Soren caught the implication in his words.


    He hadn''t thought much of it earlier, but now, hearing what the man said, it was obvious: the other man already knew who Soren was—and that he and Evangeline were divorced.


    Had hee prepared?


    Did Evangeline hire these people to keep him away?


    While Soren''s thoughts were spinning, Evangeline used the distraction to wriggle free of his grasp. She had been gasping for air for too long; when her feet finally touched the ground, her vision went ck for a moment and she staggered, unsteady.


    Instinctively, Soren reached out to steady her, but the second his hand neared, Evangeline shoved him away as though he were something poisonous.


    The gesture was unmistakable. Soren froze mid-motion, the realization pressing in on him.


    Did she really hate him that much?


    Evangeline copsed onto the ground, still shaken, watching him pause. She hadn''t expected Soren to treat her like this. They''d been married for five years. They''d shared a bed, yes, but outside of that, he barely nced her way-let alone kissed her or showed any real warmth.


    Now, as she sat on the floor, a pair of unfamiliar hands reached down to help her up. Evangeline jolted, but when she turned, she saw two strangers.


    "Miss Whitmore, Mr. Carlisle sent us. We''re here in Serenity City to protect you," one of the men said softly.


    The other chimed in, "Sorry, we arrivedter than we should have."


    The fear that had been coiled in Evangeline''s chest eased a little when she


    realized they were Glenn''s men. With their help, she got to her feet.


    Soren''s gaze turned cold again, as icy and unreadable as ever. The way the two men treated Evangeline only confirmed what he had suspected.


    He gave a bitter, humorlessugh, his chest aching. His fists clenched so tightly that veins stood out across his knuckles.


    He struggled to control the urge tosh out, his voice clipped and cold: "Evangeline, I''ll ask you onest time. Are youing home with me, or—"


    "You should go."


    She cut him off before he could finish, her tone level butpletely devoid of emotion. "If this gets out, it won''t look good for you-or for Fawkes Enterprises. Your grandmother''s the head of the family. I don''t want to upset her."


    Hearing her clear refusal, Soren let out a self-mockingugh. "Fine, Evangeline. If that''s how it is, then this is where it ends."


    He must be out of his mind,ing here to check on her, thinking they might reconcile. She clearly didn''t need him at all.


    With a chill clinging to him, Soren turned and strode away.


    After he left, Evangeline thanked the two men quietly. "Have you been following me these past few days?" She remembered the unease she''d felt at the birthday dinner, that creeping sensation of being watched, and couldn''t help but ask.


    The two exchanged a nce. “Mr. Carlisle only sent us today,” one said. "We don''t know about anything that happened before."


    Evangeline fell silent at that, said nothing more, and after bidding them goodnight, headed upstairs.


    If it wasn''t them, who had been following her?


    Victor came to mind, but she dismissed the thought just as quickly. He had no patience for games, and if he''d known where she was, he would have shown up long ago.


    But then who?


    She''d always been the subject of gossip in Serenity City, but she hadn''t made many real enemies. No matter how long she turned it over, she couldn''t find an


    answer.


    Finally, she gave up and went to her room to rest.


    Lockridge Manor. The wee banquet was held out on thewn, brilliantly lit, almost as bright as day. Yet as you approached, the ce was utterly silent.


    The Lockridge family, dressed in their finest, stood scattered across the grass, every one of them silent as stone. It felt as though an invisible cloud was pressing down from above, so heavy it was hard to breathe.


    At the center of it all-


    "Please, Mr. Lockridge, I''m sorry! I''ll never do it again, I swear, just let me go- please!"


    A man knelt on thewn, shaking uncontrobly, banging his forehead against the ground over and over in front of Victor.


    The rest of the guests stood around, faces white with fear, not daring to move or make a sound.


    Victor sat at the table, his suit jacket open, tie loose and slung carelessly around his neck. He looked anything but proper, yet no one dared utter a word or even let their gaze linger on him for a moment too long, for fear of showing the slightest hint of disrespect.


    One foot propped on the edge of the table, the other casually dangling, Victor nursed a ss of strong rum. He tipped his head back and downed it in one gulp -as if it were water.


    Only when the man''s forehead split and began to bleed did Victor finally rise from the table. His voice was icy cold: "Cut out his tongue."