Chapter 82: Blood Boils Under Her Skin
What Evelyn had just heard changed everything.
Initially, she wanted to slip away quietly, unnoticed.
But what she overheard had already tangled itself around her chest like barbed wire.
Curiosity and dread clash inside her.
In the end, curiosity wins.
She forced her expression into something calm and composed, then returned to her VIP room, smoothing down her dress as if nothing was wrong.
"Are you guys done?" she asked lightly. Smile.
"Yes, we are..." Liam stood up quickly, dutiful as always.
Evelyn moved to Oliver, helping her son wipe his little hands and mouth.
Once Oliver was neat and spotless, she smiled at him. "Alright, sweetheart, time to go. Uncle Liam will take you to the car and wait for me there."
Oliver blinked.
"But Mommy... can’t we go together?"
"I won’t be long." She kissed the top of his head and tapped his nose playfully. "Wait in the car with Uncle Liam. You can play with him while I finish something boring."
"Ooo..." Oliver still looked disappointed, but her smile, and maybe the promise of play, made him nod.
"Good boy," she whispered, squeezing his tiny hand.
Then, she turned to Liam, with a smile that hid a command.
"Liam, would you mind taking Oliver downstairs while I settle the bill and renew my membership card? You know how I love these restaurants... I need to ensure I still have my membership so I can get a huge discount."
Liam nodded without a hint of suspicion.
Oliver waved as they left the room.
Only when she was sure they had descended to the first floor did Evelyn step out again.
Her heartbeat thumped louder as she approached Stella’s VIP room.
And there he was, standing guard. A man in a black suit, bulky enough to make her believe this man must be a bodyguard, not restaurant staff.
Evelyn’s lips curved into something polite.
"Excuse me, I need to enter the room."
The man’s head jerked up, eyes widening like he’d just seen a ghost. His frown deepened, panic flashing across his face.
"Sorry, who are you?"
"I’m a friend of Miss Stella Walters. Well, you can call me... her boss." Evelyn’s tone was smooth and confident.
The panic on his face worsened.
"Her... boss? But she came alone. She didn’t say anything about bringing company—"
’Gotcha,’ Evelyn thought, her suspicions confirmed. She kept her face perfectly neutral, but inside, her blood was boiling under her skin.
The man cleared his throat and straightened.
"I’m sorry, ma’am, but you can’t enter. Miss Stella told me clearly not to let anyone interrupt her meeting. So, I’m afraid you can’t get inside to meet her."
"Oh, really?"
Evelyn tilted her head, as if genuinely considering his words. Inside, her fists itched. His tone, his rehearsed excuse, was the exact wrong thing to say to her right now.
Her smile melted away, leaving only a sharp edge. Her voice dropped to below zero, "Alright. Move. Or I’ll make you move."
He smirked, amused, "Tsk, tsk, woman. You think I’m afraid of a threat from a pretty face? How could you even move me when your arms look thin like that?"
And then he did it. The fool actually lifted his hand, reaching to brush her cheek.
Evelyn’s instincts snapped into place. She stepped back just enough, grabbed his wrist mid-air, twisted, and squeezed so hard he gasped.
Before he could recover, she delivered a fast, powerful kick to his knee. The crack echoed down the hallway.
The man buckled, collapsing onto his knees in shock. Horror widened his eyes as pain reflected in his body.
"Don’t protest with your scream. Blame yourself," Evelyn said calmly, her grip tightening. "Try anything else, and I’ll make sure you never walk properly again."
She yanked his arm back once more, then shoved him sideways. He hit the floor with a scream that sounded like a pig at a slaughterhouse.
Evelyn didn’t even glance down at him. Her eyes were locked on the door.
And when she pushed it open, what she saw sent fire roaring through her veins.
Stella. Her sister sat trapped on the sofa, half-naked, her blouse torn off her body.
Duct tape sealed her mouth, and her wrists were bound. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her whole body trembling with desperation as she fought against the man pinning her down.
A fat, bald man in a wrinkled shirt and cheap boxers loomed over her. His greedy hands clutched at her thighs while his mouth twisted into a revolting smile.
"Miss Stella, I told you, no need to resist," he rasped. "Once I’ve tasted your beautiful body, I’ll sign the contract. But you... Why, you had to be difficult...?"
The sound of his voice broke the final chain holding Evelyn back.
She didn’t think; she just moved.
Her hand darted to the dining table, fingers closing around a wine bottle. In one swift motion, she swung it down onto the man’s bald head with a satisfying CRACK.
The bottle shattered.
The man howled, clutching his bleeding skull. His head whipped toward her in disbelief, eyes wild.
"Who the hell..." He froze when he saw Evelyn standing there, her glare so sharp.
Blood trickled down his neck, staining the sofa. His lips trembled as he stuttered, "Y-you... you hit me... I’m bleeding..."
"Yes, congratulations," Evelyn snapped, her voice sounding sharp and icy. "You’ve discovered basic biology. Keep talking, and I’ll make sure the next thing spilling isn’t just blood but your heart!"
His jaw dropped. For once in his pathetic life, he was speechless.
Evelyn didn’t give him a chance to recover. She moved forward, fury burning with each step, and kicked the man’s nasty body hard enough to make him tumble off the sofa.
Stella sobbed harder, muffled by the tape while their eyes met.
Evelyn’s chest tightened at the sight, but she shoved the emotion down. She needed to focus.
She took off her coat and threw it over Stella’s naked body.
Then her gaze fixed on the bald man on the floor.
The man tries to stand. His body staggers back, waving his bloodied hand desperately to defend himself.