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Chapter 8

Author: halo
last update publish date: 2026-04-07 17:00:21

Dinner was quiet. Evelyn sat down, her knife deep into the steak she had been served. Lucien ordered ravioli. And hadn't taken many bites from his food either.

They remained silent, letting it stretch into an uncomfortable one. The air thick and heavy with conversation that neither were ready to bring up just yet.

Evelyn had practiced in her head. She had made a scenario where Lucien would address her as a gold digger, serving her divorce papers and then they would part ways.

Just like that.

The marriage would be gone. They would be void of the contracts, and that night—-she'd have to bear the burden of that night. As it lingered in her memory.

Evelyn adjusted slightly, her eyes still fixed on the steak. She had no interest in eating. Her appetite hadn't been the same since she arrived in the country.

To make matters worse, she wasn't getting the hang of the steak. It was as if they were out to provoke her. Despite how hard she dug in, the steak just wouldn't budge.

An exasperated sigh escaped her lungs. Lucien raised his eyes, looking at her thoroughly for the first time that night.

His eyes dragged on, memorising every detail he had missed. Her long, black hair. Her brown eyes, firm cheeks and heart shaped lips.

He couldn't deny that she was beautiful, but it changed nothing. His eyes darted towards the steak she had been struggling with. His lips curled into an amused one.

But it disappeared quickly.

Then he spoke, his voice cutting through the silence. “Do you need any help with that?” He asked, gesturing to her plate.

Evelyn looked at him, and glanced down at the plate. She gave him a shy smile, trying to avoid his gaze. “N—no. I don't…”

Before she could complete her statement, he grabbed her plate and cut through the steak effortlessly. Then handed it back to her.

Evelyn had gotten so lost in watching him that she hadn't noticed his hands, until he waved the plate in front of her. She collected it, her eyes still not meeting him.

“Thank you,” she muttered, taking a bite.

Lucien nodded. “I think it's time for us to get down to business and talk about what we're really here for,” he stated, wiping the sides of his lips with a napkin.

The steak suddenly lost its taste. She knew the conversation was coming, that was the entire reason for the dinner after all. Yet, her stomach churned at the thought.

She braced herself up, preparing for whatever may come her way. “I know you don't want to extend the contract…”

His voice cut in. “Who said I didn't?”

Evelyn froze for a second, trying to process what he said. Then slowly, she lifted her gaze and their eyes met for the first time that night.

She remembered how those eyes had been when she looked into them. But now, they were just cold. No emotions in them.

“You want to further it?” She asked, her voice low and timid.

Lucien sighed dejectedly. “Not by choice,” he affirmed.

Evelyn stared at him, unable to hide the confusion written across her face.

"Not by choice," he affirmed.

His words settled between them, heavy enough to make the restaurant disappear around her.

Just moments ago, she had convinced herself he wanted out of the marriage just as badly as she did. Now, she wasn't so sure what to believe anymore.

She slowly placed the fork down on the plate. “Then... why?”

Lucien leaned back slightly, folding the napkin neatly beside his plate. His expression remained calm, almost unreadable.

“My father wants it.”

She frowned. “That's it?”

He gave a small nod. “That's it.”

Evelyn searched his face, hoping to find something else. Some emotion. Some hesitation. But there was nothing.

“You don't usually seem like someone who listens to other people's decisions.”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“I don't.”

“Then why this?”

Lucien looked down for a brief second before meeting her eyes again. “Because despite everything, he's still my father.”

Evelyn stayed quiet.

“He believes your father's company still has something worth investing in.” Lucien continued. “He thinks extending this contract will buy enough time for Sterling Group to recover.”

His fingers tapped lightly against the table.

“I don't.”

Her brows drew together. “You don't?”

Lucien shook his head.

“I've gone through every report they submitted. Every projection. Every financial statement.” His tone remained even. “I still haven't seen the purpose.”

Evelyn's grip around the fork tightened. “My father has been trying—”

Lucien cut her off before she could finish.

"”Trying isn't enough.”

She swallowed. “The company has been declining for years. One failed promise after another.”

“He'll fix it.”

“Will he?”

His question wasn't loud. It wasn't mocking either. It was worse. It sounded like he genuinely didn't believe it.

Evelyn opened her mouth to defend her father again, but the words refused to come out.

Lucien watched her quietly. “You know I'm right.”

“No.”

Her answer came out softer than she intended. “He just needs more time.”

“Time is exactly what he's been given.”

Silence settled between them once again.

Evelyn lowered her gaze to the tablecloth. She wanted to argue. She wanted to tell him he didn't understand.

That businesses struggled. That recoveries took time. But every argument she came up with disappeared before reaching her lips.

Lucien let out a slow breath.

“Evelyn.”

She looked up.

“You know why you're here.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You're the sacrifice.”

The words landed harder than she expected. Her fingers froze around the fork. Lucien didn't look away. “Your father couldn't keep his company afloat, so he offered this marriage.”

Evelyn felt something tighten in her chest.

“It wasn't like that.”

“Wasn't it?”

She looked away. “He didn't force me.”

“No.”

Lucien nodded slowly. “He didn't have to.”

His voice stayed calm, but every word seemed sharper than the last. “You agreed because someone had to carry the weight.”

Evelyn bit the inside of her cheek.

She hated how accurate it sounded.

Lucien noticed the silence and continued.

“I'm not blaming you.”

She gave a bitter laugh. ‘It doesn't sound like that.”

“I'm blaming the people who put you here.”

For the first time that night, his voice softened just a little. Only a little.

“They turned you into the solution for problems you didn't create.”

Evelyn couldn't find anything to say. Because deep down… She had thought the same thing countless times.

Lucien reached for the glass of water in front of him and took a small sip before placing it back down.

“My lawyer will contact yours.”

She looked at him immediately. “What?”

“We'll have a new agreement drafted.”

Her heart skipped. “A new agreement?”

He nodded once. “If we're extending this contract, there will be conditions.”

She waited for him to continue. “The moment your father's company starts performing the way my father expects, we'll begin the separation process.”

Evelyn stared at him.

Lucien continued as though he were discussing another business proposal. “The faster the company improves, the sooner this marriage ends.”

Her chest felt strangely heavy.

“So…”

She paused.

“So we're already planning the divorce?”

Lucien held her gaze. “We've been planning it since the day we got married.”

His answer was simple. Straightforward.

Like it had never been anything else.

He adjusted the sleeve of his suit before standing from his chair. “My lawyer will explain everything.”

Evelyn remained seated. The food in front of her had long gone cold. Somehow… So had the conversation.

She watched Lucien button his suit jacket, every movement calm and practiced, as though nothing about tonight had affected him.

Meanwhile, she sat there wondering why hearing him speak about their divorce so casually hurt more than she expected.

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