Chapter 317

Evelyn cursed Alexander’s unreliability under her breath when sudden muffled sounds caught her attention. "Mmm... Mmm..."

Her blood ran cold.

There, just a few feet away, Oliver had been subdued by a hulking brute, a filthy rag stuffed in his mouth. His wrists and ankles were bound, his camera smashed beyond repair. His predicament mirrored hers—no, it was worse.

When Oliver heard Evelyn’s voice, he thrashed violently, spitting out the gag. "Evelyn! The footage—he deleted everything!"

Her stomach dropped.

A towering figure stepped out of the shadows, his presence suffocating. Evelyn whipped her head toward Damian, voice trembling. "Is he yours?"

Damian smirked, slow and satisfied. "Of course. Evelyn, did you really think I’d walk into this blind?" His laugh was cruel. "I’ve been here longer than you. My man scaled the walls before you even stepped inside. Everything you saw? A performance. And you fell for it."

His fingers dug into her waist, tearing her jacket open with a vicious yank.

"Stop it, you monster! Get your filthy hands off Evelyn! Let her go right now!" Oliver screamed, his voice raw with fury as he struggled against his restraints.

Marcus Riley delivered a brutal kick to the back of Oliver's knees, forcing him to the ground with a painful thud. Before Oliver could recover, Marcus drove his fist into his face, sending blood splattering across the floor.

"Know your place, boy," Marcus sneered, wiping his knuckles.

Evelyn's breath hitched at the sight of her brother bleeding. Her mind reeled in panic. "Please, stop this! This is between us—leave Oliver out of it! I'll give you whatever you want, just let him go!"

Damian Cross chuckled darkly, his fingers tracing the edge of Evelyn's collar. "Too late for negotiations, sweetheart. You've already lit the fire—now I intend to watch it burn." He jerked his chin toward Marcus. "Take the kid next door. He's ruining the mood."

Marcus hauled Oliver up, dragging him toward the door despite his violent resistance.

"You touch her, and I swear I'll tear you apart!" Oliver snarled, his voice hoarse. "Damian, you sick bastard—I'll make you pay for this!" But his threats faded as Marcus shoved him out of sight.

Damian wasted no time. His belt hit the floor with a metallic clink, and he closed the distance between them in two predatory strides.

A cold dread slithered down Evelyn's spine as his fingers brushed her skin.

The rough hands of Damian Cross crept toward Evelyn Carter's neckline, his fingers greedy and invasive.

Fear washed over Evelyn like ice water, draining the warmth from her face. Her body trembled, every muscle tensing in instinctive resistance.

Her heart plummeted.

She had hoped—prayed—that her brother, Oliver Hayes, might intervene, but he stood frozen, powerless against the brute force before them.

Then—

CRASH!

The floor-to-ceiling window exploded inward, shards of glass scattering like deadly rain.

Damian jerked back, his face twisting in fury. "Who the hell dares—?"

Before he could finish, a fist collided with his temple—hard.

Pain exploded behind his eye, white-hot and blinding.

He barely had time to react before an iron grip seized his throat and slammed his head into the table.

Wood splintered.

Blood splattered.

And the last thing Damian saw was the cold, merciless gaze of the man who had just shattered his world.