Chapter 126: The Hit
At the end of the hospital hallway, the doors to the VIP lounge were shut tight. Octavina sat on the sofa, staring at a stack of photos with cold eyes. The photos were faked, showing Evelyn in compromising positions with Ethan.
"Madam," Sienna said, sitting across from her. She sipped her coffee with a smug smile. "Once these photos go out, along with the fake chat logs, Evelyn will be branded as a cheating wife who killed her husband for money."
Octavina threw the photos onto the table. "That bitch ruined Damian. She thinks she can just walk away? Never."
Sienna leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Destroying her reputation isn't enough. If she’s still alive when Damian wakes up, he might go soft on her again. You know how obsessed he is with her."
Octavina’s face hardened. "You’re right. The Green family doesn't need a low-class woman like her, especially one who brings nothing but disaster."
She picked up her phone and dialed a number.
"Do it. Send the files to the board and the media. I want her to wake up as the most hated woman in New York. Then, go to the villa where she’s staying. Leave no survivors. Make it look like a botched robbery."
Octavina hung up and looked at Sienna with a satisfied smile. "It all ends tonight."
Outside the door, an elderly woman gasped and covered her mouth. Director Eleanor Worth had come to check on Damian and try to help Evelyn, but she never expected to overhear a murder plot. Octavina wasn't just ruining Evelyn; she was going to kill her.
Director Worth trembled. Ignoring her old leg injury, she hurried toward the exit. She had to warn Evelyn. She pulled out her old phone, her fingers shaking as she found Evelyn’s name. Before she could hit dial, a large hand grabbed her phone from behind.
"Where are you going, old lady?"
The Director turned in terror to see Mad Dog glaring at her. The lounge door opened, and Octavina and Sienna stepped out.
"It looks like we have a guest," Sienna said, raising an eyebrow.
"This is a crime! I’m calling the police!" the Director cried, struggling to get away.
Mad Dog covered her mouth and dragged her into a nearby storage room. Octavina looked on with disgust. "Keep her quiet. Once the job is done at the villa, deal with her."
Ryan had hidden Evelyn at his private villa in Long Island. Evelyn sat on the sofa, clutching her phone. She hadn't heard from Director Worth since the afternoon. They were supposed to talk after the Director visited the hospital, but it had been four hours.
Evelyn called repeatedly, but there was no answer. A feeling of dread crept over her. She stood up and put on a coat, intending to ask Ryan’s guards to check the hospital.
Suddenly, her phone lit up with a news alert.
BREAKING: Mrs. Green’s Affair Confirmed! Pregnant with Secret Lover’s Child, Plotting to Steal Omni Group Assets!
The article included dozens of "intimate" photos and fake voice recordings. The fakes were sloppy; given time, she could prove they were lies. But her eyes locked onto two words in the headline: Pregnant and Lover.
Evelyn stopped breathing. Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach. Terror washed over her.
"Are they insane?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
This wasn't just a smear campaign. They were trying to destroy her socially. But even worse, rumors could be fought, and photos could be debunked, but a pregnancy could be verified. If they bribed the hospital staff or checked her records, the secret would be out. And with the fake news of an affair, no one would care who the real father was. Her child would be branded a "bastard" before even being born.
"No... they can't know..." she murmured, her mind going blank.
Before she could recover from the shock, a dull thud sounded outside. It wasn't thunder; it was the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Evelyn looked at the front door. Ryan’s guards were gone. A few minutes ago, they had reported a suspicious vehicle, and it seemed they had been lured away.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Someone was knocking on the heavy wooden door with a blunt object. Evelyn’s heart hammered against her ribs. She ran to the foyer and looked through the peephole.
Three men in black raincoats were standing outside. They wore masks and carried crowbars and silenced pistols. The leader had a jagged scar on his neck. They were breaking the lock.
The sound of metal snapping echoed through the house. Evelyn covered her mouth and backed away. Ryan’s people were gone, and the door wouldn't hold much longer.
Where could she run? It was pouring outside, and she was pregnant. She couldn't outrun professional killers. Panic flooded her, but the moment her hand touched her belly, her maternal instinct kicked in. She couldn't die here.
With trembling fingers, she dialed the number at the top of her list. It was Ryan’s private line. He had told her he would answer on the first ring.
The moment the call connected, the front door was kicked open with a thunderous crash. Cold wind and rain swept into the house as three dark shadows burst inside.
Evelyn bolted for the stairs. She ran into the master bathroom, locked the door, and pressed her weight against it.
"Ryan..." she sobbed into the phone, her voice broken and desperate. "Save me..."