marcus? It’s me."

A woman’s voice—soft, hesitant.

Marcus blinked. "Who is this?"

The voice dropped, laced with hurt. "You didn’t even save my number? It’s Adriana Laurent."

Marcus’s expression blanked. "Ms. Laurent? Why are you calling me? Does my father need something?"

The silence on the other end was deafening.

Then, a quiet, trembling breath.

"Marcus… don’t you remember anything?"

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed.

Oh, this was interesting.