Chapter 5: Waking Up With Nathan

"Evelyn, why do you always look so disheveled every time I see you?" Is this hell? Why else would I hear Nathan's voice before I even opened my eyes? God help me—I wished I could faint again. Nathan's gaze bore into me, piercing and inescapable. Feigning unconsciousness was no longer an option. Resigned, I opened my eyes. "And for the record, your fake-sleeping skills are atrocious. Don't bother trying that act again." Heat flushed my ears as his laugh brushed past me. I cleared my throat, desperate to smother my embarrassment. "I just woke up. Thank you for looking after me." Thank heavens, Nathan didn't dwell on it. Instead, he settled into a chair by my bedside. I stole a glance at him. Gone were the starched suits and calculated precision. What sat before me now was an enigma—a man suspended between sainthood and sin. He wore only a white shirt, the top buttons undone halfway, revealing his Adam's apple and—lower still—his pectoral muscles. A flawless silhouette. I wondered how they'd feel to the touch. As for the snug black trousers molded to his frame— At this angle, I could make an accurate guess about the quality of the "gun" he was packing. Startled by the brazenness of my own thoughts, I pulled my gaze away. My throat suddenly parched. I prayed he hadn't noticed my lingering look. Fortunately, Nathan seemed unaffected. "This is my private suite. You can rest here as long as you need to." The next thing I knew, a cool glass of water was pressed into my hand. Surprised, I almost flinched. Was Nathan a childcare expert? How else could he be so adept? Men like Nathan—the Lycan Alphas of legend—weren't supposed to behave like this. But before I could let myself be lulled by his unexpected gentleness, Nathan's next words sliced through my illusions. "So, why are you here?" What was he suspicious about? Did he think I'd followed him? I sighed internally. If anyone was guilty of obsession, it would be Daniel—not me. "I didn't do anything. Daniel sent me." The explanation felt thin. "Daniel? You mean your husband, the man I saw making out with another woman in the woods?" I opened my mouth, but the starkness of his words rendered me mute. "And when you fainted in my bar earlier, was it because you caught your dear husband screwing that same woman in one of the private rooms?" I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut. Pass out again, I begged myself. Do it now. The deep rumble of Nathan's amused laughter told me my attempt hadn't fooled him. "Honestly, you're kind of fascinating. If you'd just ask, I could make their lives miserable for you—or help you leave that bastard altogether." Reluctantly, I cracked my eyes open again. Nathan smiled down at me, his grin dark and alluring, his eyes an intoxicating shade of olive green. He was temptation incarnate, a devil whispering seductive offers, holding out the forbidden fruit. I bit my lip, shame turning my face hot. But somehow, the words forced their way up. "Please, Uncle. About this afternoon—and tonight—please don't tell anyone." I couldn't even bring myself to curse Daniel aloud. But this much I knew: soon, I'd leave Crimson Pack. I wanted to vanish without a trace. Better to make them all think I was gone—until then, I'd rather stay unnoticed. "Oh? Tell me! Why?" I bit down on my lip. This should be kept hidden from Nathan. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you. Please just promise me you'll keep this to yourself." The tension thickened as he studied me. Thankfully, he didn't press further. For a moment, his gaze seemed to lose some of its gleam. "Fine. You can go now, Evelyn. As for your little secret—" He let the statement hang. My pulse quickened. "That depends on my mood. Who knows?" He rose from his seat. Something about the way my name rolled off his tongue—weighted, deliberate—nagged at me. Before I figured it out, Nathan was already walking out. I scrambled upright in bed. Grabbing my heels, I bolted. It was already two in the morning by the time I made it home and collapsed onto my bed. When I finally drifted off, Nathan haunted my dreams. There he was, casually spilling my secrets to the world. Then my "rebirth" plan failed, forced to endure Daniel's theatrical performance once more. I jolted awake. This was terrible. Then my phone lit up. A text from Daniel. "E, it's late. You should rest. The party went on longer than I thought, but I'll be home soon. Love you." The message