Why Did You Come Yourself

Evelyn walked toward the car, acutely aware of the stares burning into her back. She could feel every pair of eyes. She reached the vehicle and gave a light rap on the dark tinted window.

The door opened almost instantly. Alexander Blackwood was inside.

"I saw him! Up close! He's even more breathtaking than I imagined!"

Another hushed, excited voice carried from the crowd behind her.

"That woman and that man… they must be together. They look like they belong in a magazine."

"Who cares about that? Look at the car! That's real money."

For the first time, Evelyn wished she wasn't so perceptive. The whispers grated on her nerves. She slid into the plush interior quickly, shutting the door firmly. The outside world was silenced.

She turned to look at Alexander. The soft cabin light sculpted his sharp features. A laptop was open on his lap, his fingers moving deftly across the keyboard. He seemed entirely absorbed, oblivious to the scene they had just caused.

"Drive," Alexander commanded, his voice low.

"Right away, Mr. Blackwood," the chauffeur replied. The car pulled away smoothly.

Evelyn stayed quiet, not wanting to disturb his work.

But her eyes kept drifting back to him. To the intense focus on his face, the way he commanded the space around him without even trying.

Alexander was a man who always knew when he was being watched. He felt her gaze like a physical touch.

Normally, he would ignore it. Dismiss it entirely.

But Evelyn's stare was different. It had a weight to it, a quiet intensity that pulled at his concentration. He could no longer pretend it wasn't there. He shifted his head, his dark eyes meeting hers directly. "Is there a reason you're staring?"

She blinked, caught off guard by his sudden attention.

A flush of embarrassment warmed her cheeks. Then she thought, I'm his wife. I have every right to look.

Holding onto that thought, she found her voice. "I was just wondering. Why did you come yourself? I thought you were just sending the car."

Alexander let out a short, quiet sound that wasn't quite a laugh. "Is there a problem? Can I not pick up my own wife?"

His tone was cool, as detached as ever.

Yet, Evelyn sensed something else hidden beneath the ice. Something that felt suspiciously like possessiveness.

So, he was acknowledging their connection now.

A small, unexpected spark of happiness ignited in her chest. She remembered the bag in her hand. "Oh, I bought you something. You can try it when we get back to Serenity Oaks. See if you like it."

Alexander's gaze dropped to the shopping bag. A flicker of interest showed in his eyes.

So her trip hadn't been entirely for her own amusement. She had gone shopping for him.

The ghost of a smile touched his lips, so fleeting she might have imagined it.

"Fine. We'll see at home," he said, his voice deliberately neutral.

Evelyn's spirits lifted noticeably. "Okay. Let's go home."

She was feeling pleased, completely unaware that two other people were experiencing a very different emotion.

Julian Blackwood and Isabella Rossi stood motionless on the sidewalk. They were still trying to process what they had just witnessed.

They had seen Evelyn get into a luxury car. They had seen the man inside.

The car was long gone, but they remained frozen in place.

Evelyn had left with another man.

Was it possible? Had she been telling the truth all along?

Was she actually married?

And not just to any man—but to someone who looked like that? Someone who clearly possessed immense wealth and power?