Chapter 288

Chapter 288
Dorian's POV

"James," I said again, my voice dangerously calm despite the storm raging inside me. "Bring. Her. Back."

James nodded subtly. Within seconds, four men materialized from our parked vehicles, moving with practiced efficiency toward Evelyn. I watched satisfaction bloom inside me as Hunter's face registered alarm.

But then something unexpected happened.

Liam, the man who'd stepped out from Hunter's compound, moved with lightning speed. His fist connected with the jaw of my first security man, dropping him instantly to the wet pavement. The second lunged forward only to have his arm twisted and—crack—broken at an unnatural angle. His scream pierced the night.

The remaining two hesitated, looking to me for instruction. I held up my hand, stopping James from joining the fray.

"He's not worth it," I said, eyes locked on Liam. In my mind, I thought: A mere bodyguard dares to challenge me? The man was muscle, nothing more. An employee. I wasn't about to dirty my hands.

Evelyn stepped forward, her amber eyes cold as she regarded me. "Let us leave, Dorian."

"Or what?" I challenged, rainwater dripping from my hair into my eyes. "You'll run away again? Go ahead. I'll find you. I'll always find you."

"This is pathetic," Hunter said, his arm protectively around Evelyn's waist. "She's made her choice."

They turned to leave again. I started to follow, unwilling to let this end here, when Evelyn suddenly spun around. Her hair, dampened by rain that had escaped the umbrella's protection, clung to her face. The sight of her—beautiful even in her hatred—made my chest ache.

"So many things have changed over the years," she said, her voice carrying through the rain, "but one thing remains constant, Dorian. I hate you. I've always hated you."

The words hit harder than any physical blow could have. My feet seemed filled with lead, cemented to the sidewalk as I watched them walk away. My face turned ashen as something inside me withered and died.

---

"Blackwood Estate," I ordered James as I slid into the back of the car, dripping rain onto the leather seats. "Now."

The drive passed in silence, my mind replaying Evelyn's parting words over and over. I hate you. I've always hated you. Had every smile been fake? Every touch a performance? Every whispered endearment a calculated lie?

When we arrived, I stalked through the mansion, slamming doors behind me until I reached our—my—bedroom. Her scent still lingered here, a ghost haunting the space we'd shared.

So many of her clothes still hung in the closet. Her medical journals remained stacked neatly on the nightstand. Her teacup sat empty on the bedside table. Everything looked exactly as it had this morning when we'd left together, except the air no longer carried the subtle notes of her perfume.

I sat heavily on the edge of the bed, water dripping from my clothes onto the expensive carpet. James stood in the doorway, silently waiting for instructions.

"What do you think she's doing right now?" I asked, staring at her pillow. The intimacy of the question hung awkwardly in the air.

James cleared his throat. "Sir, perhaps it would be best to let this go. Mrs. Blackwood has made her position clear."

I laughed bitterly. "Let her go? Let her run off with Hunter fucking Pierce? You think I can do that?"

"With all due respect—"

"If I don't hold on tight, she'll truly be gone," I said, my voice dropping to a near-whisper. "Am I supposed to watch them live happily ever after? I can't do that."

I ran my hands through my wet hair, thinking. "Liam isn't important to her. That's why she was willing to threaten me over him. But Hunter..." My jaw clenched. "She cares so much for Hunter that she won't allow anything—anything at all—to harm him."

James's expression remained carefully neutral. "What are you planning, sir?"

A cold smile spread across my face. "I'm going to remind my wife exactly who she married."

---

Three nights later, I sat alone at a table in the back of the ballroom, nursing a whiskey as I watched Evelyn across the crowded room. Hunter's new company, Apex Innovations, was celebrating its successful bid on the Sunset Ridge Estates project.

Evelyn glowed in a champagne-colored evening gown, her hair swept up elegantly. She smiled as business associates approached, raising her glass in countless toasts. I watched her sip delicately each time, never truly drinking.

"Serves you right," I muttered into my glass. When she'd been with me, I'd always intercepted those drinks, saving her from the social obligation. Now she had to handle them all herself.

A commotion at the entrance drew everyone's attention. Madison strode in, her face twisted with rage. She marched directly to the stage, grabbed the microphone, and glared at the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she announced, her voice shrill with emotion, "I'd like to introduce myself as Hunter Pierce's legal wife."

Gasps erupted throughout the room. Madison's finger jabbed toward Evelyn. "That woman is nothing but a homewrecker! A glorified mistress!"

Hunter moved swiftly to the stage, his face tight with controlled anger as he took the microphone from Madison's hand. "That's enough. We've been divorced for three years, as you well know."

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a document, holding it up for everyone to see. "Here's our divorce certificate, if anyone requires proof."

I seized my moment, rising from my table and striding through the stunned crowd. Without hesitation, I snatched the certificate from Hunter's hand, scanning it briefly before looking up with a cold smile.

"She's not the other woman," I announced, loud enough for everyone to hear. "But you, Hunter, you are definitely the other man." I turned to face the crowd. "Evelyn and I never divorced. Not in all these years."

Hunter's jaw tightened. "Her name isn't Evelyn. It's Scarlett."

I laughed, the sound sharp and cruel. "Don't play word games with me. Evelyn, Scarlett—does she think she can simply shed her identity whenever it suits her?"

Evelyn stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "Dorian, my current identity is clean and legitimate. I don't acknowledge what you're implying. What can you possibly do about it?"

Her words cut into me like knives. The defiance in her eyes, the way she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Hunter—it was all too much.

I moved to the stage and took the microphone, my eyes locked challengingly on Evelyn's face. "Care to guess what I might say next?"

Fear flickered across her features. She shook her head slightly, silently pleading with me to stop.

I ignored her, my voice carrying throughout the now-silent ballroom. "When she was Evelyn, she was my woman. Later, as Scarlett, she still shared my bed. I know Hunter doesn't care about such things, but do you all know how she secured the Sunset Ridge Estates project? It was through countless nights in my bed, trading her body for business."

The crowd gasped. Hunter's face darkened with rage. But it was Evelyn's expression—the mixture of shock, humiliation, and pure hatred—that I savored most.

"You want to play hardball, my dear?" I continued, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper only she could hear. "Game on."