Hugh faltered, momentarily stunned by the directness of the words.
Since his return from the island, office gossip had been relegated to whispers; no one had possessed the nerve to be so explicit. Even his inner circle had only offered cautious warnings against his cruelty toward Kaitlin.
An inexplicable sensation surged through him again, unsettling his resolve.
Rosalie bit her lip, tears beginning to track down her face. "Why are you trying to shame me like this, Mr. Evans? Look, I've been into Hugh for a long time, so when he got hurt, I was the one there taking care of him. Since when is loving someone a crime? Just because I care about him, does that mean I should be dragged through the mud and lied about by you?"
At the sight of her tears, Hugh's stoicism crumbled into a desperate need to protect her. "Mr. Evans, don't let a woman like Kaitlin play you. Seriously, she's always pulling this kind of garbage."
Kaitlin felt no urge to engage in their drama. Turning on her heel, she walked away from the duplicitous couple without a second glance.
Once inside the vehicle, she inhaled sharply and offered Andrew a regretful smile as he settled beside her.
"Thanks for sticking up for me back there," she murmured. "But I'm really not up for the dress fitting today. Let's just push it to another time."
Andrew's eyes thinned into slits. He suddenly seized her chin, forcing her face toward his until their gazes were inextricably locked.
His expression was a mask of frigid indifference, underscored by a palpable threat. "You're carrying my kid, so just keep yourself relaxed and focus on the pregnancy. Don't go losing it over trashy people like that. If something goes wrong with the baby because you're stressed, trust me—you won't like what happens next."
An involuntary shudder passed through her. Encountering that wall of icy detachment, she suppressed her emotions and adopted a subservient tone. "I get it."
She was well aware of the brutality Andrew was capable of.
A previous rival who attempted to undermine the Evans Group found their firm bankrupt within weeks; Andrew had ruthlessly acquired their devalued shares before the final collapse.
Crushed by financial ruin, the disgraced CEO had once stormed the Evans Group headquarters, shouting frantic threats.
Andrew had remained completely unmoved, and the man ultimately leapt to his death, leaving a gruesome scene on the pavement below.
The fact that such a scandalous event vanished from the Internet entirely was a testament to the absolute control Andrew exerted over the region of Zluasey.
Resigned to her fate, Kaitlin followed Andrew's orders, delivering her resignation to Pioneer Group before bracing herself for the upcoming wedding.
...
Inside a Pioneer Group office, a young man hurled a gold-trimmed invitation onto the desk, his gaze burning with frustration as he faced Hugh.
"What the hell is your problem? You lost your memory, not your damn mind. How could you actually go to the Douglases and ask for Rosalie's hand? You're seriously marrying Rosalie—what about Kaitlin? Only a year ago, you were swearing up and down that you'd give Kaitlin a proposal she'd never forget."
Hugh looked up at his friend, Killian Jones, with a steady gaze. "I know exactly who I love. And as for Kaitlin, the woman is a total pro at playing people. Don't let her pull the wool over your eyes."
Killian rolled his eyes in disbelief. "What a load of crap. You used to guard that woman like she was the most important thing on the planet. You literally went to war with your parents to marry her—you even moved out and were ready to kiss your inheritance goodbye. And now you're trying to tell me Rosalie is the one?"
Constant reminders of a history he couldn't recall had become a source of deep resentment for Hugh.
Lacking any personal connection to those memories, he had built a psychological wall against them.
"This is the last time I'm telling you. Rosalie is going to be my wife. You'd better start showing her some respect, or don't be surprised when I decide our friendship isn't worth the headache," Hugh threatened.
Killian ripped the invitation into pieces and tossed them at him. "I don't give a damn about your warnings. I'm telling you right now—if you go through with this, even if you end up crawling back to Kaitlin on your knees, she won't even look at you again."
Hugh scowled, his eyes flashing with sharp annoyance. "Are you seriously blowing up at me over some outsider? You'd better remember exactly who helped you get to the top."
Killian hadn't expected their situation to reach this point. He, too, had grown up in an orphanage, and it was only by fighting his way up alongside Hugh that he had made it to where he was today.
He was struck by the unsettling realization that the man before him was a stranger.
His once-loyal companion had transformed into a calculating and detached figure.
A knock interrupted the tense silence. Hugh's brow furrowed. "Come in," he snapped.
The door opened to reveal Kaitlin, her features a mask of stoic indifference.
She stepped forward with composure and placed the document on the desk. "I'm doing exactly what you asked, Mr. Williams. I'm resigning, and I'll make sure to stay out of Miss Douglas' way."
