Chapter 1949
No.1
A faint, bitter smile touched her lips. "I should've known your promises mean nothing."
His pupils contracted, fingers tightening. "Because I broke one promise, you refuse to trust me at all? You pushed me to break it. Evelyn, are you gaslighting me?"
She flinched.
Gaslighting?
He was turning the tables.
After distorting facts and accusing her relentlessly, now he claimed she was manipulating him?
"What do you want?" she demanded bluntly.
No.2
Alexander was accustomed to control. Frustration brought out his worst side.
She knew a little compromise would placate him.
But she refused.
She'd had enough. Leaving him once should've meant freedom, yet he haunted her like a ghost.
Taking her for granted when he had her, clinging desperately when he lost her...
Unless she could erase the past entirely, an uncrossable chasm would always divide them.
Her gaze turned glacial.
No.3
That look stabbed through Alexander.
He scooped her up violently, kicking open the bedroom door.
Darkness swallowed them.
He couldn't bear that expression—not for a single second...
He saw right through her indifference.
Yet he indulged her every time.
His concessions meant nothing to her. Even this half-hearted pretense tormented him.
No.4
Did she despise him so completely?
Countless times he'd wanted to shred her careful facade and claim her utterly.
But he always restrained himself.
Turning away, he pressed a palm over his eyes, unable to savor even that meager pleasure.
He felt himself dying inside.
After all his efforts, this woman still intended to leave...
"Enough!" He shoved her away abruptly. "I don't need this."
No.5
Evelyn froze.
His sudden disinterest confused her.
Sitting silently on the bed, she finally said, "I'll find the person in that photo."
"Why bother?" Alexander stood irritably.
"Gossip that means nothing to you could destroy me." She watched his impatient movements as he dressed.
Who could ever truly hurt Alexander Kingsley?
His anger stemmed from unmet desire.
No.6
While she fought just to preserve basic dignity.
"Do what you want." He couldn't spare another word.
Evelyn actually relaxed.
This was the Alexander she knew.
No suffocating attention. No unreasonable demands.
Before she could process it, the front door slammed violently.
Just like old times—he left without a word...
No.7
Only the trembling doorframe lingered.
......
"Lord Alex?" Ethan Miller waited downstairs.
After cycling through assistants recently, Alexander had recalled Ethan.
He realized he was hopelessly nostalgic.
New things never satisfied him.