Chapter 139

[Third-Person’s POV]

Alexander wasn’t sure what he could do to properly ease Evelyn’s nerves. Granted, it wasn’t for lack of trying. He’d offered on several occasions that she lay back on either the bed or a couch and let him sink down between her luscious thighs.

He’d never grow tired of the way she tasted.

“I can easily promise you that it will melt away whatever worries and tension you have,” he said with an alluring grin.

Unfortunately, Evelyn was not keen to humor him on any level.

“I wouldn’t have this tension in the first place if you would just let me skip this bullshit evening,” she said bitterly.

Evelyn hardly spared him a glance as she roughly pulled her dress on and marched into the bathroom. She needed to find something to do with her hair and figured she might as well apply some sort of makeup.

She knew she was coming off a bit juvenile in her behavior.

You’re no better than Samantha if you keep carrying on like this...

Her eyes widened in utter horror as a fearful gasp tore from the back of her throat. Oh, good God—No!

Whatever she was holding dropped onto the counter in a loud clatter. She buried her face into her hands and took in several long deep breaths.

Evelyn was not her Stepsister. She did not spend her days wallowing in her own self-pity or wasting her time trying to get everyone’s attention through her clothing and looks. And she certainly didn’t pout like an irritatingly overindulged child!

She needed to get a grip on herself. Yes, the mere thought of having to return to that terrible house was not something she would have ever imagined doing. But Alexander had a point. It wouldn’t look good for either one of them if they wouldn’t accept the invitation.

Evelyn just couldn’t shake the feeling from her nerves that something was going on. Isabella had proven herself to be crafty in more ways than one.

The only bright side to this whole situation was that they were only expected to be there for the evening. Evelyn wasn’t planning on staying any longer than she deemed necessary.

“Evelyn.”

She heard Alexander call out to her from the doorway. Slowly lifting her head up, she turned to find him staring back at her with a look of worry.

“Why will you not believe me when I tell you that everything is going to be fine?” he asked pointedly.

“Because you cannot make promises like that to me when you know that the people we’re seeing tonight are fucking insane!”

She pressed a hand to her chest, failing to ease the clenching ache around her heart. It was a jumbled mix of fear, anger, and hatred. Apart from the staff and her unconscious brother, there wasn’t a single person that she could trust in that hellish house.

Evelyn tried her best to fend off the whirlwind of emotions, knowing that it was only going to bring her nothing but burn-out and total exhaustion.

“Something feels off about tonight,” she said weakly. She tore her eyes away from him and got back to the task of fixing her hair. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s something.”

“I really don’t think that Isabella would seriously dare to try anything when both Leonard and myself are around,” he said.

“You and I both know that my father doesn’t give a shit about me, or my brother for that matter,” she acknowledged dryly. “The only people he seems to hold any regard for are either you or the Alpha King.”

Alexander came up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders.

“This night is going to go by quickly, you’ll see. Plus, think of it as a chance for you to check in on your brother.”

With that in mind, Evelyn finished getting ready and the two were off to the Silverwood house.

...

It came as no surprise that the moment the car pulled up to the door, Evelyn and Alexander were greeted by the Alpha and Luna of the house. Leonard looked positively thrilled that he was finally in the presence of Alexander.

Evelyn refrained from rolling her eyes and felt a slight sense of pity for her husband, knowing that her father was most likely going to try and entrap the man into long several conversations. Isabella, on the other hand, appeared overly chipper at the whole prospect.

Everyone was led to the drawing room where drinks were served while the staff got busy making their final preparations for dinner.

Evelyn glanced about the room to discover that this was no ordinary evening. Not only were Samantha and Liam present but so was Caroline.

Her heart slammed in her chest as she practically stared at the woman like a deer caught in the headlights.

“Caroline,” Alexander spoke smoothly. “What a surprise to see you here.”

The older woman smirked. “Now, Alexander. What sort of mother would I be if I didn’t attend my son’s engagement dinner party?”

Gee, I don’t know. Considering your actual son is in prison as we speak, what sort of a mother does that make you? The kind that should share a cell right next to him.

Caroline hadn’t so much as even glanced in Evelyn’s direction—something she was oddly grateful for. On the other hand, Liam who stood halfway across the room continued to lock eyes with her over the rim of his glass.

The man looked rough. Hell, both he and Samantha looked worn. Clearly, their marriage had yet to find any sort of compromise.

Perhaps, it was the liquor that gave the man a spout of courage. But moments later, Evelyn found herself being approached by Liam. The closer he got, the more she was able to make out his weary disheveled appearance.

“Evelyn,” he greeted. “It’s nice to see you.”

She wasn’t fond of the smile he was giving her and neither was Alexander.

“Hello, Liam.”

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you for so long,” he said. “You’ve become a very hard person to get a hold of.”

“I honestly can’t imagine why you’d be trying to get in touch with me.”

Liam snorted indignantly while taking another swig of his drink. “Surely, you can be gracious enough to spare me a few precious minutes of your time.”

“You know what? Actually, I can’t,” she said sternly. “Now is not really a good time. So, if you could excuse me.”

Alexander had bore witness to that entire interaction and was filled with nothing but questions. With the exception of Michael, he’d never seen Evelyn hold such hostility against another person before. It made him wonder who this Liam person was and what sort of tie he had to his Luna.

Liam was obviously drunk. Knowing that he was currently married to Samantha, who wasn’t an easy person by nature, Alexander could almost extend a sense of pity toward the guy. However, he didn’t know him well enough to make any greater assumptions.

Clearly, he did something wrong because Evelyn looks as though she’s ready to knock his teeth out for merely speaking to her.

The tension was incredibly thick. Yet, the only person who didn’t seem to notice it was Leonard. The man zeroed in on Alexander and began asking him about his ways of trading.

Evelyn gave her husband’s hand a slight squeeze, indicating that she would be back shortly. While she was there, she was determined to see her brother.