Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Evelyn
New York's morning streets looked gray and dreary, pedestrians hunched against the cold, hurrying past. I sat in the car, forcing myself to focus on the blur of movement outside, because the second my eyes went idle, last night's disaster at the ballroom replayed in my head like a broken record.
I had no idea what kind of attitude I should take when I faced Julian at the manor.
Ever since that humiliating dance, I'd been turning it over in my mind—no matter how much he'd cheated and betrayed me before the wedding, the public humiliation I'd dealt him alongside his own father was enough to destroy a man's entire sense of self-worth.
The thought made it hard to breathe. I needed to figure out exactly what kind of mess I was walking into.
I shifted my stiff body, straightened my spine, and looked up at the rearview mirror.
"Luca."
"I'm listening, Miss Gray." Luca's hands gripped the steering wheel, eyes on the road ahead, his voice flat and unreadable.
"Tell me what's happening at the manor right now." I stared hard at his eyes in the mirror. "What did Julian do after Victor took me out of the ballroom last night?"
Luca glanced at me in the rearview. After a brief hesitation, he sighed and laid out the facts.
"Last night, they had the worst fight they've ever had on the second floor. Julian tore apart half the manor. The whole thing ended badly. Julian locked himself in his bedroom."
I dropped my head, sinking back into the leather seat.
Ever since I'd learned Victor wasn't the one who took my father, I couldn't accept what I'd done. Driving a wedge between father and son like this—that was never what I wanted. Thinking about how many times Julian had told me he idolized Victor made the guilt hit even harder.
The car sped down the highway for nearly an hour. The tall black iron gates and dense rows of fir trees finally came into view. The SUV slowed, passed smoothly through two layers of tight security at the manor's perimeter, and rolled onto the wide private drive inside.
The car had barely stopped at the base of the grand marble steps when I spotted the chaos unfolding through the window.
Julian stood on the steps, gripping a massive black leather suitcase, striding toward the manor gates. He wore a thin, wrinkled white shirt, his tie hanging loose around his neck. His hair was a mess. Nothing like the polished New York heir he usually was.
Henry, the manor's elderly butler, wheezed behind him, hands clutching desperately at the hem of Julian's shirt, his face twisted with panic as he begged.
"Julian. Please calm down." Henry's voice cracked with a sob. "It's not safe out there. You can't leave the manor like this. Sir will be angry."
"Fuck him. I'll come back when he's dead." Julian spat the curse. He yanked his shirt free from the old man's grip and kept walking. "Let go of me, Henry. I don't want to spend one more second in this goddamn doghouse."
Luca cut the engine. Julian heard it. He stopped dead, spun around, and stared at the SUV.
What had to be faced had to be faced. And today was already better than last night.
I took a deep breath, shoved open the heavy door, and stepped out. Cold air rushed down my collar. I shivered.
Julian's eyes were bloodshot and terrifying, dark circles heavy beneath them. He'd clearly spent the whole night smashing things and losing his mind. He hadn't slept at all.
I forced myself up the steps and stopped two paces away from him.
I looked at his bloodless face and spoke. "Julian, I know this is hard to accept, but can you give me a chance to explain?"
Julian let out a short, harsh laugh. The way he looked at me held nothing but raw contempt and disgust.
"What bullshit lie do you want to feed me now, Evelyn?" he said. "You think I'd believe a single word that comes out of your mouth?"
My throat tightened, but I made myself keep going.
"I'll admit I kept things from you. But you don't have to leave home just to avoid me. This is your home. You shouldn't have to leave because of me."
Julian slammed the suitcase onto the marble with a dull thud. He took a step forward, closing in on me. The stench of alcohol and sweat hit me in the face.
"Stay here for what?" Julian bit out each word through clenched teeth. "So I can watch my ex-fiancée and my own father turn this place into their personal whorehouse? So I can see you two in heat right under my nose every goddamn day?"
His words knocked the air out of me. I had nothing to say.
"I can't accept this." Julian's voice started to shake. He was teetering on the edge again. "Evelyn, I've worshipped my father since I was a kid. I've been in awe of him. All I ever wanted was his approval. You know that. You knew all of it, and you still chose this way to get back at me."
Julian raised his hand and dragged it through his hair.
"I was happy thinking I could make it up to you. I thought I'd won you back. But the whole time you were planning how to spread your legs and climb into my father's bed." He laughed—an ugly sound. "Fuck. I'm a goddamn joke. My life is a pile of shit."
I opened my mouth, trying one last time to defend myself.
"Things getting this far was never my intention," I said. "I just wanted to survive. Victor and I never meant to hurt you like this."
"Shut up." Julian cut me off without mercy.
He stepped back, putting distance between us. His face went cold—frozen solid.
"I don't want to hear another word," he said. "You make me sick, Evelyn. You'll sell out every principle you have to get what you want. You and my cold-blooded father are perfect for each other."
That was the most vicious thing he could've said. I had no fight left in me. I stood there and took it. I owed him this. I had no right to ask for his forgiveness.
Julian didn't look at me again. He turned, bent down, grabbed the black suitcase, and walked to the red sports car parked by the fountain. He shoved the luggage into the passenger seat, yanked open the door, got in, and slammed it shut.
The engine roared to life. The car tore through the manor gates and disappeared down the road without looking back.
I stood there. The cold wind cut through my coat. Weighted down by embarrassment, guilt, and a heavy heart, I turned and climbed the marble steps alone.
Henry stood by the door, eyes red, wiping at the corners. He glanced at me—blame and hostility clear in his gaze. But he held onto his professionalism. He pulled open the heavy double doors for me.
I dragged my feet into the manor's wide, bright entrance hall.
Last night, after Victor publicly announced I was his woman, he didn't give me a choice.
He told me to move into the manor first thing this morning.
He said it was the safest place until things outside died down.
I'd been sitting in his lap at the time, my brain scrambled by that French kiss, and I'd nodded almost on autopilot.
I never imagined the first thing I'd do after moving in was watch Julian walk out with a suitcase. I didn't know how I was supposed to tell Victor what just happened on those steps.
Hey, your son left because of me.
Not exactly a great opening line.
That's when I heard the click of heels on the stairs above.
I looked up.
A tall, elegant, beautiful woman descended the spiral staircase. She looked to be in her forties, but impeccably maintained. Her hair was pinned without a strand out of place. She radiated the kind of poise and quiet confidence that only came from real old-money breeding.
The woman stopped in front of me, studying me with a warm gaze. A polite, perfect smile graced her face as she extended her hand.
"Hello, Evelyn. I'm Caroline," she said with a smile. "I'm Julian's mother."