Chapter 299

Eavesdropping on Scandalous Thoughts

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Evelyn Sinclair’s penthouse, casting golden streaks across the marble floors. She lounged on her velvet chaise, sipping her matcha latte, when an unexpected wave of thoughts crashed into her mind.

"Oh my god, did you hear? Nathan Blackwood was seen leaving Seraphina Delacroix’s apartment at 3 AM last night!"

Evelyn nearly choked on her drink. That voice—sharp, gossipy, unmistakably belonging to Lillian Graves, her ever-dramatic assistant. But Lillian wasn’t even in the room.

Then another voice, hushed but dripping with intrigue: "I bet Victoria Hayes had something to do with it. That woman’s been scheming since day one."

Evelyn’s fingers tightened around her cup. Since when could she hear people’s private thoughts? And why were they all about him?

A third voice, smooth and amused, slithered into her mind—Nathan’s. "If only Evelyn knew how badly I want to kiss her right now."

Her face flamed. What the hell?

Before she could process it, her phone buzzed. A text from Preston Whitmore: "Emergency meeting. Studio in 30. Bring your poker face."

Evelyn groaned. As if her day couldn’t get weirder.

Marcus never imagined his private conversation with Adriana would be overheard by Evelyn. Otherwise, he would have died from embarrassment right then and there.

The sheer mortification was unbearable.

"Are you out of your damn mind?" Marcus snapped the moment he regained his composure.

Thankfully, his reaction was exactly what Evelyn expected. Otherwise, she might have seriously doubted his innocence.

The Blackwoods, who had been anxiously eavesdropping through Evelyn’s inner thoughts, finally exhaled in relief.

If something like that had actually happened, it would’ve been a scandal explosive enough to ruin Marcus’s reputation forever.

Wait—what?

Did Adriana just say another?

What did that even mean?

Could the previous child have been…?

Evelyn’s mind raced with horrifying possibilities.

The Blackwoods froze. Seriously?

Surprisingly, Nathan remained completely unfazed. After all, if Marcus had fathered a child, Evelyn’s system would’ve picked up on it from his perspective.

Sure enough, the next moment, they heard Evelyn’s thoughts.

Thank God. At least Marcus has only ever been with one woman—Vivian.

The Blackwoods sighed in unison.

Talk about an indirect way to prove his innocence. Who knew the Gossip System could be used like this?

Nathan smirked, recalling the time he’d been exposed as a virgin. He was eternally grateful for the Gossip System’s ability to vouch for a man’s honor. Otherwise, no one would believe him. And if doubts lingered, his wife might have looked at him differently.

After all, a man’s integrity was everything.

For some inexplicable reason, Nathan felt a surge of pride and pulled Evelyn into his arms.

But Evelyn was too engrossed in the gossip to notice.

If Marcus was innocent, then why would Adriana say such a thing?

Was it a slip of the tongue?

Ugh, this is driving me crazy. I need to see Adriana right now. What the hell is going through that woman’s mind? How could she make such an outrageous demand? Is she seriously not interested in Grayson and instead fixated on her stepson? Is she trying to stir up some twisted family drama, like one of those scandalous romance novels?

Meanwhile, Marcus was too stunned to process Adriana’s words properly.

When she mentioned another, he assumed she was talking about trying to conceive again after her miscarriage.

It never even crossed his mind that she might mean they should have another child—as if they had ever lost one together.

The sheer absurdity of it all left him speechless.

"Can't you show me even the slightest bit of compassion?" Adriana gazed at Marcus as if he were a cold-hearted monster.

Marcus shuddered, repulsed by the desperation in her eyes. He was utterly baffled, struggling to decipher Adriana’s true intentions.

Avoid confronting certain issues? He frowned. She must be referring to Vivian indirectly causing her miscarriage, expecting me to take responsibility and compensate her on Vivian’s behalf. That has to be it… What else could it be? But why approach it like this? Unless…

A chilling suspicion crept into Marcus’s mind. His expression darkened, and he instinctively took a step back.

Evelyn’s jaw nearly dropped. Oh my God, Marcus is catching on. She’s clearly aiming for both Grayson AND Marcus!

The Blackwoods exchanged excited glances. This is getting juicy. There’s nothing like witnessing a schemer’s downfall in real time.

Unaware of Marcus’s disgust, Adriana lowered her lashes, her voice trembling. "Marrying your father wasn’t my choice, but given the circumstances, I had no other option. You know how volatile he is. With his health deteriorating, if he were to find out about my miscarriage…"

Marcus’s expression flickered, but he remained silent.

Adriana pressed on, her voice thick with emotion. "The best solution would be for me to conceive again quickly—to replace what was lost."

Marcus’s eyes narrowed. "You could always turn to someone else," he suggested hastily. "I’ll keep your secret, or—" There are a dozen other ways to handle this.

Before he could finish, Adriana cut him off, her face twisting in betrayal. "How could you say that? What kind of woman do you take me for? Are you suggesting I should just sleep with random men?"

Marcus was speechless, his stomach churning.

But you’re literally trying to sleep with ME! The audacity! Poor Marcus… Evelyn internally screamed.

The Blackwoods exchanged pitying looks. This poor guy can’t catch a break.

Truthfully, Marcus’s life before college had been anything but peaceful. With a revolving door of stepmothers, each had seen him as an obstacle, scheming to remove him from the picture. He’d never gotten along with any of them—but this one was different in the worst possible way.

Nathan was certain his friend would’ve preferred the usual hostility over… this.

When Marcus stayed silent, Adriana grew impatient.

She knew a rational man would never agree to such a twisted proposal.

"This secret must stay between us," she whispered urgently. "And surely, you wouldn’t want someone else complicating your—"

"I won't compete with you for the family fortune. We could keep this secret between us forever," she coaxed, her voice dripping with honeyed persuasion.

Marcus hadn’t anticipated Adriana would actually try to justify such twisted desires with such shameless audacity.

The memory of what had happened to his friends before this moment sent an icy shiver down his spine.

What kind of madness is this? Is it suddenly fashionable to have two fathers for a child—one in name, the other by blood?

Marcus stared at Adriana in disbelief, but a delicate blush crept across her cheeks, as if she were a bashful maiden. "Don’t worry," she murmured, stepping closer. "This will stay our little secret. Just spend more time at home with me, and I’m certain I’ll conceive soon."

Before she could throw herself into his arms, Marcus sidestepped her, his expression hardening. Adriana’s eyes shimmered with wounded sorrow, her lips trembling in disappointment.

It’s confirmed. This woman is completely obsessed with me.

She wanted to kill two birds with one stone—use him to secure a bloodline the Blackwood family would never question, all while satisfying her own twisted desires.

Evelyn had pieced it together too. This deranged woman wasn’t just scheming—she was infatuated with Marcus, willing to risk everything for an illicit affair. There were countless ways she could have achieved her goals—medical procedures, surrogates, even discreet arrangements. If she truly had no feelings for him, why go to such lengths?

Why offer herself?

The Blackwoods exchanged silent glances. Adriana’s intentions were crystal clear.

Nathan, however, found the situation bizarre. Was Adriana so desperate to be with Marcus that she’d gamble everything? A miscarriage wouldn’t necessarily ruin her, but if her affair with Marcus was exposed, she’d be destroyed—while he’d walk away unscathed.

Nathan had already begun digging into Adriana’s past after hearing whispers of a suspicious photo linking her and Marcus. More information would arrive soon. He needed to warn Marcus—prepare him for what was coming.