Chapter 441

Alexander's calm demeanor and unwavering confidence sent chills down Nathan's spine.

He trusted Evelyn implicitly, yet Ethan's words planted seeds of doubt.

Was it possible...?

No! Impossible!

"Ethan, do you really think I won't kill you just because you're lying in a hospital bed?"

Nathan's grip tightened around Ethan's collar before his fist slammed into Ethan's abdomen.

Blood sprayed from Ethan's lips, staining the pristine white sheets beneath him.

Nathan didn't hold back. Each strike sent waves of agony through Ethan's battered body.

His vision blurred. His thoughts scattered.

The surgical wound on his chest burned like fire. For a moment, he wondered if this was how death felt.

The commotion in the room grew too loud to ignore.

Vanessa burst through the door.

Her breath caught at the sight—Ethan, beaten and bleeding.

Without hesitation, she threw herself between them.

"Uncle Nathan! Have you lost your mind? You're the head of the family! How could you do this to Ethan? What has he even done to deserve—"

Her voice cracked.

"DOCTOR! SOMEONE HELP!"

The scent of iron hung thick in the air.

Vanessa didn't doubt it—if she'd arrived even a minute later, Ethan might not have survived.

Tears blurred her vision as medical staff flooded the room.

Nathan was forced out, his expression icy.

Vanessa barely held herself together.

That morning, Ethan had struck her stomach with a glass in a fit of rage. The pain had been sharp, terrifying.

The doctors had run tests.

No abnormalities. The baby's heartbeat is strong.

But the ache lingered.

A deep, unsettling sensation that something was wrong.

She needed this child.

Without it, her marriage to Ethan would crumble.

He needed this child.

Or Nathan would exile him without hesitation.

The deeper Vanessa thought about it, the more bitterness consumed her.

While other expectant mothers were treated like royalty, why was Ethan doing everything in his power to erase her and their unborn child from his life?

How had her existence become so wretched?

She and Ethan used to be perfect together. So why had their relationship crumbled to dust after their wedding?

Vanessa felt trapped in a maze with no exit, unintentionally driving him further away with each passing day.

What could she possibly do to turn things around?

Those anonymous texts Alexander had received? They were all from Vanessa.

If she was drowning in misery, why should Evelyn get to float on cloud nine?

Misery loved company—and Vanessa was determined to drag everyone down with her.

Just as she anticipated, Alexander snapped.

But what shocked her was the sheer violence of his reaction.

The always composed, controlled Alexander Whitmore lost it completely.

He threw punch after punch at Ethan, consequences be damned!

The raw fury in his eyes was something she’d never seen before.

A twisted satisfaction curled inside her.

At least someone else was suffering too.

A cold shiver ran down Vanessa's spine.

She couldn't explain it, but something felt... off.

Then she saw it—the way Alexander's eyes darkened when Ethan Caldwell's name was mentioned. The ruthless edge in his voice. The way his fingers curled into fists.

Vanessa's lips curved into a slow, satisfied smile.

This was it. The moment she'd been waiting for.

Evelyn Carter would lose Alexander Whitmore.

And Vanessa would be there to watch it all unfold.

The thought sent a thrill through her veins.

She could already picture Evelyn's heartbreak. The tears. The devastation.

Vanessa leaned back, savoring the delicious anticipation.

Everything was falling into place exactly as she'd planned.

Soon, Alexander would be hers.

And Evelyn?

She'd be nothing.