Chapter 17 Stay With a Cheating Man Like You?
Evelyn
Relief finally slipped out of my lungs after Marcus left the hall. My body dropped into the chair while the violent pounding inside my chest refused to calm down.
Not even my ex-husband ever realized how much I enjoyed having control inside a relationship... so how did Adrian know?
It was not obsession exactly... nothing that extreme. Still, the thought alone stirred a humiliating kind of curiosity deep inside me.
Damn...
Heat rushed across my face from the thought alone.
Once my belongings were arranged and my bag taken from the small desk, I headed out of the university, trying to bury everything that had happened earlier. A few steps later, an ambulance parked in front of the building brought me to a complete stop.
Then came the bigger shock...
Ryan was inside it.
Blood covered his head. Color had completely drained from his face in a horrifying way. Nearby, two female students whispered anxiously while I remained frozen in place.
"Oh my God... he looks seriously injured."
Worry filled the second girl's voice. "But what happened to him? Where did they find him?"
"No idea. His friend found him in the bathroom, and the mirror was shattered completely... looks like someone beat him and ran away."
"What about the security cameras?"
"Heard the hallway camera was broken today, so nobody knows who did it."
"Poor guy... I hope he survives."
Uneasiness twisted tighter inside me while listening to them. Ryan definitely crossed the line during the lecture, but none of that justified what happened to him.
He was still young...
Carefully, my gaze lifted.
Coldness hit me instantly the moment Adrian came into view.
From a distance, those terrifying eyes remained fixed on me without emotion.
A faint curve touched the corner of his lips.
Tiny. Almost invisible.
Enough to make my stomach clench painfully.
No mask covered his face this time. Yet the moment Adrian started walking toward me, it returned smoothly into place as though nothing unusual had happened. Silence followed him as he passed beside me and entered the university without saying a single word.
Confusion settled heavily inside my chest.
How could someone change that fast?
Only minutes ago, warm breath brushed my ear while he whispered like a man ready to devour me alive... and now nothing remained except frightening distance.
My throat tightened while watching his back disappear.
What exactly happened to Ryan...?
And who attacked him with that level of brutality?
A tired sigh escaped me before forcing those thoughts away. Eventually, I left the campus behind while the ambulance disappeared into the street, though the heaviness inside my chest refused to leave.
Later, the supermarket near our apartment became my next stop. Spaghetti pasta, tomato sauce, garlic, oil, and Marcus's favorite meatballs quickly filled the cart.
My spoiled boy.
Far too much time passed inside that place. By the time I finished paying and carried the heavy bags outside, exhaustion already weighed on my shoulders.
A taxi brought me home.
Unfortunately, the day clearly had not finished tormenting me yet.
Right there in front of the building...
Kai.
Casually standing there as if the entire place belonged to him.
Movement left my legs immediately.
How did he find my address this quickly?
Damn...
This man never stops.
Fear crawled beneath my skin, but I forced myself to stay composed. Showing weakness in front of him was the last thing I wanted.
Years had passed since our last meeting... since Marcus was still a little boy.
Worst of all?
Kai barely changed.
Youth still clung to his appearance... along with that infuriating attractiveness I hated admitting existed.
Mockery flickered across his expression once our eyes met.
"Well... well, Mrs. Carter."
Tight fingers dug into the shopping bags while I stared back coldly.
"What do you want now? And why are you here?"
Ignoring him, I continued toward the entrance. A second later, his body shifted as though he intended to help with the bags.
"Do not come near me... and stop pretending to be a gentleman."
Boredom crossed his face immediately.
"After all these years, you are still stubborn and sharp-tempered."
My head turned away from him at once.
Dark memories crashed into me violently until breathing itself became difficult.
A quiet sigh left him while his gaze wandered over the building.
"I will not even ask how you dared run away from me... because you know very well, Evelyn, if I truly wanted to find you, I would have done it long ago. Do not fool yourself into thinking you escaped."
Despite every attempt to remain calm, my breathing still trembled.
"And how exactly did you expect me to stay with a cheating man like you?"
Silence lingered around him briefly before his distant gaze shifted elsewhere.
"You know nothing... and honestly, it is better that way. Otherwise, you would break."
Bitter laughter escaped me.
"You think I care? We were young back then... now we are adults, so start acting like one and leave those toxic games for teenagers."
Sharp eyes settled on me hard enough to force my gaze away.
"What is this place? Damn... why did you not tell me? I would have bought you a better house. Do you really enjoy moving around this much?"
Anger immediately surfaced across my face.
"Keep your money for yourself. My son and I do not need your help."
Truthfully?
Fear still existed.
Every bit of confidence I showed him was nothing more than convincing performance.
The shopping bags landed beside the door while I hurriedly entered the password. Before the door could close, rough fingers suddenly wrapped around my arm.
A shocked gasp escaped my lips.
"Do not ignore me or speak to me like that, Evelyn."
His hand moved toward my hair.
Without hesitation, I pushed it away.
"You no longer have the right to touch me."
Pain shot through my arm as his grip tightened harder.
"No idea how furious I still am with you... I never forgot that you ran away with my only son."
Hurt flashed through my chest while staring at him.
"And you know perfectly well why I escaped from you and your hell, Mr. Kai. Stop acting like I was the only one at fault."
Closer.
Dangerously close.
His lowered voice carried something dark enough to make my stomach twist.
"Even if you disappeared to the end of the earth, I would still find you. Do not even think about keeping me away from my son. Understood?"
Tense laughter left me while shoving hard against his chest.
"And why would I run from you in the first place? Moving here was my own decision, not because I feared you. Who exactly do you think you are?"
Something furious flashed across his face before he stepped toward me aggressively.
My heartbeat stumbled instantly.
"Stop pretending to be brave. You are still the same old Evelyn... the one who shakes the moment she hears my footsteps."
Unfortunately...
He was right.
My knees were already trembling.
Swallowing became difficult.
"And you still call yourself a man? Acting tough against the woman who used to be your wife... then suddenly pretending to care about Marcus? You never even carried him when he was a child."
Cold silence remained stretched across his face.
"None of that concerns you. Tell me instead why Marcus treats me like this. Everything is because of you... you are turning him against me, are not you?"
Anger flared violently inside me.
"Do not call me the old Evelyn ever again. You lost that right."
Frustration exploded from him instantly.
"To hell with your names, stop changing the subject!"
Exhaustion washed over me while my eyes closed briefly.
"Kai... I am tired. Truly tired. Fighting with you is the last thing I want. Marcus does not even want to see you in the first place. Did you forget the things you used to do in front of him when he was little? And now you expect him to act as if nothing happened?"
Provoking laughter left him immediately.
"He was just a child back then... for God's sake, Evelyn."
Shock froze me completely.
Was he serious?
"I told you to stop calling me that!"
This time my voice rose loudly enough to echo.
"Marcus is happy with me. Even so, I still encourage him to see you because you are his father in the end... but he cannot stand you. None of that is my fault."
Rage overtook Kai instantly.
His hand lifted toward me violently.
"Evelyn—!"
Fear forced my eyes shut while my entire body shook instinctively...
Yet before his hand could touch me, another hand appeared and caught his wrist firmly.
My eyes flew open.
Adrian Blackwood.
Now standing between us, Adrian stared at Kai with terrifying coldness sharp enough to suffocate the air around us.