Chapter 318

The glass table trembled under the force. With each brutal impact, crimson blood trickled from Damian's split lip. A jagged crack now marred the table's smooth surface.

Everything happened too fast. The world spun violently as Damian slumped against the broken furniture, his vision swimming. The relentless blows left him dazed, barely conscious.

Ethan had shadowed Evelyn silently, lingering just outside the door. Every damning word between Evelyn and Damian had reached his ears with crystal clarity.

He'd heard the shocking confession - that Evelyn had never been intimate with Damian. That Vanessa had paid him off. Most explosive of all, Damian's vile boast about taking Vanessa's virginity three years prior.

Oddly, the revelation didn't wound Ethan. Instead, an unexpected weight lifted from his shoulders, leaving him strangely light.

Memories surfaced unbidden - that drunken night when he'd awakened beside Vanessa. Her tearful claims of purity. All lies. Her first time had been stolen by this thug years before.

Yet for Ethan, it had been genuine. The realization curdled in his stomach now, leaving only revulsion. Just the thought of Vanessa made his skin crawl.

The glass table's fractured edge caught the light, mirroring the cracks in every lie he'd believed.

The living room window was too narrow for Ethan Caldwell to squeeze through. He had been listening outside, every word fueling his rage.

Inside, the scene was chaotic. Without hesitation, Ethan shattered the floor-to-ceiling window with a powerful kick.

His vision blurred when he saw Evelyn Carter pinned beneath Damian Cross. A surge of possessiveness overtook him, turning his eyes crimson with fury.

Ethan lost control. He seized Damian, his fists raining down like a storm, each blow releasing months of pent-up frustration.

Blood splattered as Damian’s face became unrecognizable. Ethan showed no signs of stopping, his rage unrelenting.

Evelyn finally snapped out of her daze. Her breath hitched when she recognized Ethan. When did he get here?

From the neighboring room, Marcus Riley rushed in at the sound of shattering glass. His face paled at the brutal sight before him.

Without a word, Marcus lunged forward to pull Damian free.

"Ethan, behind you!" Evelyn screamed as she caught the glint of a blade in Marcus’s hand.

Marcus’s expression was twisted with malice. Desperate men strike without mercy—one stab could change everything.

Vanessa's sharp warning snapped Ethan back to reality. Without wasting a second, he yanked Damian forward, using him as a human shield.

Marcus, unable to pull back his strike in time, never anticipated Ethan's lightning-fast reflexes. The blade plunged straight into Damian's stomach.

"Guh—" Damian choked, blood bubbling past his lips. His body swayed before crumpling to the ground like a marionette with severed strings.

"Damian!" Marcus roared.

Blood gushed from Damian's head wound while the stab in his abdomen sealed his fate. He was already halfway to death's door.

Panic seized Marcus. He dropped the knife, rushing to Damian's side. "I didn't mean to!" he babbled, hands trembling as he checked the damage.

Ethan didn't hesitate. He drove his foot into Marcus's chest, the impact striking his heart with brutal precision. Marcus toppled backward, gasping.

The living room was in shambles. Nearby, Oliver finally managed to roll into view, his limbs still bound. He thudded to a stop at Evelyn's feet. "Evelyn! Are you hurt?"

His eyes burned with fear as he scanned her frantically. Seeing only minor dishevelment and her clothes undisturbed, he exhaled in shaky relief.

Evelyn immediately crouched to untie him. "I'm fine. What about you? Are you injured?"

Her fingers worked swiftly, urgency lacing every movement. The air still reeked of iron and sweat, but for now, they were alive. That was enough.

Oliver winced slightly, rubbing his knee. "It's just a little sore, nothing major."

His gaze dropped to the shattered camera at his feet, and his frown deepened. "Now what? All our proof is gone. I risked everything filming this—for nothing!"

The memory flashed in his mind—how he'd been crouched in the next room, lens trained on the confrontation, when strong hands had clamped over his mouth from behind.

Helpless, he'd watched as Marcus Riley crushed the memory card beneath his boot. "Everything we worked for today—wasted!"

Evelyn shook her head. Safety came first. And their efforts hadn't been fruitless.

She now held the truth about that night.

And Oliver had seen Vanessa Hart's cruelty firsthand.

The game had changed.