Chapter 6 Ice Queen, Loaded Camera
Evelyn finally made it home to her apartment. She didn't even remember the taxi ride or climbing the stairs. She collapsed on her living room floor, tears streaming down her face.
Then she remembered her phone had been recording all night. With shaking hands, she found the audio file and pressed play.
She heard her own voice first, weak and desperate. Then a deep man's voice she didn't recognize. Then... sounds that made her stomach turn. Moans. Her moans mixed with his.
She cried even harder, clutching her phone like it could somehow undo what had happened.
She dragged herself to the bathroom. When she saw the purple marks scattered across her skin, she felt sick. She grabbed a rough sponge and started scrubbing hard. She scrubbed until her skin turned red and raw. The physical pain was nothing compared to the ache in her chest.
But as the hot water ran over her, something shifted inside her. The tears stopped. The shaking stopped.
She couldn't take this lying down. She had to confront Nathan. She had to look him in the eye and ask him why he'd done this to her.
An hour later, she stood outside Nathan's penthouse building again. This time, she wasn't the broken woman who'd run away yesterday. This time, she had purpose.
She rode the elevator up, her spine straight and her mind clear.
The penthouse door was unlocked. She walked in quietly, following the sounds coming from the bedroom.
Loud, shameless moans echoed through the apartment.
"Oh God, Nathan! Right there—AHH!" Maya's voice carried clearly.
Evelyn heard Nathan groaning Maya's name in response.
She stood frozen in the hallway. After destroying her life, they were back in bed together like nothing had happened. With no guilt or shame.
The bedroom door was slightly open. With a steady hand, she pushed it wider.
There they were. Naked and tangled together, lost in their own world. Her fiancé and her stepsister.
Something cold and clear settled over Evelyn's mind. She pulled out her phone and started taking pictures.
Click. Click. Click.
She took photos from different angles, then switched to video. Her hand was perfectly steady as she captured everything.
Maya, who was moaning loudly with her head thrown back, accidentally turned toward the door. Her eyes flew open when she saw Evelyn standing there.
"AHH! NATHAN!" she screamed, scrambling to cover herself with the sheets.
Nathan, annoyed at being interrupted, snapped, "What—" Then he saw Evelyn. "Fuck!" he yelled, diving under the blanket.
Evelyn smiled. It was a cold, dangerous smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Don't stop on my account. This is perfect."
"Evelyn! What are you doing?!" Maya shrieked.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Evelyn said in a deadly calm voice. "Getting evidence. You two were so confident yesterday, weren't you? Come on, give me your best poses."
"You crazy bitch!" Nathan shouted, trying to get up while keeping himself covered.
"I'd put some clothes on first if I were you," Evelyn said, still recording. "I've seen enough of both of you to last a lifetime."
She took a few more photos of their horrified faces, then lowered her phone.
"This should be more than enough," she said with satisfaction. "Thank you for making this so easy."
She turned and walked away, leaving them scrambling behind her.
\---
Seeing Evelyn walking away with the phone, Nathan saw his entire future crashing down. Pure rage took over.
"Get back here, you bitch!" he roared, jumping out of bed and pulling on his pants. He didn't even bother with a shirt.
"Nathan! The phone! Get the phone!" Maya shrieked from the bed.
Hearing their screams behind her, Evelyn knew she had to move fast. She ran for the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator.
Nathan burst out of the bedroom, chasing after her. His bare feet slapped against the marble as he ran.
Evelyn was already in the stairwell, taking the steps three at a time. All those morning jogs were finally paying off.
Nathan couldn't catch up on foot. He ran back to grab his car keys, his face twisted with fury.
By the time he made it to the parking garage, Evelyn was already on the street. He gunned his expensive sports car, tires squealing as he sped after her.
He spotted her running along the sidewalk and swerved toward her, his car jumping the curb.
"Give me that phone, Evelyn! When I catch you, you're dead!"
Evelyn's heart pounded as she saw his car aiming straight for her. She made a split-second decision and darted into a narrow alley where his car couldn't follow.
"NO!" Nathan screamed.
He slammed on the brakes, trying to turn sharp enough to cut her off. But he was going too fast. The car skidded sideways, crashing into a row of parked motorcycles and a street vendor's cart.
CRASH!
The car alarm blared as Nathan slammed his fists on the steering wheel. "FUCK! FUCK!"
He could see Evelyn's figure disappearing into the maze of alleys. He leaned out the window, screaming with everything he had. "Evelyn! You better pray I never get my hands on you! I'll destroy you completely!"
Her voice echoed back from the alley, calm and clear. "You already tried that before. It's my turn now."
Nathan wanted to chase her into the alley, but he was stuck. His car was wrecked, there were witnesses, and security cameras everywhere. With his grandfather watching his every move and his uncle in town, he couldn't afford another scandal.
Cursing violently, he could only watch as Evelyn and his destruction disappeared into the city.
\---
Evelyn didn't stop running until she found a main street. Gasping for air, she flagged down a taxi.
"Grove Street, apartment 4B," she told the driver. "And please hurry."
She couldn't go home. Nathan would look there first. The only safe place was Lena's apartment.
During the ride, she clutched her phone tightly. The photos and videos inside were her weapons now.
When she finally reached Lena's building, she practically ran up the stairs. Lena opened the door, her eyes widening at Evelyn's disheveled appearance.
"Evelyn! What happened? You look—"
Once inside, everything poured out. The drugged wine, waking up in a stranger's bed, the pain, the shame. Then finding Nathan and Maya together again, shameless and satisfied. Finally, she showed Lena the photos and videos.
Lena listened, her face growing darker with each word. When Evelyn finished, Lena pulled her into a fierce hug.
"Those disgusting, rotten bastards!" she cursed. "I always knew Maya was poison, but Nathan? I never thought he could be this cruel. He seemed so sweet in college. You two were everyone's favorite couple."
Lena shook her head in disbelief. "We always thought Maya was the enemy. But the real monster was Nathan all along. His kindness was just a mask."
Seeing the pain flash in Evelyn's eyes, Lena quickly changed her tone. "Forget them! You're safe here. Stay as long as you need. We'll make them pay for what they did."
For the first time since waking up in that hotel room, Evelyn felt a genuine smile touch her lips. Looking at her friend's fierce, loyal face, she didn't feel alone anymore.
Most importantly, she had something that could change everything: solid, undeniable proof of their betrayal.