Cold Husband Burning Regret: The Divorce He Couldn't Handle novel Chapter 219

A heavy silence hung over the hospital room. After a long pause, Evander gently released her hand, his voice steady. “If you need anything, contact the bodyguard.”

He left the room without looking back.

Tricia watched him go, her eyes rimmed red as she clenched the sheets in her fists. She had thought that letting him believe she was the one who saved his life would make him treat her differently, even favor her again. But she hadn’t expected this. He didn’t seem happy at all—if anything, it was as though he wished she hadn’t been the one to save him.

Evander stepped out of the hospital and had barely settled into the car before his phone rang. Natalie was on the line.

She’d found Mrs. Fontaine.

Instead of returning to Willowmere Estate, he headed straight out to deal with the matter.

Mrs. Fontaine had snuck back into town after hiding out, having squandered all her money. With nowhere else to turn, she’d come crawling back to the city to seek help from her husband’s sister.

Bundled up to the chin and nervously hunched in the corner booth of a quiet restaurant, Mrs. Fontaine looked as though she expected to be recognized at any moment. Only when Vesta Fontaine entered did she finally pull off her scarf and stand. “Vesta! Thank God you’re here.”

“Oh, you’ve got some nerve calling me that,” Vesta retorted, her expression ice-cold. “You and Quentin Fontaine really are a pair—both clueless, both reckless. You nearly dragged your brother-in-law down with you this time.”

“Vesta, Quentin is your own brother! How can you say that about him?”

“The day he went to prison, we stopped considering him part of this family,” Vesta replied, sitting down with a stiff posture. “The Fontaines can’t afford the disgrace.”

“Oh, so it’s not about the family’s reputation—it’s about not messing up your husband’s re-election, isn’t it? We’re all supposed to be family, but you’d rather throw us to the wolves than risk your precious status?” Mrs. Fontaine’s pent-up resentment finally spilled out, her voice trembling with bitterness.

Vesta didn’t answer. Just then, the door opened and a bodyguard entered.

Natalie followed, calm and composed, giving Vesta a polite nod.

Before Mrs. Fontaine could react, Vesta grabbed her purse and turned to Natalie with a smile. “I’ll leave her to you, Natalie. I have somewhere to be.”

Mrs. Fontaine shot to her feet. “Vesta! You’re selling me out!”

The thought that she might meet the same fate as Conrad made her go pale, the blood draining from her face.

Evander could read her thoughts as if they were written on her forehead. Resting his folded hands on his knee, he said, “Relax. I won’t treat you the way I treated Conrad.” His tone shifted ever so slightly. “But, like your husband, you may end up losing your freedom.”

Panic flashed in Mrs. Fontaine’s eyes. She was caught, damned if she spoke and damned if she stayed silent. Her chest felt tight with fear.

Evander leaned his head on one hand, his expression cold. “Still not willing to talk, Mrs. Fontaine?”

“I…” She faltered, her voice barely above a whisper.

“As long as you tell me the truth, I won’t make things hard for you.” He tapped his fingers idly on the table. “But if you dare to lie…”

“Mr. Howard, I was forced into this!” Mrs. Fontaine burst out, teeth clenched. “Director Winthrop promised that if I helped her with this, she’d take care of my husband’s case. And besides…”

She didn’t dare meet Evander’s eyes. “Besides, you always seemed so protective of Director Winthrop. I thought you’d given her your blessing. That’s the only reason I went along…”