Chapter 129: The Loss
Evelyn didn't cry. The tears simply stopped. She gently laid the Director’s body down and grabbed a rusted steel pipe from the floor. "I’m going to kill you."
When she looked up, her eyes were a terrifying, blood-red.
"Die! You all deserve to die!"
The pipe whistled through the air and slammed into the back of a thug trying to sneak up on Ryan. The blow had her entire weight behind it, and the man collapsed with a scream.
"Stop her! Shoot her!" Octavina screamed, a chill running down her spine as she watched the blood-covered woman rise.
But Ryan was faster. "Leave none of them alive."
Ryan’s elite guards broke through the perimeter. The remaining thugs didn't stand a chance; they were cut down one by one.
Evelyn felt no fear. She dragged the pipe across the floor, walking toward Octavina, who was backed into a corner. A killer tried to jump her from the side, but Evelyn didn't even look. She swung the pipe with pure hatred, shattering the man's kneecap. The sound of bone snapping and his scream filled the warehouse.
Octavina finally panicked. Her noble mask crumbled as she tried to crawl away, falling into the dust. "What... what are you doing? I’m a Green! You wouldn't dare touch me!"
Evelyn stood over her, her face a mask of blood. She pulled out the tablet.
Smack!
She slammed the tablet into Octavina’s face. The hard metal cut the older woman’s cheek, and blood began to flow.
"Look at it!" Evelyn roared. "This is your work! To hide your filth and destroy me, you hired killers and murdered a seventy-year-old woman! Do you even have a soul?"
Octavina clutched her face and shrieked, "She brought it on herself! She shouldn't have interfered! She was just a useless old woman from an orphanage. Her death is a fitting sacrifice for a curse like you!"
Slap!
Evelyn delivered a backhanded strike that sent Octavina’s head snapping to the side. Her hair was a mess; she looked like a madwoman.
"Shut up! You don't deserve to speak her name!"
Evelyn raised the steel pipe again, her eyes murderous. She was ready to crush this woman's skull, even if it meant her own life was over. But just as she began to swing, a strong hand gripped her wrist.
"Evelyn, stop."
Ryan pulled her into his arms. The scent of cedar and blood surrounded her, forcing her to stop.
"Let go! I have to kill her!" Evelyn struggled.
"She’s not worth it," Ryan said firmly. He took the pipe and tossed it aside. "Don't throw your life away for garbage like this. Think of your belly. Do you want your baby born in a prison?"
The baby.
Evelyn froze. She gasped for air, her eyes instinctively moving to her stomach. Ryan looked at Octavina on the floor with more contempt than he would show a corpse.
"Besides, letting her die this quickly is too mercy."
Police sirens wailed outside. Red and blue lights filled the warehouse. "Police! Don't move!"
Dozens of officers swarmed in and took control. Two officers hauled Octavina up and cuffed her. She was still screaming, "Do you know who I am? Let me go! I’m calling my lawyer!"
Ryan sneered and leaned in close to her ear. "Save your breath. Your bank records, the recordings, and the testimony from the middleman you used to hire the hitmen are already on the prosecutor’s desk. Not even the Greens can save you now. Rot in hell."
Octavina’s face turned ashen. She glared at Evelyn with pure venom as she was dragged away like a dead dog.
When the chaos died down, the medics walked in with a gurney. A white sheet was pulled over Director Worth’s face. Evelyn stood still, watching the black body bag being zipped up. It felt like a piece of her heart had been ripped out. The last person who loved her was gone.
"Evelyn..." Ryan reached out to comfort her.
"Don't touch me," she whispered, her voice raw. She pushed his hand away, her body shaking. "I want to be alone... to see her off."
Ryan’s heart ached for her, but he knew she needed to grieve. He followed a few steps behind, making sure his guards cleared a path.
Evelyn walked behind the gurney out of the warehouse. The rain had slowed, but the cold wind made her head throb. Just as she reached the ambulance, a black car with no plates sped out of the darkness.
"Watch out!" Ryan lunged forward.
The car was too fast. It didn't hit her directly; it swerved and skidded to a stop inches away from her. The door flew open, and a man in a black hood jumped out. Before anyone could react, he raised a heavy boot and kicked Evelyn squarely in the stomach.
Thud.
The kick was delivered with full force. Evelyn didn't even have time to scream before she was sent flying back, landing hard on the wet concrete. The man didn't hesitate; he jumped back into the car and sped away into the rain.
"Evelyn!"
Ryan knelt by her side, his hands shaking. Evelyn curled into a ball, clutching her stomach. Her face was deathly pale, and sweat poured down her forehead. A sharp, tearing pain exploded in her abdomen and spread through her entire body.
"The baby... my baby..."
She couldn't form words, only broken gasps. A warm liquid began to flow down her inner thighs, staining the puddles on the ground a horrific red.
Blood.
Ryan looked at the red stain, his hands trembling. He didn't dare touch her stomach. "Medics! Ambulance! Get over here now!"
Evelyn’s vision began to fade. Ryan’s voice sounded miles away. She tried to keep her eyes open, desperate to know if her baby was still alive, but darkness pulled at her like a tide. In this cruel world, the baby was all she had left. If she lost him too...
"Please... Ryan..." she whispered, grabbing his collar with the last of her strength. A single tear of blood fell from her eye. "Save him... don't let him die..."
Then, her hand fell limp.