left me nauseous with fury. How long had he planned to perpetuate this charade if I hadn't found out? Forever? Was there ever an end to his lies? For the first time in my life, I understood what Truman felt like in that damned show. Sleep became impossible—more torturous than before. I let out a sorrowful scream. My phone rang again. I wondered if it was another text from Daniel. I unlocked my phone. What greeted me instead was a photo sent by an "unknown" number. A pregnancy test. Two bright red lines stared back at me. I checked the date—not Black Friday, not April Fools' Day. Below the image was a message: "I'm pregnant. Daniel is the father. Be the bigger person and file for divorce—it's better for everyone." I thought such drama only happened in over-the-top TV shows. But now I'd become the main character myself. Today, I'd witnessed Daniel and Amy making love in a room at the bar. Then I'd received Amy's pregnancy test photo. How could a day get this dramatic? As I stared at the double lines, the pain of Daniel's betrayal twisted my chest. I couldn't even register the world around me. With one last shred of hope, I dialed the unknown sender, hitting record. After the dial tone, I immediately blurted out her name. "Amy, what do you want?" There was brief static on her end, followed by muffled noises. "Evelyn, now that you know, don't stand in the way of our happy little family." With a mocking smirk, I nearly laughed out loud. Happy family? I'd known Amy for five years, yet I never imagined she could be this shameless. "Does Daniel even know about the pregnancy?" I held my breath. "Of course he knows. Although"—her voice dipped, gleeful—"he can't seem to keep himself in check. We just had s*x, actually. Just now." Her laughter—sharp and venomous—rattled down the line. "What about you, Evelyn? How long has it been since Daniel last f****d you?" Over the past year, I'd only seen Daniel about six times—meaning we'd barely had a normal s*x life. Yet his constant consideration made me never doubt him. Little did I expect he'd not only cheated but gotten someone else pregnant. I took a deep breath—rage twisting my fingers around the phone—but kept my voice calm. "Amy, why Daniel? You're gonna have so many options after graduation. I've helped pay your way through college for five years. Why this?" This was what puzzled me most. In the past, I'd treated Amy like a blood relative. Even when I'd just graduated and was working three jobs to support Daniel's career, I never stopped funding her. Why would she do this? "Help?" Amy scoffed. "You call that help? You gave me only fifteen hundred dollars a month and thought you deserved the title of 'my sister'?" I tried to cut in. "Amy, that was just the allowance. I also covered your rent. If you ever need anything, just tell Vivian or me. I'll try to give a hand." Amy sneered. "Right, like a homeless beggar groveling at your feet? Did it feel good to watch me lose my dignity like that? Do you actually enjoy humiliating people with money?" Humiliated her with money? I never expected this outcome. The first time I saw her, she was a frail girl in a white dress, huddled at the back of the orphanage crowd. That was why I chose her as my beneficiary. I took her in, educated her, paid for every tuition and living expense, listened to her troubles. I never imagined that after five years of support, the girl I'd nurtured would hate me so fiercely. A flush of disappointment flooded over me again. "But," she added triumphantly, "I should thank you, Evelyn. You cutting me off was the best thing that ever happened to me. Daniel felt so sorry for me—so sorry that he bought me a one-hundred-thousand-dollar necklace to cheer me up." One hundred thousand dollars? Every financial transaction of his went through me. Where did he find that kind of money? "Do us all a favor, won't you? Just sign the papers. My child is already four months along. Soon they'll name me Luna, and you'll be nothing but a disgrace—a barren woman cast out of Crimson Pack. You can't compete with me, Evelyn. Not anymore." I clutched my hand tightly, nails biting into my palm. "You expect me to believe this? With just a single photo of a pregnancy test? Come up with something better, Amy." Her laugh was soft, despising my foolishness. "Daniel's coming with me tomorrow for a prenatal exam. Come by, Evelyn. You can see the truth for yourself." The line went dead. And that was it. Sleep was now an impossibility.