Chapter 6: The master's miscalculation.

Adrian POV

I stood frozen in place, Evelyn’s words ringing loudly in my ears, reverberating through the banquet hall that had fallen into a deafening silence. It felt as though every pair of eyes had suddenly turned toward me.

Slowly, with the control that had been drilled into me since childhood, I turned around, letting my eyes sweep across the sea of faces, noting the mixture of shock, excitement, and barely concealed glee that painted the expressions of the city’s social elite.

A spark of unfamiliar anger flared within my chest, mixing oddly with the shock her words had provided.

Some looked genuinely stunned by the turn of events, while others seemed thrilled to be witnessing what would undoubtedly become the scandal of the decade.

But it was the woman at the centre of it all who interested me.

Evelyn stood in the middle of the ballroom like a queen addressing her subjects, her soaked gown clinging to her frame and her dark hair still damp from her impromptu swim. She should have looked pathetic, dishevelled and desperate, a woman who’d just destroyed her engagement party in a fit of hysteria.

Instead, she looked magnificent and completely unrecognisable.

“Say that again,” My voice was cold and filled with annoyance as I began walking toward her.

She didn’t even flinch, remaining perfectly composed as she held my gaze.

“I said,” she repeated, “since you’re willing to call off the engagement for Isabella, I’ll naturally fulfil your wishes. From now on, there’s no relationship between us!”

Around us, the guests erupted into whispered conversations, followed immediately by more whispers. The guests had sensed the brewing scandal, some even discreetly raising their phones, eager to capture the unfolding drama.

The audacity of Evelyn’s announcement astonished even me. It wasn’t merely a challenge; this wasn’t just a slap in the face delivered in front of the city’s most influential families—it was a direct challenge to the Whitmore name itself.

My temples throbbed in irritation. How dare she?

I had always thought of Evelyn Bennett as a docile, almost invisible, shadow, trailing obediently at my heels—a submissive woman who loved me with the kind of desperate, all-consuming devotion that was pathetic.

No matter how coldly I treated her, no matter how publicly I humiliated her, she had always followed me around like a loyal shadow, grateful for whatever scraps of attention I threw her way.

In my mind, Evelyn Bennett was a mere pawn my mother had selected to improve the family’s business interests, a placeholder I could discard the moment something better came along.

She was only valuable to her family for their connections and compliant enough to mould into whatever shape my family required. Useful in appeasing my mother’s demands, and disposable at my discretion.

But this woman standing before me now, announcing our separation with the confidence of someone who held all the cards. This wasn’t the Evelyn I knew at all.

“Fine!” I said, allowing my lips to curve into a sneer as I closed the distance between us. “What new trick is this?”

I studied her face, searching for signs of the manipulation I was sure lay beneath this performance. “You’ll do anything to get my attention, won’t you?”

I moved closer until we were almost face to face, close enough that my voice could drop to the threatening whisper that had made grown men reconsider their business decisions.

“Don’t think this little tantrum will make me angry, Evelyn. I only agreed to marry you out of respect for my mother, nothing more.”

I paused, letting the insult settle before delivering my final warning. “If you insist on making a scene today and delaying me, if anything happens to Isabella because of your selfishness, I won’t let you set foot in my family’s house again.”

Without waiting for her reply, I turned on my heel, striding from the banquet hall, ignoring the buzz of voices swelling behind me. I couldn’t afford to waste any more time on her. Plus, if I continue to engage with her, it would only fuel the scandal. 

Isabella needed me now. She was the only person in this entire city whom I genuinely cared about.

The moment I was outside the banquet hall, I let my mask slip. 

I clenched my jaw in annoyance as I tried to process what had just happened. Evelyn's announcement was ringing in my head. 

Outside the hall, Thomas, my assistant, hurried to catch up with me, breathing hard. “Mr Whitmore, the situation inside—”

“Deal with it,” I snapped harshly, cutting him off. “I want every picture and video deleted immediately. Every single one. If I see any video of what just happened online anywhere, drop your resignation."

He paled slightly but nodded. At least he understood exactly how serious I was.

“Understood, Mr Whitmore.”

“Good. And get the car ready, now.”

Sliding swiftly into my car, I instructed my driver to head straight for the hospital where Isabella had been taken. As we pulled away, my second assistant glanced at me with uncertainty. I could tell he wanted to say something.

“Spit it out, Amos,” I said tersely.

“It’s about the situation back then. How should I handle Mrs Whitmore if Miss Bennett goes through with breaking off the engagement?”

A cold laugh escaped me involuntarily. The assumption was absurd. Because the more I thought about it, the less I saw the possibility of Evelyn ending things with me. 

She had spent the past three months doing everything in her power to please me. Learning how to cook my favourite dishes, studying business management to benefit my company, and even changing her entire appearance to resemble Isabella. She’d been willing to lower her dignity to become a substitute, to accept whatever scraps of affection I was willing to give her.

How could someone that desperate, that completely devoted, walk away from everything she’d worked so hard to achieve?

“Break off the engagement?” I shook my head, settling back against the leather seats as the car pulled out of the estate’s circular driveway. “This is just Evelyn’s way of getting my attention.”

“Then how should we respond to her?” Amos asked carefully. “Do we proceed with the engagement as planned?”

“Of course, we proceed,” I nodded. “Her family still serves our purpose. Make sure to pass a clear message to Evelyn and her stepmother not to try any more of these pathetic tricks,” I instructed, growing more confident as I analysed the situation. “This hard-to-get tactic is beneath them, and I don’t have time for it.”

“And if they insist that Miss Bennett is serious about ending the engagement?” Amos pressed gently.

“She’s not,” I said with certainty. “We’re going through with the engagement as planned because the Bennett family is still useful to our business interests. Evelyn knows that as well as anyone.”

Amos nodded, though I caught a flicker of doubt in his expression through the rearview mirror. “Perhaps your words to Miss Bennett tonight were... too harsh, sir. Should I go back and offer some explanation to smooth things over?”

“Explain? Smooth things over?” I scoffed, my eyebrows rising in amusement. “No need.”

The car turned onto the main road leading toward the hospital, the city lights blurring past the windows as we picked up speed. I settled more comfortably into my seat, my earlier tension beginning to ease.

“Within three days, Evelyn will come running back to me, apologising and begging for forgiveness. She’ll be ready to do whatever it takes to get back into my good graces. I’ve grown tired of these games. She’s predictable and desperate. She won’t change overnight. Mark my words, she’ll be back.”