Chapter 161: Damian’s Devotion
The next afternoon, Evelyn held Elias’s hand as they walked home from kindergarten. The little boy was still buzzing with excitement from their weekend at the theme park, humming a messy tune.
"Mommy, can we have pizza tonight? I want pepperoni," Elias said, looking up with bright eyes.
"Sure, but only two slices."
When they reached the apartment, Evelyn pulled her keys from her bag and slid them into the lock.
Click.
The door didn't resist like usual. It swung open with a light push. She remembered clearly that she had double-locked it this morning.
"Stay behind me," Evelyn whispered. She shielded Elias with one hand and fumbled for the pepper spray in her bag, pushing the door open cautiously.
An overwhelming, almost suffocating scent of flowers hit her. Her simple, cozy living room had been turned into a sea of red. Thousands of roses covered every inch of the floor.
Standing in the center of the floral display was a man.
Damian Green wore a tailored silver-grey suit, his hair slicked back perfectly. He held a bouquet of white bellflowers—the flowers Evelyn had loved eight years ago.
Hearing the door, Damian turned around. A gentle, almost eerie smile sat on his face. His eyes were filled with an obsessive longing.
"Welcome home, darling."
He had painted a clear act of breaking and entering as a "romantic surprise."
"How did you get in?" Evelyn didn't close the door. Instead, she threw it wide open, ready to run with the child at any moment. "This is trespassing, Damian. Get out."
"Don't be so cold, Evelyn." Damian stepped forward, crushing rose petals under his shoes. "I just wanted to surprise you. I missed our anniversary back then. I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you."
"Stop right there!" Evelyn raised the pepper spray. "One more step and I call the police."
Damian stopped, looking wounded. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a neatly folded document, unfolding it slowly for her to see.
"I know what you're worried about. I know everything about Elias."
Evelyn’s pupils shrank. It was a DNA report.
Damian saw her terror and let out a smug, "generous" smile. "I had a test done. The results show he has no biological connection to the Green family."
Evelyn felt a wave of relief. Ryan said he would handle the report, and clearly, he had.
Damian tossed the report onto the sofa like it was trash and then did something Evelyn never expected.
Thump.
The arrogant, untouchable CEO of Omni dropped to his knees in the middle of the roses.
"Evelyn, I don't care," Damian’s voice trembled. "I don't care whose brat he is, or who you've been with for the last four years. As long as you come back to me, I'll raise him as my own. I'll give him the best education and let him inherit Green family shares. Just forgive me."
He crawled forward on his knees, reaching for the hem of her skirt.
"See? I’m even willing to accept another man's child for you. Who else loves you more than I do? Ryan Lawrence? A man like him would never tolerate you carrying around a bastard."
Evelyn looked at the man kneeling before her and felt a surge of pure disgust. He thought this was devotion, but it only made her skin crawl.
"You make me sick," Evelyn said, stepping back to avoid his touch. "Damian, you don't love me. You just hate that a doll you threw away is out of your control. Take your flowers and get out of my house!"
The smile on Damian's face froze. The humble act shattered, revealing the monstrous need for control underneath.
"Sick?" He stood up abruptly and grabbed her wrist. "I threw away my pride and knelt for you, and you call me sick?"
His grip tightened as if he meant to crush her bones. His eyes were bloodshot and manic. "Eight years! You're going to throw away eight years for a few days with that man? I won't allow it! Evelyn, you are mine! Every inch of you belongs to me!"
"Let go! You're hurting me!" Evelyn struggled, a sharp pain shooting through her arm as her skin turned red.
"Bad man! Let go of my mommy!" Elias suddenly rushed out and bit Damian’s arm hard.
"Ah!" Damian winced in pain. He instinctively tried to shake the boy off, his other hand swinging out to shove the child away.
"Don't touch him!" Evelyn screamed, throwing her body in front of Elias.
"Mommy, I'm scared!" Elias huddled against her, sobbing.
The crying only made Damian more agitated. He tried to reach past Evelyn to grab the boy. "Stop crying! I'm your father! I might not be biological, but I'm your father! I'm your mother's husband!"
"You're not! You're a lunatic!" Evelyn backed away, looking for an opening in the narrow hallway, but Damian’s large frame blocked the only exit.
"I am crazy! You made me this way!" Damian’s eyes were crimson as he reached out to grab her. "Come home with me. Right now! I've kicked Sienna out. It'll just be us. We’ll start over..."
Just as his hand was about to touch her shoulder, the doorbell rang.
The sharp sound cut through the chaos. Damian froze, his face twisting with annoyance. "Who the hell is out there?"
Evelyn’s heart hammered. She hoped the noise had drawn a neighbor’s attention. It was her only chance. While Damian was distracted, she shoved him with all her might and yanked the door open.
"Help! Please help—" The cry died in her throat.
It wasn't a neighbor or the police. Ryan Lawrence stood in the dim light of the hallway, wearing a dark cashmere coat. Four bodyguards stood behind him. His gaze swept over Evelyn and landed on the man inside.
His eyes were void of warmth, radiating a terrifying pressure. Ryan reached out, pulled Evelyn and the sobbing Elias behind him, and stepped over the threshold, crushing a red rose under his leather shoe.
"Mr. Green." Ryan’s voice was like ice. "It seems the last lesson I gave you wasn't enough."