Chapter 379

Evelyn instinctively glanced at Alexander before responding to Sophia. "No, why?"

Sophia exhaled in relief. "Good. That means he doesn’t have your number."

"Right," Evelyn confirmed.

"He called me yesterday, asking if I had your contact. When I asked why, he wouldn’t tell me." Sophia’s voice carried concern. "But he sounded agitated, and I was afraid he might stir up trouble for you. You didn’t give him your number, did you?" She pressed again, needing reassurance.

Evelyn scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Why would I? Honestly, I’m being generous just by not blocking him."

"That’s what I wanted to hear. I refused to give Dominic your number, so don’t worry." Sophia hesitated before adding, "Still, with today’s tech, if he really wanted to find you, he could. I just needed to warn you. At least now you know he’s looking for you. I was afraid he might be planning something."

The moment Sophia ended the call with Dominic, she had dialed Evelyn immediately. She had tried prying the reason out of him, but he had only demanded Evelyn’s number with unsettling urgency.

Given Dominic’s usual behavior, nothing good ever came from his persistence. So Sophia had stood her ground. But knowing him, he wouldn’t give up easily.

"Don’t worry about him," Evelyn said dismissively.

She wasn’t afraid of Dominic. Even if he tried to cause trouble, she knew him well enough—he was all bark and no bite.

"Alright, just be careful. I can’t wait for you to come back."

Unaware that Evelyn was with Alexander, Sophia kept reminding her to stay vigilant.

"Don’t stress. I’ll be back soon."

Evelyn ended the call and noticed Alexander’s intense gaze fixed on her. His food remained untouched.

She touched her cheek self-consciously. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"Is there a problem?" Alexander asked bluntly.

Evelyn shook her head.

"No, everything’s fine."

She realized she no longer cared about Dominic.

Maybe it was because so much had happened since then. Or maybe it was simply that their breakup was ancient history, and whatever feelings she once had were long gone—like a distant, half-forgotten dream.

Now, looking back, she saw him for what he was: a minor footnote in her life. His attempts to grab her attention were nothing more than pathetic theatrics. She felt nothing for him anymore.

Alexander didn’t press further. He trusted her answer.

Instead, he asked, "Are you full?"

Though Evelyn hadn’t eaten much, the rich stew and the steak he had cut for her were more than enough.

After settling the bill, they returned to the car.

"Are we heading back to Crestview?" Evelyn asked as she fastened her seatbelt.

Before Alexander could respond, his phone rang.

For the past few days in Roseroot, his phone had been unusually silent. Evelyn had found it strange—normally, he was constantly bombarded with calls.

If she hadn’t known better, she might have thought he was trying to reinvent himself—from a ruthless, workaholic tycoon to a carefree playboy.

The truth was, Alexander had muted most notifications. He didn’t want work interfering with their time together.

Only urgent matters got through.

But this wasn’t a regular call.

It was a video call through WhatsApp. His phone lay between them, and both glanced down at the screen simultaneously.

The caller ID read: Cassandra Winslow.