Chapter 9
Evelyn gripped the steering wheel with one hand, her expression cool and composed. The wind whipped through her hair as she sped through the city streets, the bass of her favorite revenge anthem, “Phoenix Rising,” thrumming through the speakers.
She wasn’t afraid of Sebastian uncovering her true identity. What baffled her was why, after three years of indifference, he suddenly cared now that their marriage was over.
Typical man. Give them love, and they take it for granted. Ignore them, and suddenly, they’re desperate for attention.
A flicker of movement in the rearview mirror caught her eye. Her lips curled into a smirk. Behind her, Sebastian’s sleek black Lamborghini was closing in.
Oh, you want to chase me? Good luck.
Evelyn slammed her foot on the accelerator. The Bugatti roared to life, swerving effortlessly through traffic before vanishing around a sharp turn.
“Faster!” Sebastian barked from the passenger seat, his knuckles white against the dashboard.
Nathaniel, his usually composed secretary, was sweating bullets as he pushed the car to its limits. Finally, they caught up, just in time to see Evelyn’s car disappear again after two flawless drifts.
“Damn it!” Sebastian slammed his fist against the window, his jaw clenched.
Nathaniel swallowed hard. “Sir, perhaps we should—”
“Find her.” Sebastian’s voice was ice. “I don’t care how.”
That evening, Evelyn lounged in her private villa, her brothers Nathan and Sebastian Whitmore bustling in the kitchen. She sucked on a lollipop, eyes glued to her phone as she dominated another round of her favorite game.
“Triple kill!” She grinned, kicking her feet up on the couch.
Sebastian chuckled. “Still got it, huh?”
“Obviously.” She smirked, pointing at the screen. “This character is broken. No one stands a chance.”
Nathan slid a perfectly seared steak onto a plate and handed it to her. “Careful, or you’ll get your account banned again.”
“That was Julian’s fault!” Evelyn huffed. “If he hadn’t bailed mid-match—”
“Enough.” Nathan ruffled her hair. “Dinner’s almost ready. Go wait in the living room—you know the smoke bothers you.”
Evelyn froze.
For three years, she had cooked for the Blackwoods despite her allergy. Three years of choking on fumes, her hands rough from scrubbing pots. She had endured it all—for him.
Her brothers would kill Sebastian if they knew.
Nathan’s phone rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. He wiped his hands and pulled it from his apron, frowning at the caller ID before glancing at Evelyn.
“It’s your ex-husband.”
Sebastian Whitmore nearly choked on the lollipop he’d stolen from her. “Again?!”
Evelyn’s face burned. “That bastard has no boundaries!”
Nathan sighed. “Should I answer?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
He put it on speaker.
Sebastian Blackwood’s voice, smooth and infuriatingly confident, filled the room. “I’m looking for my wife.”
Sebastian Whitmore lunged for the phone, but Evelyn shoved his face into the coffee table.
“Ex-wife,” Nathan corrected calmly. “Evelyn is no longer yours.”
“She knows she still is.”
Evelyn snatched the phone, storming into another room before snarling, “What do you want?”
“Your new number.” His tone was clipped. “Grandfather might need to reach you.”
“Tell him to call Nathan Whitmore. He knows how to find me.”
A low, mocking laugh. “Is this your revenge, Evelyn? Moving on with another man so quickly?”
Her nails dug into her palm. “You—”
“Save the theatrics. I don’t care who you’re with. But at Grandfather’s birthday, at least pretend to have some dignity.”
The line went dead.
Evelyn stood in the dark, her chest heaving.
Why did it still hurt?
She had sworn he meant nothing to her anymore.
But the pain—raw and relentless—said otherwise.
Tears burned her eyes as she whispered into the silence,
“Sebastian Blackwood… how could you?”
To Be Continued.
