Chapter 331

"Absolutely! I'm with you on this! Let's make it happen!"

"I captured crystal-clear footage earlier—I'm uploading it right now!"

"Count me in! If we all join forces, that fraudster won't stand a chance!"

The sleek Mercedes-Benz gradually steadied its pace.

Evelyn settled into the plush leather seat, taking a moment to breathe. The nausea had subsided, leaving her more composed. She extended her hand. "Hand me the phone, Nathaniel."

Nathaniel's expression darkened as he retrieved his phone, but just as Evelyn reached for it, he abruptly lifted it out of her grasp. His voice was icy. "Before I give it to you, explain why you told me to leave without you."

Evelyn's brow furrowed. "Because... I didn’t want you caught on camera!"

Nathaniel's gaze turned stormy. She still kept him at arm's length, as if he were some kind of liability.

Recognizing his displeasure, Evelyn quickly backtracked. "Remember what you said about your position making you a target? If those people got footage of us together, they might see you as vulnerable. I’m just thinking ahead—for both of us."

Nathaniel’s stern expression softened slightly. Her roundabout reassurance worked—she’d admitted he mattered to her. With a scoff, he ruffled her hair. "At least you’ve got some sense of self-preservation."

Evelyn pursed her lips and held out her hand again. "Phone. Now."

Relenting, he handed it over.

She immediately scrolled through the day’s headlines. The trending section showed no trace of the scandal—Nathaniel’s team had clearly scrubbed it clean. But the damage was done. The video had already spread like wildfire through private chats, and she knew most of the internet had likely seen it by now.

She traced the source of the chaos back to an influencer named Scarlett, who’d spun a sob story about being swindled out of $150,000, claiming it had ruined her life and left her mother ill. The edited clips made Evelyn look like the villain, and the online mob had swallowed it whole.

The comments were a cesspool of vitriol, with strangers wishing her harm.

A sharp pang shot through her stomach—whether from stress or some twisted karma, she didn’t know—and she doubled over with a wince.

Nathaniel’s sharp eyes caught the movement. "What’s wrong?" he demanded, voice low.

"Nothing," she muttered. "Just... stomach cramps."

"Shouldn’t have been running around like that," he chided, though his tone was softer now. In one swift motion, he pulled her onto his lap and pressed a warm palm to her abdomen, massaging in slow circles.

The heat helped, but embarrassment flared. "Stop—Lucas is right there!"

Nathaniel arched a brow. "And? There’s nowhere on you I haven’t touched before."

Evelyn’s cheeks burned. She shot a mortified glance at Lucas, who was dutifully pretending not to hear. "Nathaniel! Have you no shame?"