Chapter 31: The Alliance
“You. Damian. He...” Evelyn’s voice was hoarse.
“He has his methods, and I have my choices.” Ethan handed Evelyn a glass of warm water. “Now, tell me about you. Why was Dr. Draven chasing you? You look terrible.”
His gaze was clear, carrying no judgment, only pure concern. Fear, anger, and humiliation, all the repressed emotions found an outlet at this moment.
Evelyn gripped the warm glass, her knuckles white with strain. “Sienna. She was never pregnant.”
“Everything was fake. She conspired with Draven, faked the pregnancy report, and then staged a miscarriage, all just to frame me.”
Evelyn recounted everything in a halting voice: the entire scene in the restaurant, Sienna’s taunts, Damian’s slap, and the forced blood draw. As she spoke, her body trembled uncontrollably with emotion.
Ethan listened in silence. The gentleness slowly faded from his face, replaced by fierce anger. He didn’t interrupt her, only placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“Just now, I overheard Draven talking to another man...”
Evelyn lowered her voice further. “I didn’t mean to listen, but I heard it. He was talking about kickbacks, and... and trading human organs. He is a devil, Ethan, they all are.”
Finally, she looked up, her eyes filled with an unprecedented resolve.
“I can’t continue like this. I need to get into the Omni Group. Damian thinks I know nothing, but he forgot that many of the core designs from the company’s early days have my input. I need to find the leverage to bring him and Sienna down and send them straight to hell.”
Silence fell over the office.
Ethan pushed up his glasses. “I will help you.”
Evelyn immediately shook her head. “No, you can’t! Ethan, you can’t get involved again. Damian already cost you one job; I can’t drag you into this too!”
“This is not dragging me into anything.”
Ethan’s tone was firm and admitted no argument. He stood up, walked to his desk, and pulled a hospital staff profile from a stack of documents.
“Draven Phillips: falsifying medical reports, accepting bribes, and potentially involved in illegal organ trafficking.”
“As a doctor, it is my duty to root out this kind of rot. Evelyn, this is no longer just your domestic issue. This is a case of severe medical misconduct.”
He placed the profile, bearing Draven’s name, in front of her.
“See this as us jointly handling a medical emergency,” he looked directly at her. “You need an inside contact, and I need an opportunity to take him down. Our goals are aligned.”
He cleverly framed her revenge as a righteous crusade, making it impossible for her to refuse. Evelyn looked at him, at the sincerity and determination in his eyes, and her tightly strung heart finally eased.
After a long pause, she nodded. “Thank you, Ethan.”
“We don’t need to say that to each other.” A warm smile returned to Ethan’s face. He seemed to recall something and changed the subject. “By the way, there is someone you might want to see. She is also at this hospital now.”
“Who?”
“Dean Voss.”
Evelyn’s eyes widened instantly.
“She... she wasn’t getting treatment at St. Mary’s. Why is she here?” Evelyn's heart clenched.
“After you left last time, she was extremely worried about you, which caused a relapse of her heart condition. The situation is not good.”
Ethan offered reassurance. “But don’t worry, I pulled strings with my mentor and had her transferred to the rehabilitation center here. She has the best rehabilitation team in the country. Her leg recovery is going well.”
Evelyn’s eyes welled up. An unspeakable mix of gratitude and guilt tangled in her chest. She had caused trouble for so many people, yet Ethan was quietly picking up the pieces for her and protecting those she held dear.
“Ethan...” she choked out.
“Go see her. She keeps asking about you,” Ethan gave her an encouraging smile and told her the room number.
Evelyn, with a complicated mix of emotions, arrived at the private room in the rehabilitation center. She pushed the door open to find Dean Voss leaning against the bed, reading a book. She had lost a lot of weight, and her hair was much whiter.
Seeing Evelyn, she put down her book and smiled kindly.
“You girl, finally decided to visit this old woman.”
“Dean...” Evelyn hurried to the bedside. Seeing her frail appearance, her nose stung with unshed tears.
“That’s enough, stop wearing a hangdog face. I’m not dead yet,” Dean Voss patted the edge of the bed, motioning for her to sit down.
Her sharp eyes swept over Evelyn’s face, immediately grasping everything. “Did Damian, that bastard, bully you again?”
Evelyn lowered her head and remained silent.
Dean Voss sighed, retrieved an old, yellowed envelope from beneath her pillow, and without a word, pushed it into Evelyn’s hand. “Take it.”
The envelope was thick and heavy.
“Dean, what is this? I can’t accept it.” Evelyn quickly declined.
“This is the money I’ve saved over the years.” Dean Voss’s tone brooked no refusal. “A young woman like you, on her own, needs money for everything. Don’t argue with me. You need it more than I do right now. Just consider it a loan. You can pay me back tenfold when you become a world-famous designer.”
Evelyn held the envelope, feeling its immense weight. She remembered how the Dean had scolded her fiercely with deep regret when she gave up her studies for love, and how the Dean had quietly and discreetly helped her every time she encountered difficulty.
At this moment, she could no longer hold back. Tears splashed onto the envelope. She felt like a complete and utter jerk, not only letting down her mentor’s expectations but also causing those who cared about her to worry.
She vigorously wiped away her tears, gripping the envelope tightly in her hand. Its heavy weight transformed into strength. She looked up, meeting the Dean’s concerned gaze, and promised solemnly, word by word, “Dean, please don’t worry. I will resolve all my troubles soon. You just focus on your recovery, and I will sort everything out.”