Watching the scene unfold, Evelyn suddenly remembered something from her university days.

Back then, a classmate from her department had once confessed his feelings to her.

Even though she told Mason that she had clearly rejected the boy and explained that she already had a boyfriend, Mason still rushed to her university on the earliest train he could catch, risking disciplinary action.

Then he took her hand and deliberately walked around campus with her, making sure everyone saw them, staking his claim.

Now, that same possessiveness belonged to another woman.

Evelyn found it hard to breathe.

After saying goodbye to the others, she stood up and left the private room.

She hadn’t expected their final meeting to end in such a farce.

Outside the restaurant, she stood by the roadside waiting for her driver to pick her up.

Behind her came Mason’s voice, filled with panic.

“Evelyn, listen to me!

“What I said just now was only to help Anna out of an awkward situation. She’s my subordinate. I couldn’t just stand there and watch her get harassed. You understand that, don’t you?”

A few beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, and he spoke rapidly, as if afraid that if he slowed down even for a second, the woman in front of him would walk away.

Evelyn calmly pulled her arm free and looked at him with a faint smile.

“There’s no need to explain. I understand.”

She understood that those words had come from his true feelings.

Even though he had gotten the answer he wanted, Mason still didn’t feel reassured. The uneasiness in his chest surged again, and he reached out, trying to grab her wrist.

“Evelyn, what’s going on with you…”

Before he could finish, Anna hurried over, her voice still choked with tears.

“Mason, could you take me home? I’m afraid he might come after me again.”

Mason hesitated for a second.

Just then, the car that had come to pick up Evelyn arrived.

Without sparing the two of them another glance, she got into the car and drove away, leaving the man behind calling out her name.

After returning home, she shipped all of her belongings to Southport, leaving only a single suitcase.

Just then, a rapid knock sounded at the door.

Evelyn thought it was the new homeowner coming to check the place, so she got up and opened the door.

But the moment the door opened, Mason grabbed her wrist, his anger blazing.

“I’ve told you again and again that I’m going to marry you. Anna is just my aide. Why would you pay off her family to take her back home and force her into a marriage?!”

Behind him stood Anna, her face streaked with tears.

“Evelyn, I never fought with you or tried to take him away. I only wanted to stay by Mason’s side and watch over him. Can’t you even tolerate that?

“Do you know how hard it was for me to escape my family? I don’t want to be dragged back home and forced to marry some old bachelor!”

Evelyn was hit with the accusations one after another, but she had no idea what they were talking about.

“What pay off her family? I don’t know anything about that!”

Mason assumed she was lying.

The anger in his chest flared hotter, and his voice turned icy.

“You’re still denying it? Her family admitted it themselves. A woman with the last name Ward paid them to come. If I hadn’t taken her home and happened to run into them, they would have dragged her back home already!”

With that, he suddenly let go of her wrist.

Caught off balance, Evelyn stumbled and fell to the ground, the skin on her palm scraping against the floor.

But she seemed not to feel it at all. Instead, a faint smile tugged at her lips.

“Mason, after more than twenty years together, it turns out you don’t trust me at all.”

Mason’s hands clenched unconsciously at his sides.

But when he saw the tears in Anna’s eyes, his heart hardened again.

“I saw it with my own eyes. How do you expect me to believe you?

“It seems I’ve been too good to you all these years. I spoiled you so much that you actually thought you could go after someone under my protection.

“Now apologize to my aide. Right now.”

Evelyn let out a light laugh and met his gaze without the slightest fear.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I apologize?”

Seeing that she refused to admit fault, Mason’s expression turned even colder as he delivered his final warning.

“The Commander-in-Chief would never allow a vicious woman to marry me and become a colonel’s wife. Evelyn, you’d better think carefully.”

With that, he took Anna’s hand and walked away without looking back.

Evelyn staggered to her feet.

Looking at Mason’s retreating figure, she let out a deeply mocking smile.

“I don’t want to marry you anymore either.”

Her phone chimed. It was a message from her mother.

“Evelyn, the wedding has already been arranged, and the invitations have been sent out. All you need to do is come back and be a beautiful, happy bride.”

After turning off the screen, Evelyn picked up her suitcase and headed for the train station.

From now on, she would walk toward a new life—one that belonged to her alone.

And in that life, there would be no Mason.

…

Meanwhile, Mason brought Anna to the base infirmary to treat the scrapes she had gotten while struggling with her family earlier.

One of Mason’s close friends happened to be a doctor there.

After hearing the news, he rushed over.

When he saw a nurse bandaging Anna’s wound, he pulled Mason out into the hallway.

“What exactly are you thinking? Who do you really love? Evelyn or this woman?”

“Of course Evelyn,” Mason answered without hesitation.

“But all these years, I’ve always been the one chasing after her. It gets tiring sometimes. Anna is different. Her whole world revolves around me.

“After so long, I can’t help but feel sorry for her. I don’t want her to leave. I want to protect her.”

His friend sighed.

“Alright. But what if Evelyn gets angry? Have you figured out how you’re going to make it up to her?”

Mason fell silent for a moment before replying stiffly, “I’m not going to. She really went too far this time. It’s perfect timing anyway. She’s heading to Southport tonight. Let her calm down for a few days.

“Besides, I mentioned the marriage approval before she left. Her biggest wish is to marry me. When she comes back from Southport, she’ll definitely come to me to apologize.

“As long as she apologizes to Anna, we’ll let this whole thing go.”

Seeing that he couldn’t persuade him, his friend raised an eyebrow and changed the subject.

“By the way, have you heard? The youngest colonel from the Caldwell family in Southport is getting married. The invitation even made its way to me.

“Honestly, I thought that guy would stay single forever. Now I’m curious who managed to win him over…”

His voice abruptly stopped.

His eyes widened as if he had just seen something terrifying.

Noticing his strange reaction, Mason took the invitation from his hand and opened it curiously.

“Who is it?”

The next moment, the names of the bride and groom came clearly into view—

Groom: Julian Caldwell

Bride: Evelyn Ward.