Chapter 36 A Quiet Warning
Evelyn felt the stinging pain on her cheek the moment she stepped inside the mansion.
Mrs. Chen, who had followed her in, immediately noticed the red, swollen mark on her face and gasped. "Young Miss, your father was too harsh on you."
"He's not my father," Evelyn retorted sharply.
Not wanting to upset the young mistress further, Mrs. Chen quickly excused herself. "Young Miss, let me get you an ointment for your face."
Evelyn nodded. "Thank you."
"Aiya, no need to thank me. If the old master finds out about this, I'll be in even more trouble since he entrusted your safety to my care," she said, hurrying away to fetch an effective ointment to reduce the swelling.
As soon as Mrs. Chen left, the silence pressed down on Evelyn’s chest. The sting on her cheek throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the familiar ache tightening her heart. She had been slapped before—by words, by neglect, by indifference—but this time, it felt final. Like something inside her had cracked quietly, without anyone noticing.
She walked tiredly to the kitchen to get an ice pack for her face.
When Roman entered the house, he found Leo pacing anxiously in front of the living room. Still in a dark mood, he asked coldly, "Where is she?"
Leo immediately straightened up, relieved to see his boss had returned. "She went to the kitchen."
Roman was about to head to the kitchen when he saw Evelyn emerge with an ice pack pressed to her cheek. She looked distant, absent-minded, and didn't even notice his presence in the living room.
He took long strides toward her and gently caught the hand holding the ice pack to her face.
Evelyn looked up in surprise, raising her head to stare directly into his eyes. Her lips parted slightly as if trying to say something.
"Let me see," Roman said, his jaw clenched tightly.
Evelyn could see he was still furious from the way his jaw remained rigid. She slowly allowed him to remove her hand and the ice pack from her face.
He gently held her chin with his fingers and tilted her head up, turning her face to the side to get a better view of the bruise.
"He did this to you?" he asked coldly.
Evelyn could feel that strange dark aura emanating from him again. She had genuinely never seen him like this before and didn't understand why he was so worked up. She was getting frightened.
"Hmm," she hummed slowly.
Roman's fingers unconsciously tightened on her face.
"Hissss," Evelyn hissed at the crushing pain in her jaw.
Roman quickly released her, realizing he was hurting her. He abruptly turned away, his shoulders tense. “Stay here,” he said quietly as he walked away.
Leo immediately followed behind him, knowing his boss was still extremely vexed and needed to vent his anger again.
Evelyn, seeing Roman turn and leave without saying anything to comfort her, felt wronged. But something told her Roman was going back to find her father. Realizing this possibility, her heart skipped a beat. She quickly dropped the ice pack and ran to him before he could reach the door.
She hugged him tightly from behind.
Roman froze for a moment, surprised by her embrace. He slowly pried her arms open and turned to face her.
He ruffled her hair gently. "Be good and wait for me."
Evelyn ignored his words and hugged him tightly again. "Why are you so worked up? You weren't the one wronged. Why do you need to be consoled?" she mumbled against his chest, tightening her grip.
The hug felt so warm that she didn't want to let go. He carried the faint scent of sandalwood and soap, comforting in a way that made her feel protected.
Roman stiffened. After a moment, he raised his hand and slowly wrapped it around her. He closed his eyes and bent his head to place a kiss on top of her hair.
"I'm sorry," he whispered softly.
Leo, not wanting to ruin their moment for the third time that day, decided to leave quickly. He also signaled Mrs. Chen, who had just walked in with another woman carrying ointment, to retreat. Taking careful steps, he moved toward the entrance. When he was almost at the door, he breathed a sigh of relief and carelessly swung his hand, hitting a decorative flower pot.
CLAAAANK!
The ceramic pot fell and shattered on the ground.
Leo froze. The sound echoed loudly. For a brief second, he was convinced he had just signed his own death warrant.
Evelyn immediately pulled away from the hug and turned toward the source of the sound, shocked.
Leo didn't dare meet his boss's murderous gaze. He immediately fled the room, preferring to receive his punishment another time rather than now.
\---
At the Hospital
"Mom!" Maya screamed as she rushed to her mother's bedside. "What happened? How did you get into an accident? Where is dad?" Tears streamed down her face.
"It's okay, it's fine," Claire said, reaching out to wipe her daughter's tears. "Your dad will be here soon."
Her eyes landed on the figure standing at the front of the hospital ward. Her expression flashed with disdain before she quickly masked it with a smile. "Oh Nathan, you're here too."
Nathan smiled slightly. He had aged overnight due to the unexpected turnaround of events.
Maya had lost so much weight that even her clothes hung loosely on her frame. Her cheekbones jutted out sharply, her eyes hollow and restless. She was barely recognizable.
"Mom, tell me what happened? How did it go? How did you end up in an accident?" Maya asked hysterically. It had barely been two days since all the evidence was uploaded online, but it felt like forever. She never thought her conversation would be recorded and used against her—that recording had been the catalyst for her doom.
She couldn't even step outside peacefully. She had lost everything she'd ever built overnight. Even her agency was planning to abandon her. There was no way they could bribe the media to suppress the posts, as her father was also facing bankruptcy. Within the blink of an eye, their world had come crashing down.
With no way out, she had pleaded with her father to seek Evelyn's help.
"That bitch ruined everything. She even got Roman to beat up your father." Claire said, gritting her teeth.
"WHAT!" Maya shrieked, nearly fainting at the thought that there would be no escape for her now. She was trapped.
Nathan clenched his fists as Claire’s words echoed in his ear. Evelyn’s face flashed through his mind, slightly disappointed. He looked away sharply, jaw tightening, as if the thought itself was too much to bear.
At that moment, the ward door swung open.
Richard walked into the room with his injured hand wrapped thickly in white bandages, held close to his chest as though it no longer belonged to him.
"Dad!" Maya called, running to his side. She looked at his bandaged hand worriedly, thinking he'd been injured in the accident.
Richard slowly raised his head to look at his daughter and wife. He didn't even notice Nathan standing near the entrance.
"We've gotten ourselves into an even bigger mess," he whispered, his face filled with despair.
Author’s Note:
Not every battle is loud.
Thank you for staying with Evelyn—the story is only unfolding.