Chapter 837
No.1
Eleanor paled. "Evelyn, we can still discuss—"
"Enough." Alexander cut in. "Forced affection bears no sweetness."
Eleanor staggered back before fleeing the hall.
Mr. Kingsley shot his son a venomous glare and hurried after his wife.
...
Isabella Winslow nearly danced with joy upon hearing the news.
"William, this is all thanks to you!" She clung to William West's arm.
No.2
William mused, "Do you know what keepsake Evelyn's mother left behind?"
Isabella's fingers stiffened. "N-no idea..."
She forced a smile and changed the subject. "After the Sinclairs fell, the Kingsleys took everything valuable."
William nodded thoughtfully.
...
Moonlight bathed the Sullivan garden.
"That butterfly brooch..." Vincent studied Alexander's sudden pallor. "The one you asked me about years ago?"
No.3
Alexander's blood turned to ice.
He remembered Evelyn's swollen eyes, how she'd cradled the brooch with such care.
Not a tantrum—but grief.
The night breeze carried floral whispers.
When Evelyn stepped outside, she found Alexander waiting in the moonlight.
He approached and knelt before her.
A diamond ring glittered like captured starlight.
No.4
"Evelyn." His voice roughened. "Will you marry me?"
Alexander Kingsley dropped to one knee. Evelyn Sinclair's fingers trembled slightly.
Thirteen years of memories flashed through her mind like a kaleidoscope.
The cold profile of the boy she first met. His slender fingers guiding hers as he taught her calligraphy. His retreating back when he turned away from her.
The image froze on two red lines of a pregnancy test.
"A baby needs a father..."
She crushed the thought before it could take root.
No.5
The diamond ring in Alexander's hand gleamed cold under the moonlight. She recognized the design instantly—identical to the engagement ring Isabella Winslow had flaunted last birthday.
"Alexander," her voice was shards of ice, "I will never marry."
Headlights pierced the darkness—the Sullivan family car approaching.
"What if I find the Butterfly Brooch?" Alexander called after her.
Evelyn paused mid-step.
"Don't you understand?" Tears glistened as she turned. "The brooch was never the problem."
The night wind lifted the hem of her coat.
No.6
"Can you swear you won't revert to your old ways after marriage? With legal bonds and a child, I'd have no escape."
Alexander seized her wrist.
"I'll transfer all my Kingsley Group shares to you."
"I don't want your money!" She wrenched free. "I want respect! Did my feelings ever cross your mind?"
Their elongated shadows stretched across the pavement.
Alexander's throat moved. "I'll change."
"How?" She pointed at the ring. "By recycling your ex-fiancée's engagement ring design?"
No.7
His face darkened. "This isn't—"
"Enough." Evelyn cut him off. "You always presume to know best."
As she turned, Alexander suddenly embraced her from behind.
"Don't go..."
Evelyn went rigid.
"Alexander," her voice shook, "this only makes me despise you more."