Chapter 89
"Where did you get this photo?" Eric's voice was trembling.
Evelyn leisurely savored his terror without answering his question.
She slowly began telling a story.
"Many years ago, there was a little boy. His father was often violent at home, and his mother couldn't take it anymore and left."
"For over a decade after that, he kept searching for traces of his mother but never found any news."
She paused. "What a coincidence—I found her right away."
"She opened a coffee shop and was living a peaceful life. She might have lived out her days safely like that."
Her voice turned cold. "Unfortunately for her, she gave birth to a son like you."
Eric's pupils constricted sharply.
"What are you going to do to my mother?" He struggled desperately, the ropes cutting into his flesh. "Come at me if you want! Don't do such despicable things! I won't let you get away with this!"
Evelyn laughed coldly. "What a joke. You're allowed to go after people around me, but I'm not allowed to do anything?"
She bent down to pick up the photo and lit it with a lighter in front of him.
Flames consumed the gentle middle-aged woman in the photograph.
"Don't worry, I won't let her off," Evelyn said word by word. "I'll never let you know where she is, and I'll never let her have peace."
"Every single day, there will be thugs I've arranged going to smash up her shop. As long as that shop stays open, she'll have no peace."
Eric stared fixedly at the burning flames, his eyes bloodshot.
"She'll probably wonder who exactly she offended," Evelyn's voice was airy. "She can blame her son for always trying to hurt others."
Eric roared in agony, his entire body seeming drained of all strength.
He slumped in the chair, his eyes as defeated and lifeless as stagnant water.
"Leave my mother alone..." His voice was hoarse. "I won't come after you anymore..."
"Please spare her... I won't tell anyone about today either..."
Evelyn paid him no more attention.
She turned and walked into the darkness.
Only today did Eric realize he'd never truly known Evelyn.
He'd never known that seemingly gentle and weak woman could do such ruthless things.
She'd been so decisive stabbing him, so resolute going after his mother.
After an unknown amount of time, someone masked came to untie him and then left.
But Eric remained slumped in the chair for a long time, motionless, full of despair.
After her revenge, Evelyn's face showed unstoppable satisfaction.
She picked up her phone and sent Kate a message.
[Thanks for your hard work digging up all that information.]
She hadn't actually found that woman.
She would never hurt a defenseless woman.
It was just psychological warfare.
The pain she'd tasted, she wanted Eric to experience firsthand, too.
Oh, right, and Remy. Getting Eric tied up here was thanks to her help.
She sent Remy a message: [Thanks, Remy, all done.] Followed by a heart emoji.
Seeing it was getting late, she quietly returned to the hospital, acting as if nothing had happened.
She knew Kevin had people following her but didn't care.
What did it matter if he knew her true nature?
Kevin's people did indeed report everything Evelyn had done faithfully to him.
After hearing it, he couldn't help clicking his tongue.
Evelyn had once again shattered his perception of her.
The situation between her and Matthew probably really couldn't end well.
Kevin frowned and pushed open the villa door.
Inside, Verity sat on the sofa clipping her nails.
She rather inelegantly had her legs crossed, pulling her foot up to eye level.
Clearly a crude gesture, yet those delicate toes moving about looked surprisingly lively.
This was the scene Kevin came home to.
"You're back?" Verity quickly came over. "How's Evelyn doing now?"
After tipping Evelyn off that day, Verity had been afraid Matthew would connect it to her and come for revenge.
The Wallace family people had never welcomed her, and lately they'd been scrambling for power.
She was afraid that if she went home, she'd be mistaken for trying to compete for something, and they'd trip her up somehow.
After thinking it over, she could only hide out at Kevin's place.
"Evelyn's fine now," Kevin paused. "She even..."
He hesitated, unsure whether to tell Verity about Evelyn's revenge.
Speaking of Verity, his feelings were complicated.
Three years ago, he and Verity had been a couple.
They'd once had a great relationship, but Verity's personality was too unsuited for high society.
She'd even wanted to run off with Evelyn—Matthew had given Kevin countless cold looks over that incident.
Later, he and Verity had separated and hadn't contacted each other for a long time.
When Verity knocked on Kevin's door, he'd hesitated but still took her in.
"She even what? Hurry up and tell me!" Verity heard him stop mid-sentence and grew anxious, shaking his arm to make him finish.
"Nothing." Kevin decided not to tell her these things.
With Verity's personality, if she knew about this, who knew what she and Evelyn might cook up together?
Verity knew Kevin was hiding something, but also knew she couldn't extract anything from him.
Her cheeks puffed out in anger as she turned and went back to the guest bedroom.
Staying at Kevin's long-term wasn't a solution—they had too much history.
But where should she go next?
The Wallace family was out of the question...
She should quickly find a sunny place abroad.
She didn't want to go back and experience endless rain again.
The next morning, the Perkins Estate.
After sending Emma to the psychiatric hospital, Matthew had been busy dealing with everyone involved in hurting Evelyn, while also cleaning up the network Emma had left behind.
He punished them all without exception.
He even traced the connections to discover that the person who'd fed his mother information and secretly altered medical records was Marigold.
But Marigold had already left the country and vanished without a trace.
Hearing this news, Matthew smiled coldly.
Did she think leaving the country meant she was safe?
At the Perkins Estate, the butler and servants didn't dare breathe.
All day yesterday, people had been coming and going at the Perkins Estate. From time to time, someone was dragged out, wails rising one after another.
Matthew sat on the sofa, but was thinking about the hospital.
He found himself somewhat afraid to see Evelyn.
Afraid of seeing her red-eyed expression.
Afraid of hearing her cry about the baby.
Afraid of hearing her call him a murderer.
More afraid she would tell him personally that they could never be together again.
He pulled out his phone, wanting to message Kevin.
[Help me take care of Evelyn for a few days.]
He typed these words but then deleted them one by one.
He sat there blankly for a while. As if making some kind of resolution, he finally stood up and left.