Chapter 12 Leave and don't ever come back.

Landon dropped the bleeding boss onto the floor like garbage. “I’ll come back for you later,” he said coldly.

The entire club froze. Faces turned pale. Hands trembled. Even the dancers on the poles stopped moving.

Landon didn’t look back. He pushed the door open and walked out, feeling every eye burning into his back.

He got into the car and hit the road. His mind was racing when his phone rang.

He answered, still gripping the wheel tightly.

“Mr. Landon—this is Attorney Klein, representing Mrs. Evelyn.”

Landon’s jaw tightened.

“When would you be available to come by the office?” the lawyer continued smoothly. “We can begin processing the divorce documents and handle everything cleanly and officially.”

Landon swallowed hard. “I’ll come to your office today.”

“Understood. I’ll expect you.”

The call ended. Landon gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

His phone buzzed again. Carter.

Landon picked up immediately. “What’s the update? Where is Luther now?”

There was a long pause.

“Reynold—talk,” Landon snapped.

Carter hesitated. “He’s at your house, boss.”

Landon’s blood ran cold. He slammed on the brakes. The car screeched to a violent stop in the middle of the road.

“My house?” he hissed.

“Yes. I tried to stop him from entering, but Evelyn allowed him in. They’ve been talking inside for over an hour now. I have no idea what it’s about.”

Landon’s eyes burned with fury. “Don’t let him leave. I’m on my way right now. Watch over them. If Luther tries anything, you put him down.”

"No problem. I got this."

Carter's voice turned cold the moment he said it.

Landon ended the call and immediately pressed down on the accelerator. The engine roared as the car shot forward, weaving through traffic without slowing down once. His grip tightened around the steering wheel as countless thoughts ran through his head. He had just returned to the city, and now Luther Draven was already showing up at his house. There was no way that visit was innocent.

Several minutes later, the car screeched to a stop in front of the mansion.

Landon stepped out and headed straight toward Carter, who was standing near the gate with his arms folded across his chest.

"What the hell is going on?" Landon asked.

Carter shook his head.

"I don't know. Luther arrived a while ago and went inside. He's been talking with Evelyn the entire time. Neither of them came out, and nobody said a word."

Landon's expression darkened.

Before either man could say anything else, the front door suddenly opened.

Luther Draven walked out calmly, adjusting the sleeves of his expensive suit as though he had just finished a pleasant conversation.

A smile rested on his face.

The kind of smile Landon had always hated.

"I'll be looking forward to seeing you on the agreed day," Luther said.

"No problem," Evelyn replied from the doorway.

Then she stepped back inside.

Luther turned around.

His eyes immediately met Landon's.

For a brief moment, neither man spoke.

Then Landon stepped forward and blocked his path.

"What are you doing at my house, Luther?"

Luther's smile widened.

Instead of answering, he walked closer until only a few inches separated them.

The smell of cigars lingered on his breath.

"Looks like I'm finally making the family proud," he whispered.

The words carried a meaning only the two of them understood.

Landon's jaw tightened.

His fists clenched.

Every instinct in his body wanted to put Luther through the pavement.

But before he could move, Luther simply chuckled and walked past him.

The man looked completely relaxed.

As if he had already won.

Landon watched him disappear down the road before turning and storming into the house.

The moment he entered the living room, he saw Evelyn standing there.

She looked completely calm.

Almost as if nothing unusual had happened.

"Why was Luther Cross here?" Landon demanded. "What exactly was that visit about?"

Evelyn looked at him without the slightest change in expression.

"What does it matter?"

The answer stunned him.

Her voice was cold.

Distant.

Like she was speaking to a stranger.

"Why are you even here?" she continued. "Didn't I already tell you that I'll send your belongings to the vacation house?"

Landon stared at her.

For a moment, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Then he took a step forward.

"Why are you doing this?"

The frustration in his voice was impossible to hide.

"Why are you pushing for a divorce without even talking to me? Why are you acting like everything we've built together means nothing? Can't we sit down and discuss this like normal people?"

Evelyn remained silent.

Landon continued.

"We were married, Evelyn. We built a life together. We have a daughter."

Still nothing.

That silence hurt more than an argument.

His voice became lower.

"Is this really how it ends?"

For the first time, something flickered in Evelyn's eyes.

But it disappeared quickly.

"Stop."

Her voice cut through the room.

Landon frowned.

"Stop saying that word."

"What word?"

"Family."

The way she said it made the room feel smaller.

Evelyn took a slow breath before looking directly into his eyes.

"Don't you dare stand there and talk to me about family."

The bitterness in her voice was impossible to miss.

"If you truly understood what family meant, then you would never have disappeared for ten years."

Landon's expression changed.

"Evelyn—"

"No."

She cut him off immediately.

"For ten years, Landon."

Her voice finally began to crack.

"For ten years, Aurora grew up without her father. For ten years, every school event, every birthday, every important moment happened without you there."

"I did it for our country."

His voice sounded weaker than he intended.

"I fought to protect everything we have. I fought to protect you. I fought to protect Aurora."

Evelyn laughed, but there was no joy in it.

“What does that have to do with us?” she asked. “Tell me, Nathaniel, did the country raise Aurora? Did the country stay awake at night when she cried? Was it the flag that held her when she was sick? Was it your rank that tucked her into bed when she kept asking where her father was?”

Landon stood silently. For the first time since returning home, he couldn’t find an answer.

Evelyn took another step toward him.

“We needed you, Landon. I needed you, but every time I looked around, you were gone. I went through everything alone. When Aurora was sick, I was alone. When bills piled up, I was alone. When people mocked me for marrying you, I was alone.”

Her voice dropped lower, but every word landed harder than a slap.

“Your family never cared about us. Your father never once asked how I was doing. The people around you treated me like I didn’t exist. And I couldn’t even return to my own family because they warned me from the beginning.”

Aurora lowered his eyes.

Evelyn let out a bitter laugh.

“They told me not to marry you. They told me I was making the biggest mistake of my life. They said one day I would regret choosing you over them. But I didn’t listen.”

She pointed at herself.

“I fought with my parents because of you. I defended you when nobody else would. I chose you over my own family because I loved you more than anything.”

Her eyes reddened.

“And what did I get in return?”

The question hung heavily between them.

“I became the daughter who disappointed her parents. I became the woman people pitied behind her back. I spent ten years making excuses for a husband who never came home.”

Landon clenched his fists. Every word was true. There was nothing he could say to change that.

Evelyn shook her head and wiped her cheek.

“I waited for you, Landon. I waited so long that I started feeling stupid for believing you would come back and choose us.”

The room fell silent.

After a long pause, she spoke again.

“Get out.”

Landon looked up. “Ev—”

“Just stop.” Her voice trembled slightly. “Ten years ago, you walked away without looking back. Do it again. Leave this house and don’t come back.”