Chapter 96: Hanging by a Thread
The mansion’s gates looked grim in the rainy night. Evelyn pushed the door open. The lights in the living room were on.
Unexpectedly, Damian had gotten home before her. He was sitting on the sofa in his suit, holding a glass of whiskey. Hearing the door, he set down the drink and stood up. Damian looked at Evelyn—wet, her arm heavily bandaged.
“You’re back.” Damian walked toward her, holding a gift box. “I was too hasty at the hospital…” He offered the box. “I had someone buy this as compensation for your injury.”
Evelyn looked at the box, finding it profoundly ironic. This was Damian’s solution. An attempted murder that nearly cost her her arm, and in his eyes, a designer bag could make it go away.
“Damian.” Evelyn didn’t take the box. “Did you, for even a second, look at my wound?”
Damian's eyes brushed the blood seeping through her bandage and immediately darted away. He frowned. “Didn’t the doctor say? It’s just a scratch. It will heal. Sienna is traumatized enough; don’t be so aggressive.”
“I’m aggressive?” Evelyn laughed bitterly.
Just then, footsteps broke the silence. A maid rushed down from the second floor, her face panicked.
“Sir! It’s bad! Miss Sienna called from the apartment! She said she has sudden, severe abdominal pain, she’s rolling on the floor and screaming your name!”
Damian’s expression changed instantly. The previous pretense of warmth vanished. The gift box clattered to the floor, the bag rolling out, unnoticed.
“The driver! Hurry!” Damian roared, rushing toward the door without looking at Evelyn.
“Damian!” Evelyn called out instinctively.
Damian paused, turning back to look at her, his eyes cold and accusing. “Sienna is like this because you drove her to another miscarriage! If anything happens to her, I will never forgive you!”
BANG! The door slammed shut. The sound of the engine faded, leaving Evelyn alone in the living room.
Evelyn looked at the gift box on the floor, a self-mocking smile on her lips. She bent down, intending to pick up the bag, when two figures blocked her way. It was the two housemaids, Mary and Jenny. They were usually disrespectful but polite. Now, their faces were etched with malice.
“Mrs. Green, you sure have nine lives. You survived a dog attack,” Mary said, crossing her arms.
Evelyn straightened up. “Get out of my way.”
“Get out of your way? Miss Sienna runs things here now. She’s the real mistress.” Jenny sneered, pulling a wad of cash from her apron pocket—Sienna’s "bonus." “Miss Sienna said that since the dog didn’t teach you a lesson, we would teach you some manners.”
Evelyn’s heart sank. She had miscalculated. She thought returning to the mansion, under Damian’s nose, would force Sienna to restrain herself. But she had underestimated Sienna’s madness and Damian’s lack of control over his own house. Sienna dared to act the second Damian was out the door!
“What are you going to do? This is illegal!” Evelyn took a step back, reaching for the phone in her pocket.
“Calling the police?” Mary was fast, slapping the phone out of Evelyn’s hand. It slid several feet away, the screen cracking.
“Ah!” Before Evelyn could react, Jenny grabbed her left arm. Her hand pressed directly onto the wound. The sudden pressure caused excruciating pain. Evelyn cried out, cold sweat soaking her back.
“You ungrateful bitch, clinging to the 'Mrs. Green' title and bullying Miss Sienna!” The two maids grabbed Evelyn, ignoring her struggles, and dragged her toward the basement behind the kitchen.
“Let go of me! Help! Somebody!” Evelyn struggled, her feet scraping against the floor. But the mansion’s soundproofing was excellent. The other staff had been sent away. The vast hall only echoed her screams.
“Shut up!” Mary slapped Evelyn across the face.
The basement door was kicked open, and a wave of moldy air rushed out. Evelyn was shoved down.
THUD! She landed on the cement floor, scraping her knees. The wound on her arm ripped open from the strain, blood soaking the bandage and dripping onto the dusty floor.
“You… you will pay for this…” Evelyn gasped, fighting the pain to stand up.
“Pay for it?” Jenny grabbed an iron bar from the corner, weighing it in her hand, a smile splitting her face. “Once we teach you a proper lesson, let’s see you talk back.”
Evelyn’s eyes contracted, staring at the iron bar. She instinctively curled her body, shielding her abdomen with her arms.
They cannot hurt the baby!
“Hold her down!” Jenny commanded.
Mary rushed forward, slamming her knee into Evelyn’s back, pinning her to the floor. Evelyn’s face was pressed against the cement, grit scraping her cheek.
“Help… help me…” Evelyn cried in despair.
“Scream all you want. Nobody is coming. The Master is comforting Miss Sienna right now. Who cares if you live or die?”
Jenny raised the iron bar, staring at Evelyn’s hand shielding her belly. “Looks like you care about your stomach? Then I’ll smash your stomach first!”