Chapter 10

For days, Nathaniel barely left Evelyn's bedside, caring for her around the clock. Only urgent military business could draw him away.

By the time he'd caught up on work, another day had passed.

"General Farrell, should we head to the hospital or go home?" his guard asked.

Nathaniel rubbed his forehead, about to answer, when the guard hesitated.

"Sir, I think you should check on Mrs. Farrell first. She took the punishment for her friends that day. All 20 blows with a wooden rod. You know how she is. She can barely handle a scratch. I don't know how badly she's hurt."

Nathaniel went still, his eyes widening. "What? She took the beating for them? What was she thinking?"

Panic seized him. The thought of Rosalie enduring that kind of pain was almost more than he could bear.

She'd always made a fuss over the smallest scratch. She couldn't bear pain or even the slightest mark on her skin. How could she possibly have endured 20 blows of the cane?

His chest tightened until he could barely breathe. He'd never felt this kind of anguish, not even when Evelyn had jumped from the building or fallen into the lake.

He couldn't understand why the news had shaken him so badly. He only knew he had to see Rosalie.

"Take me home. Now!" he ordered.

The car sped toward home.

The moment it stopped, Nathaniel jumped out. Rosalie might drive him crazy sometimes, but right now, he was worried sick about her.

As he approached the front door, however, he spotted a group of men gathered outside, talking excitedly.

He knew many of them, from military pilots and army commanders to promising young diplomats. They were some of Nelmora's most accomplished young men.

One of the commanders spotted Nathaniel and came right over, wearing a big, easy grin. "General Farrell! You're back just in time! Is what they're saying in the papers true?"

"General Farrell, now that you and Ms. Quinn are divorced, does that mean the rest of us finally have a chance with her?"

"Nathaniel, Rosalie's gorgeous, and she's so full of life! What man wouldn't fall for her? I've had my eye on her for ages, but she was your wife, so I kept my distance. Now I can finally make my move!"

"Exactly! Come on, introduce us! We're all dying to ask her out!"

The men kept talking over one another, singing Rosalie's praises and eagerly discussing their chances with her.

As Nathaniel listened to the men talking excitedly about Rosalie, a fury unlike anything he'd ever felt threatened to push him over the edge.

"You want me to introduce you to her? So you can ask her out? Have you all lost your minds?" he demanded, his voice dangerously cold.

"Rosalie is my wife!"

His outburst startled the men. They exchanged uneasy glances.

One of Nathaniel's close friends stepped forward and held out a newspaper. "Nathaniel... you haven't heard? It's right there on the front page. Your divorce is official."

Nathaniel snatched the paper from him. His eyes went straight to the bold headline.

"General Farrell and Quinn Heiress Officially Divorced!"

For a moment, Nathaniel couldn't think. His ears rang.

He and Rosalie were divorced? Since when? How could he not have known?

Before he could make sense of it, Rodney Gilliam, the Quinn family's longtime butler, came shuffling toward him. He held out a sealed box, his expression troubled.

"General Farrell, Mr. Quinn asked me to bring you this. It's the drug Ms. Cohen needs."

Nathaniel looked up sharply at Rodney. "The drug? Why would he give it to me now?"

Rodney sighed. "Ms. Quinn made a deal with her father. She asked him to give you the drug. In return, she agreed to give up her inheritance and never come back to Nelmora."