Chapter 210
No.1
She averted her eyes from his scorching stare.
"What about Isabella Winslow? The whole city saw your engagement."
His expression turned icy. "Must you do this, Evelyn?"
He knew her too well.
Bringing up Isabella was just her way of reminding him of Julian Ashford.
She didn’t want reconciliation.
This marriage was only for the baby.
No.2
The realization tightened his chest.
The only comfort was that she valued this child more than Julian.
But the thought of her carrying another man's baby made it hard to breathe.
"Evelyn," he pulled her flush against him, "I'm the legal father now. Do you want our child raised in a broken home?"
She pressed a hand to his chest. "We'll discuss that after the birth. If you still want to be a father by then."
"I'm starting now." His arms locked around her, leaving no room for refusal.
"Alexander—"
No.3
"You expect me to watch you live across from Julian?" he cut in. "To let another man covet my wife?"
"He wouldn’t—"
"Did you change the locks?" he challenged.
Evelyn hesitated.
Julian had returned the key...
"I saw you leaving together," Alexander said coldly. "I won’t tolerate it again."
Suddenly, he asked, "How did this happen?"
No.4
Her breath hitched.
That was a question she couldn’t answer.
He took her silence as confirmation.
"You're my wife now," he gritted out. "The agreement states you can't see Julian again."
But the apartment she lived in belonged to Julian.
If not for his grandmother's interference, she wouldn’t have moved out.
"Grandmother wants you back at the estate," he warned. "Don’t force me to side with her."
No.5
Evelyn laughed bitterly. "Isn’t this coercion?"
Her expression stung him.
"Just let me in," he conceded. "I’ll follow your rules on everything else."
She bit her lip.
She knew better than to yield.
Give him an inch, and he’d take a mile...
"You sleep in the living room," she stated firmly.
No.6
"Fine." He agreed easily. "But I’m getting a sofa bed."
Without waiting for a reply, he took the keys and ushered her inside.
Evelyn stared.
It dawned on her then.
The living room had been his goal all along.
The talk of cohabitation was just a ruse to get inside.
Since when did Alexander play mind games?
No.7
His efficiency was staggering.
Within an hour, the living room held a sofa bed and a coffee table, making the space feel cramped.
As Evelyn opened her mouth to protest, he handed her a document.
"Read this."
She flipped it open—a confidential file in English.
"What’s this supposed to mean?" She feigned calm.
"Living here," he said meaningfully, "you’ll have access to intel like this anytime."