Chapter 8 : An Unexpected Rescue
Evelyn struggled wildly as the men dragged her down the hallway. This was her only chance to expose the truth, and it was being ripped away from her. She tried to scream, but one of them pressed a cloth over her mouth.
They were almost at the conference room when three large men in dark suits stepped out of nowhere, blocking their path.
"Let the lady go," one of them said. His voice was calm but deadly.
The men holding Evelyn laughed. "Get lost! Do you know who we work for? This is Sinclair family business! How much did this crazy girl pay you?"
The three men didn't move an inch. "We won't ask again."
Evelyn's captors made the mistake of attacking first. The fight was over in seconds. The three newcomers moved like professionals, dropping Nathan's men to the floor without breaking a sweat. The last guy holding Evelyn got so scared he let go and tried to run, but a quick hit to the back of his head knocked him out cold.
The men turned to Evelyn, who was still gagged and shaking. She stared at them with wide, terrified eyes. One of them gently removed the cloth from her mouth.
"Who are you?" Evelyn demanded, her voice hoarse. "What do you want with me?"
A calm voice came from behind her. "Relax. They work for me."
Evelyn spun around. A tall man was walking toward her, and her heart nearly stopped when she saw his face. That face looks familiar, but she couldn't remember where she knew him from.
Roman nodded to his men. "Clean this up. Make sure no one finds them for a while." His security team quickly dragged the unconscious bodies away, leaving them alone in the hallway.
Evelyn's dress was wrinkled, her hair messy, her makeup smeared. She looked up at him with a mix of fear and rage.
"Who the hell are you?" she yelled.
Roman smiled slightly. He reached out and touched her newly cut hair. "You changed your look. Smart."
Evelyn jerked away from his touch, her whole body shaking. "Don't touch me!"
He looked at her with that same infuriating calm. "You left quite suddenly the other morning at the hotel. Usually it's the man who does that."
Evelyn's face went white with shock, then red with fury. This was him. The stranger who'd taken advantage of her when she was drugged. She'd expected some disgusting criminal Nathan had paid, but he was... devastatingly handsome. For one confused second, she wondered if Nathan had accidentally sent her to the wrong person.
But that didn't matter. This man had violated her when she was helpless.
With a scream of rage, she kicked him hard between the legs.
Roman doubled over, cursing under his breath. Even through the pain, he couldn't help thinking she had good aim.
Seeing him hurt made Evelyn feel a tiny bit better. She turned and ran toward the elevator. The party was almost over, and she needed to find Alexander Sinclair now, or her chance would be gone forever.
"Stay away from me!" she yelled over her shoulder.
"Don't you want my help?" Roman called out, still catching his breath.
Evelyn jabbed the elevator button repeatedly. "Help? From you? The only way you can help me is by disappearing from my life forever!"
The elevator doors opened and she jumped in, slamming the close button.
As the doors shut, Roman straightened up slowly, a dangerous smile spreading across his face. "I can give you anything you want," he said to the empty hallway, "except that last request. How else would I make you my wife?"
\---
Back in the grand ballroom, the celebration was reaching its peak. Alexander Sinclair sat in his place of honor, watching a traditional dance performance with obvious enjoyment.
When Richard Hayes stepped forward to present his gift, Alexander accepted it politely but then looked around the room with a slight frown.
"Richard," his voice carried across the room, "where is my future granddaughter-in-law? I haven't seen Evelyn all evening."
Richard forced a laugh that sounded strained. "Ah, Evelyn... she said she had something urgent to handle. You know how young people are these days."
A flicker of displeasure crossed Alexander's face, but he nodded. "Well, no matter. I have an announcement to make tonight."
Seeing his chance, Richard quickly added, "Of course, sir. And if I may say... my stepdaughter Maya is much more reliable. If Evelyn continues to be difficult, Maya would make an excellent replacement for Nathan."
Alexander waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense. Evelyn has spirit. That's exactly why I chose her for my grandson."
He gestured for a microphone. The music stopped, and every conversation died as all attention focused on him.
"My friends," his voice boomed through the speakers, "I'm delighted to announce that my grandson Nathan and Richard's daughter Evelyn will be married exactly one month from today!"
Applause erupted throughout the ballroom. Maya, who'd been standing nearby with a fake smile plastered on her face, went rigid. Her mother Claire grabbed her wrist, silently warning her to keep control.
Nathan forced himself to smile and accept congratulations, but inside he was panicking. Where were his men? Why hadn't they confirmed Evelyn was locked up safely? Cold dread settled in his stomach.
"It's unfortunate," Alexander continued, his tone growing cooler, "that my future granddaughter isn't here to share this moment with us."
Disappointed murmurs rippled through the crowd. These were powerful people who'd cleared their schedules to attend. What could possibly be more important than Alexander Sinclair's birthday and her own engagement announcement? The guests began whispering, and their opinions of Evelyn were clearly souring.
Richard and Claire exchanged a satisfied look. This was working perfectly. Evelyn's reputation was being destroyed without them having to lift a finger.
But just then, a clear, strong voice cut through all the whispers.
"Grandfather!"
Every head in the room turned. There, at the main entrance, slightly out of breath but standing tall and proud, was Evelyn.
"I apologize for being late," she said, her voice carrying clearly across the silent ballroom. "I was... unavoidably detained."
The reaction was instant and electric. Nathan's face went completely white. Maya looked like she'd seen a ghost, her hands shaking with pure rage. Richard and Claire stared in complete shock, their mouths hanging open.
She was supposed to be locked in a room upstairs. How was she standing there, free and defiant?
But Evelyn wasn't done. She walked further into the room, her chin held high, and everyone could see the determination burning in her eyes.
"Actually," she continued, her voice getting stronger with each word, "I have something very important to share with everyone tonight. Something that can't wait another second."
Alexander raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Nathan looked like he might faint.