Chapter 149: Protection
After a long moment, the lock clicked. The door opened a crack. Evelyn stood behind it, making no move to let him in. She simply reached out and took the envelope.
"Thank you for the help. But I only accept the plan, not your company. I’ll contact you if I need anything. Goodnight, Mr. Lawrence."
She shut the door without hesitation. Ryan looked at the wood and let out a bitter laugh. At least she took it.
Late that night, a rainstorm hit New York. Evelyn sat on her sofa after Elias fell asleep, reviewing the security plan. She had to admit, Ryan was meticulous. He had thought of everything—travel routes, evacuation plans, even food safety for Elias.
"Crazy man," she muttered, closing the file. She went to check the windows. From the balcony, she glanced down. Through the yellow streetlights and the rain, she saw the black Maybach still parked below.
Ryan hadn't left. A small red glow of a cigarette flickered in the dark. The once arrogant man was standing guard at her door. Evelyn’s grip on the curtain tightened before she snapped it shut, blocking him out.
The next morning, Evelyn was walking Elias to her new studio in Soho. It was a hidden, secure location. But she had underestimated Damian’s persistence.
"Evelyn..."
A shadow stepped out from the corner, smelling of cold air and heavy tobacco. Damian’s eyes were bloodshot, his face covered in stubble. His expensive suit was a wrinkled mess. He had waited in his car all night. Seeing her, his dull eyes lit up with a greasy intensity before landing on the child.
"Don't be afraid, Evelyn. I’m not here to fight." Damian didn't lunge for them. Instead, he took a step back and raised his hands, forcing a fawning smile. "I just... want to see you. That’s our son, isn't it? I’ve done the math. I know he is."
Elias shrank against Evelyn’s leg. She shielded him completely, her face expressionless.
"Mr. Green, you need help for your delusions." She pulled a document from her bag and slammed it against his chest. Papers scattered on the ground. "Look closely."
"These are legal adoption papers from Paris and Elias's original files from the orphanage."
Damian froze. He knelt to pick up the papers. They stated that Sophia Bell had adopted a boy named Elias from the Sacred Heart Orphanage three years ago. Father unknown, mother dead of an overdose.
"What does this prove?" Damian looked up, crumpling the papers. "Documents can be forged, just like that miscarriage report back then. You hate me, so you’re doing this to keep him from me."
He stepped closer, his voice soft with a self-important "tenderness." "I don't mind, Evelyn. I neglected your feelings before. Since the child is alive, this is God giving us a chance. Come back with me. I’ll give him the best education. A Green child shouldn't be wandering the streets, and you... you are still Mrs. Green."
"This is what you came up with after thinking all night?" Evelyn was repulsed.
"It was all a misunderstanding!" Damian reached for her hand. "I’ll handle Sienna. Just bring the child and come home..."
"Don't touch me."
Evelyn sidestepped him and slapped his hand away with a resounding crack. She shoved his shoulder hard. "If you reach for me again, I’ll have your hand cut off!"
Damian stumbled back, his face flushing with rage. But before he could act, a powerful hand grabbed the back of his neck and slammed him into the wall.
Bang!
The impact made passersby gasp. Ryan’s face was dark as he pinned Damian with one hand and drove a knee into his stomach. Damian doubled over in pain.
"I told you to stay away from them," Ryan growled with a bloodthirsty edge. "Do you not understand English, or do you want me to break every bone in your body?"
Sirens wailed nearby as three police cars pulled up. Evelyn had called them the moment she saw Damian.
"This is the man," Evelyn said calmly to the arriving officers. "He has been stalking and harassing me and my child. He just tried to grab the boy. Here is the recording and a copy of the adoption papers."
She pointed at the pinned Damian. "I want an emergency restraining order and I’m filing criminal charges."
The police handcuffed Damian. "Evelyn! You can't do this! I’m the father!" he screamed as they led him away. He looked back at her and Ryan with pure resentment. "I’ll prove it! Once the DNA test is done, everyone will know! I’ll be waiting for you to change your mind!"
The car door slammed, cutting off his performance. The world was finally quiet. Evelyn’s hand was shaking—not from fear, but from the sheer disgust of her past.
A warm hand covered hers. Ryan didn't speak; he just stood there, blocking the prying eyes of the crowd.
"Thank you," Evelyn said, her voice dry. She looked down at Elias. "Were you scared?"
Elias shook his head. He looked nervous, but his eyes held a steady calm beyond his years. He let go of his mother’s shirt, walked to Ryan, and took hold of one of his fingers.
"Mister," the little boy said softly. "Will that bad man come back?"