Chapter 160

Every fiber of his being screamed to break it down, to snatch Claire from that sterile room and crush her against his chest.

How could she even contemplate this?

Their child—their flesh and blood—how could she consider ending its life?

His mind reeled.

Doesn't she love me?

If she does, how could she destroy what we made together?

"Claire!" His voice shattered the clinic's quiet. "Don't do this! The baby hasn't done anything wrong! You can't be this cruel—stop the procedure!"

Nearby, Isabella trembled in her wheelchair, her face ashen.

Her thoughts spiraled.

Claire wants an abortion?

Is she insane?

This isn't how you keep a man—this is how you lose him forever.

Then, ice flooded her veins.

What if Lucas blames me?

Panic clawed at her throat.

The sterile hospital lights burned Isabella Rhodes' eyes as she lifted her gaze to meet Dr. Harrison Wells'. Her voice trembled with desperation.

"Dr. Wells, please—just take me to the operating room now."

Harrison hesitated, his brow furrowing.

"But your boyfriend hasn't signed the consent forms."

When Isabella had arrived at the hospital, she had been alone. Harrison had asked about family, and she had assured him Lucas Bennett would come.

And he had.

But now, Harrison watched in confusion as Lucas stood outside, begging another woman not to terminate her pregnancy.

What kind of twisted relationship is this?

Isabella's panic surged. "Harrison, I can sign the forms myself! Just get me in there!"

Evelyn Carter saw the fear in Isabella's eyes—the way she clutched the armrests of the wheelchair, ready to bolt.

With a cold smirk, Evelyn stepped forward and kicked the wheelchair.

The impact sent Isabella crashing to the floor. Her body, already weakened from recent fractures, couldn't break her fall. She hit the ground hard, pain lancing through her.

She couldn't move.

Terror clawed at her throat as Evelyn loomed over her, heels clicking against the tile.

"You're not going anywhere," Evelyn murmured.

Isabella's breath came in shallow gasps.

She was trapped.

"What... what do you want?" Isabella Rhodes choked out, her voice trembling with fear.

The terror she felt for Evelyn Carter ran bone-deep. Just last night, Evelyn had dragged her by the hair and struck her so viciously that the bruises still throbbed across her face.

Evelyn stared down at her with eyes like ice.

"Claire lost her baby. Don’t you think it’s time you paid for that?"

Isabella scrambled for excuses, her words frantic. "She chose to get rid of it—that wasn’t my fault! You can’t pin this on me!"

A cruel smirk curled Evelyn’s lips as she stepped closer.

Without warning, she brought her foot down on Isabella’s injured legs—hard.

A scream ripped through the hospital hallway, raw and piercing. Isabella writhed, her body convulsing in agony.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Blood bloomed through the bandages, staining them crimson before dripping onto the sterile white floor.

In that moment, Isabella was certain she’d been dragged into hell itself.

Evelyn is a monster.