Chapter 153: He Took Him!
"I’m the head of the General Hospital now, Evelyn," Ethan said, desperate to prove himself. "I can protect you now. I won't let that bastard bully you like he did before."
Evelyn felt a warmth in her heart. "Congratulations, Ethan. I always knew you were talented."
"No, it wasn't me," Ethan shook his head, his expression becoming complicated. "If it wasn't for him, Damian would have had me blacklisted from the medical world years ago."
Evelyn frowned. "Who?"
"Ryan Lawrence."
"For the past four years, he’s been funding the hospital through an anonymous foundation. His only condition was that they keep my position and promote me. He did the same for Professor Hayes; Nova Group has been secretly funneling resources to her studio."
Evelyn’s heart tightened.
Ethan looked at the tombstone. "There’s one more thing. Those unfinished sketches of yours from four years ago? Ryan bought them all. He said they were your treasures and he wouldn't let them gather dust. In four years, he hasn't let anyone touch them but himself."
Evelyn felt her mind go blank. She remembered screaming at Ryan, calling him a "control freak" and "no different from Damian."
But his "control" was picking up her discarded dreams and protecting them. Damian destroyed her art; Ryan was mending it.
"He never let me tell you," Ethan said. "But I don't want you to misunderstand him. That man nearly turned New York upside down to find you."
Evelyn looked at the daisies at her feet. Her defensive wall finally began to crumble.
Just then, a flash of lightning split the sky. A torrential downpour began.
"It’s pouring. Let me drive you back," Ethan offered.
Evelyn’s face went pale as she checked her watch. "Oh no! Elias is still at preschool!" In this weather, the boy would be terrified. "No, Ethan, I’ll take a cab!"
She sprinted into the rain, hailed a taxi, and headed for Chelsea. Her heart was racing with a sudden, overwhelming dread.
Twenty minutes later, the taxi skidded to a stop. Evelyn jumped out, soaking wet. The preschool gate was empty, except for a young teacher looking out anxiously.
"Where is Elias?" Evelyn grabbed the teacher’s arm.
"Miss Bell? Elias was... he was already picked up."
"Picked up? By whom? I didn't authorize anyone! Where are the bodyguards?"
"The guards... they ran off to chase a reporter who was taking photos." The teacher looked panicked and handed Evelyn a damp piece of paper. "The gentleman who came said he was the father. He was very handsome and drove a black Bentley. He showed your signed authorization with your seal. Elias saw him and called him 'Uncle,' so I..."
Crack! Another bolt of thunder.
Evelyn snatched the paper. The handwriting looked like hers, but the last letter had a specific curl at the end. That was Damian’s habit!
He never intended to let the child go. He was acting, lulling everyone into a false sense of security, and then he struck the moment the guards were distracted.
"Damn it!" Evelyn crumpled the paper. Panic flooded her. She could barely stand.
"Which way?" she roared. "Which way did they go?"
"Toward... toward the East Coastal Highway..."
Evelyn didn't think. She ran into the storm, sprinting toward the east. Rain and tears blurred her vision. One of her heels snapped; she kicked them off and ran barefoot through the freezing puddles.
A black Maybach screeched to a halt in front of her. Ryan jumped out and caught her before she collapsed.
"Get in!"
He didn't give her a choice. He shoved the shivering, soaked woman into the passenger seat. The heater was on full blast, but Evelyn couldn't stop shaking.
"He took Eli... Ryan, he took my life..."
"I know." Ryan floored the accelerator. "I’ve already tracked his car. He’s at the private villa on the North Shore of Long Island." He grabbed her hand, his palm burning with heat. "Don't panic. My team is already breaking down the door. As long as I’m breathing, he’s not taking Elias."
Twenty minutes later, they reached the Green family’s coastal mansion. The gates were wide open.
Evelyn didn't wait for the car to stop. She ran inside. The living room was brightly lit, but it was filled with Elias’s heart-wrenching screams.
"I want Mommy! Let me go! You’re a bad man!"
Evelyn’s heart shattered. She burst into the room. Damian was on a large sofa, holding a struggling Elias. The coffee table was piled with expensive toys and candy.
"Eli, don't cry. I’m Daddy," Damian said, sweating, a fawning smile on his face. "Look, I bought this for you. No one else in New York has one. If you just call me Daddy, everything in this house is yours."