Chapter 268

Evelyn knew with absolute certainty that her fixation on Liam had nothing to do with the man himself. It was his power as CEO of Blackwood Enterprises that kept her clinging to him. The moment he lost that position, she'd vanish without a backward glance.

Biting her lower lip until it nearly bled, she forced crocodile tears and murmured, "Liam darling, I know you're madly in love with me. But I've warned you. If you fall from grace, you'll have no one to blame but yourself. Only the ruthless thrive in this world."

Her mind raced with new strategies to cut ties with Liam once their grand scheme reached its climax. There would be no point maintaining their charade of a relationship after that.

The thought of their unconsummated relationship crossed her mind. Despite months of dating, they'd never crossed that line.

Evelyn had tried countless times over the past year, but Liam always resisted, insisting they wait until marriage.

At the time, she'd felt rejected. Now, she thanked her lucky stars nothing physical had happened between them.

Her phone vibrated violently. Beatrice was calling.

The moment Evelyn answered, her mother's excited voice spilled out. "Darling! I've found the perfect match for you. Harvard-educated, from old money - exactly your type!"

"Mother," Evelyn snapped impatiently, "I'm still technically with Liam. How would it look if he found out about this?"

"Oh, my naive child," Beatrice sighed dramatically. "Are you still holding out hope for Liam? He's finished this time. Do you know why I'm pushing this? I just learned Liam met with Olivia yesterday to finalize their divorce. It's over. Don't you understand what this means?"

Evelyn's breath caught. "Does this mean... he's going to propose?"

Beatrice's silence was deafening.

Rumors about Olivia being the long-lost Kensington heir had spread like wildfire.

Evelyn had heard them all. Claiming she wasn't jealous would be a lie. But she'd dismissed them - with the Kensingtons backing Olivia, she knew better than to make a move.

One thing puzzled her though. If Olivia was now a Kensington, why was Liam so desperate to divorce her?

The more she thought about it, the more her stomach twisted. Was Liam actually planning to marry her?

No sooner had she ended the call with Beatrice than Sebastian rang. "Miss Hartley, Mr. Blackwood requests your company this evening. Are you available?"

"I'm afraid not," Evelyn cut him off sharply. "My schedule is packed for the foreseeable future. Kindly inform Liam not to contact me unless it's a matter of life and death."

Sebastian was stunned speechless. Since when had Evelyn, who'd always jumped at Liam's every summons, become so dismissive?

As he relayed the message, he could already picture Liam's bewildered expression.