Chapter 5 - The Marriage That Was Never Meant to HappenEvelyn couldn't sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Nolan's face.
The man she had loved.
The man who had held her hand.
The man who had kissed her forehead and promised a future.
The man who had been ordered to kill her.
At three in the morning, she found Damen standing alone on the balcony.
Snow drifted across the city.
“You're awake,” he said.
“I have questions.”
“I know.”
She stood beside him.
“Why didn't you tell me earlier?”
“Because I wasn't certain Nolan had accepted the order.”
“You said he was supposed to kill me.”
“He was.”
“Did he try?”
Damen stared into the darkness.
“No.”
Evelyn frowned.
“Then why did he reject me?”
“Because he couldn't go through with it.”
That answer surprised her.
“So he didn't stop loving me?”
Damen's expression hardened.
“Don't confuse weakness with love.”
She looked at him.
“Nolan wanted the shares.”
“Yes.”
“He wanted to marry me for them.”
“Yes.”
“And he was ordered to kill me if the marriage happened.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Damen hesitated.
“Because your father built a failsafe.”
“What kind?”
“The shares can only be transferred willingly.”
“And if I died?”
“They would become inaccessible.”
Evelyn slowly understood.
“They couldn't inherit them.”
“Correct.”
“So they needed me alive.”
“Until you signed.”
She looked away.
“Then why did Nolan reject me?”
Damen's voice was quiet.
“Because someone changed the plan.”
She looked at him.
“Who?”
“His father.”
A sudden noise came from inside.
One of Damen's men rushed onto the balcony.
“Sir.”
Damen turned.
“What?”
“We found the mother.”
Evelyn's heart jumped.
“Where?”
The guard looked at her.
“She's at the old St. Vincent clinic.”
They left immediately.
The clinic had been abandoned for years.
Damen entered first.
Evelyn followed.
The halls were dark.
Then they heard a woman's voice.
“Evelyn?”
“Mom!”
She ran.
Her mother stepped from a room.
Older.
Paler.
But alive.
They embraced.
Evelyn cried into her mother's shoulder.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I knew he would come.”
“Who?”
Her mother looked past Evelyn.
At Damen.
“You.”
Damen froze.
“You know me?”
Her mother nodded.
“Adrian told me to find you if Evelyn was ever in danger.”
Evelyn stared.
“Mom, what do you know?”
Her mother grabbed her hands.
“Your father left something behind.”
“The ledger?”
“No.”
She looked frightened.
“Something much worse.”
Damen stepped closer.
“What?”
Her mother looked at him.
“The list of protected names.”
Damen's expression changed.
“What names?”
She whispered.
“Judges. Police chiefs. Senators. CEOs.”
She swallowed.
“And one name that I don't understand.”
Damen's eyes narrowed.
“Which one?”
Her mother shook her head.
“I can't remember.”
Then the lights went out.
A gunshot tore through the hallway.
Her mother collapsed.
“Mom!”
Evelyn caught her.
Blood spread across her shirt.
Damen fired into the darkness.
His men surrounded them.
“Get her out!”
Evelyn screamed.
“She's been shot!”
Her mother grabbed Evelyn's wrist.
“Listen.”
Evelyn bent down.
Her mother's lips trembled.
“The name…”
“What name?”
Her mother whispered.
“The name at the top…”
Then her eyes closed.
Damen stared toward the dark hallway.
“What was the name?”
Evelyn looked at him.
“I don't know.”
A phone began ringing somewhere in the clinic.
One of Damen's men found it.
Unknown number.
Damen answered.
Victor's voice came through.
“You're getting closer.”
Damen said nothing.
Victor laughed.
“That's why I had to kill the woman who knew the truth.”
Evelyn's blood ran cold.
“You killed my mother.”
Victor's voice softened.
“No.”
A pause.
“I shot her.”
Another pause.
“But she isn't dead yet.”
He hung up.
Damen looked at Evelyn.
“We're getting her to a hospital.”
She shook her head.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
She stared at her mother's face.
“Because Victor wants us to.”
Damen paused.
Evelyn slowly stood.
“If he's telling the truth, then my mother is bait.”
Damen's eyes narrowed.
“For what?”
She looked at the darkness.
“To lead us to the ledger.”
Then her mother's phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
Come alone, Evelyn.
Below it was a location.
And one sentence.
Ask Damen why Adrian trusted him more than he trusted his own son.
May you like
Evelyn looked up.
Damen's face had gone pale.
