جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 90

Evelyn's POVWhen Zane proposed we would spend the evening at the penthouse of a club, I didn't think I had it in me to agree to it. I think this was his way of buttering me up to accepting the position at Taylor & Co., which I did agree at least for a tour of the offices.But what I wasn't expecting was to see Adrian having Zane by his collar with the intent to beat the hell out of him.I dropped the bottle of sparkling water as it crashed against the expensive marble floor."ZANE!" I cried, my voice taut with desperation and anguish. "OH MY GOD!"It all happened so quickly that I didn't even have time to process anything. In the next second, Zane was falling fast; the side of his head hit the sharp corner of the table.I had to will myself forward to Zane's side and put myself between him and Adrian… Or whoever this man was supposed to be. Because that definitely wasn't the Adrian I knew.Ironic that he was the one warning me about his brother being the dangerous one. Maybe that was

Evelyn's POVI couldn't lie to myself and say that it didn't feel good. That familiar sense of intimacy; the closeness. It would've been so easy to melt into his arms and give in, and to bask in the warmth of love and affection I'd been missing out on since everything started.Of course, my body would want to betray me like that.However, I was blessed with a moment of clarity as I remembered whose how I was in, and whose arms were actually around me.I pulled Zane's hands away from my waist and put as much distance between us as I could. Then I took a few deep breaths to try to calm my racing heart and worn-out nerves."What the hell was that about?" I asked, feeling somewhat hostile about the situation."I—" Confusion, realization, and then guilt flashed through his features. "I-I'm sorry, Eve, I didn't realize…"He took a deep breath before continuing. "I fell asleep and had a dream… I thought Bianca came back. I thought she was giving us another chance, and I… I smelled the cooking

Zane's POV"It's okay, Eve." I gave her a reassuring smile and leaned against the balcony railing at a respectable distance from her. "Let everything out. The night is young, and I have nowhere to be."I gave myself a mental pat on the back for my ability to bullshit someone at the drop of a hat. Why the hell was she still thinking about that fuck up? Why couldn't she just move on?"I'm pretty sure I sound like a broken record…" A flat laugh escaped her lips."Not at all," I lied effortlessly. "You were betrayed by someone you loved; someone who made promises to you, and didn't uphold their end of the marriage. Not to mention, he accused you of some pretty horrendous things."Her lips pursed into a thin line. "The more I try to think about where everything went wrong, the more I draw a blank. All I can think about is how much I never stood more firm in my dislike for his and Bianca's growing closeness.""For a while, I just thought I was being selfish. After all, she had just lost you,

Evelyn's POVI stared at Nathan like he had spoken to me in Chinese. For a few moments, I found it hard to believe that he had spoken genuine English to me.Was it a real proposal? Or was it just a misuse of banter that gave me a false sense of hope?Nathan, ever so intuitive, seemed to sense my confusion and gave me a boyish grin. "I'm being serious, by the way.""I… I don't even know what to say." It was the only reply I could give to him while I still stared in astonishment."You don't need to say anything. Not right now anyway. I don't leave until next Thursday, which gives you about 9 or so days to think about it.""That's not a lot of time to think about uprooting my life, you know," I teased.Nathan laughed. "I know, I know. But the offer's definitely on the table, and I wouldn't simply be leaving you to navigate Europe alone. I have a beautiful townhouse out in France I bought recently, or maybe if the countryside is more your pace, I have a villa out near Florence.""Well, it

Zane's POV"Whatever you say," Bianca said with an eyeroll before turning her attention to the bartender. "It's about time! I want a sparkling rose, and then a shot of the Van Winkle bourbon."The bartender eyed her carefully as his gaze lowered to her stomach.Bianca clicked her tongue. "Please don't patronize me like that. It's for my DATE.""I think that's the first time I've ever heard you say 'please'," I joked."And it'll be your last.""Where is my little brother anyway?""Speaking with potential business partners, I guess. Ignoring me to do unimportant things.""It's for the future of the household, you know that.""Well, this isn't a business conference, it's a SOCIAL event that he invited me to." She let out a 'hmph'. "The least he can do is not ditch me the whole night.""Oh, I'm sure he'll come around eventually. That bourbon should do the trick."Bianca glanced at me for a brief moment. Not out of contempt, but out of a mutual understanding. For once, she finally agreed wi