Chapter 2

Evelina Frost POV:

The temperature in the living room dropped to freezing as my brother's voice echoed off the walls. Staring at his tall figure, my nose tingled, and my tense shoulders relaxed on their own.

Intimidated by the pressure radiating from him, the four bodyguards took a collective step back, pulling their hands away as if electrocuted.

When Richard saw the man's face clearly, the angry flush drained from his skin. The fingers holding his cigar trembled violently.

"Alexander... Mr. Blackthorn? What brings you here?"

Richard stammered, panic bleeding through his voice as he instinctively bowed his waist.

Alexander didn't spare him a glance. As the billionaire CEO of Blackthorn Beauty & Pharmaceuticals and my eldest brother, he strode straight to me, positioning his tall frame in front of mine to form an impenetrable shield.

Looking down at me, the murderous chill in his eyes melted into warmth. His rough thumb brushed my cheek.

"Evie, I'm late. Did they bully you?"

I shook my head, a relieved smile tugging at my mouth. "I'm fine, big brother. I just tore up a piece of scrap paper."

Hearing me call him "big brother," Brandon shot up from the sofa, his face twisting between rage and disbelief.

"That's impossible! How could this stinking beggar belong to the Blackthorn family?"

Alexander's gaze sliced toward him, his voice dropping to absolute zero. "What did you just call her?"

The word died in Brandon's throat. Richard nearly lost his soul. He lunged forward and slapped his son hard across the face.

"Shut up! You idiot, apologize to Miss Frost right now!"

Richard roared at him, then plastered a fawning smile on his face as he turned back to Alexander.

"Mr. Blackthorn, this is all a misunderstanding. My son doesn't know any better..."

Alexander let out a cold laugh, cutting him off. "A misunderstanding? Richard, it seems the loan approvals for Sterling Group have been going a little too smoothly lately."

Those words hit Richard like lightning. His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed.

"Mr. Blackthorn! Please show mercy! We were blind! We would never dare reach for this marriage—we aren't worthy of her!"

Every trace of Richard's earlier arrogance was gone, leaving him groveling like a dog.

I stepped out from behind Alexander. "Remember what you said today. Don't ever let me see your disgusting faces in Crown City again."

Alexander gave me an approving look. "Evie, let's go."

He took my hand naturally and strode toward the door without a spare glance for them.

Walking out the front gates, a stretched black Rolls-Royce Phantom waited at the bottom of the steps. The driver, Arthur, respectfully pulled open the rear door.

"Boss, Miss Frost, please get in."

The cabin was warm. Alexander pulled a bottle of water from the car fridge, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to me in a practiced motion.

"You silly girl, coming down from the mountains without telling me in advance. If Arthur hadn't spotted you on the road, how were you planning to end things today?"

Though he was scolding me, his tone was full of heartache.

I took a sip and blinked playfully. "Even if you didn't show up, those four idiots couldn't have hurt me."

Alexander sighed helplessly and ruffled my hair. "I know you learned a bit of self-defense from your master, but this is Crown City. People's hearts here are far more dangerous than wild beasts in the mountains."

I lowered my lashes to hide the cold glint in my eyes. He had no idea that what I learned wasn't just "a bit of self-defense," but ancient martial arts lethal enough to paint the underground world red.

"By the way, your second brother recently opened a private clinic in the city center. I'll take you there for a checkup in a little while. You were always in poor health as a child. Although your master said you've fully recovered, I still want to make sure you're in good health."

At the mention of a medical examination, panic surged through me. I quickly tried to change the subject. "Second Brother? He's here too?"

The truth was, we weren't related by blood at all. My seven brothers and I had grown up together in an orphanage, but our bond was closer than any biological family.

Even after life took us down separate paths, we'd stayed in touch all these years. To them, I was still the little sister they'd sworn to protect. And that was precisely why I could never let Camille examine me.

I'd gone into the mountains with my master to recuperate because of my poor health as a child. But the hidden illness inside my body was incurable. If my brothers ever found out, they'd lose their minds.

"Yes. He knows you've come down from the mountain, too, and he's already arranged a full checkup for you. Don't even think about changing the subject. You're going!"

Alexander was utterly unyielding on this matter.

"Before we go to the clinic, though, come back to the company with me first. I have an emergency meeting to run."

The Rolls-Royce glided smoothly into the bustling downtown business district and stopped in front of a towering skyscraper—the headquarters of Blackthorn Beauty & Pharmaceuticals.

I followed Alexander into his private elevator, watching the numbers climb to the top-floor CEO suite.

"Rest in my office for a bit, or go down to the employee bistro to grab a bite. I'll come find you as soon as the meeting is over."

Alexander pressed an unlimited black card into my palm and hurried off toward the conference room.

Looking at the heavy black card, I smiled helplessly. Just as I turned to head down to the bistro, the heavy doors of the CEO's office were suddenly pushed open.

A young woman in a champagne-gold designer gown walked in, diamonds glittering in her earrings. Her chin was slightly raised, carrying herself like someone who had never been told no.

The moment she saw me, her expression turned cold and hostile.

"Who are you? What are you doing in Alexander's office?"