Chapter 295

Chapter 295
Evelyn’s POV

"I know," I whispered, turning to face Dorian. The last barrier between us had crumbled, leaving only raw truth and the chance to start again. His hands found mine, trembling, and for the first time in years, I didn't pull away.

“So who drugged you? You’re saying someone set you up?”

“Not someone,” he said, his voice hardening. “Hunter.”

The name hit me like a slap. “Hunter? You’re out of your mind.”

“Am I?” He stepped closer, his eyes burning into mine. “Think about it, Evelyn. Hunter’s been at your side for years, playing the devoted boyfriend, the perfect caretaker. But what do you really know about him? About what he’s capable of?”

“He’s been there for me,” I snapped. “When I was diagnosed with leukemia, when I was at my lowest, he was there. He didn’t abandon me like you did.”

Dorian flinched, but he didn’t back down. “I didn’t abandon you. The truth is... when you had leukemia, I didn't know. Lila and Blake conspired together—the bone marrow meant for you was diverted to Mrs. Kensington. They deceived me. If I had known it was for you... if I had known you were sick... I would never have allowed it. That decision haunts me every day of my life." 

His voice cracked, raw with regret. "And our baby... we lost our child because of it. I’ll never forgive myself for that. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I need you to know—I was a selfish, careless man who cared for no one. But I love you. Truly. That night you came to the house I shared with Lila... I was furious, and I hurt you by sleeping with her. Just once. I swear on my life, it was only that one time. And I swear... I will love you for the rest of my days."

The apology caught me off guard, the rawness in his voice cutting through my defenses. “You’re sorry?” I repeated, my voice trembling. “You think that fixes everything? The lies, the manipulation, the way you treated me?”

“No,” he said quietly. “It doesn’t. But I’m trying to make it right. That’s why I’m telling you this now. Hunter, Sage, Lila, Blake—they’re all connected. They’ve been working together, Evelyn. Against me. Against you.”

I shook my head, my thoughts spinning. “Lila? What does she have to do with this?”

“Lila was Hunter’s plant,” Dorian said, his voice steady but laced with bitterness. “She was feeding Blake information, helping him undermine me at every turn. And Blake—” He paused, his jaw tightening. “Blake betrayed me too. He’s been playing both sides, pretending to be my brother while working with Hunter to take me down.”

I stared at him, my mind struggling to process the weight of his words. “You’re saying they’re all in on it? Some grand conspiracy to—what? Destroy you?”

“Not just me,” he said softly. “You’re caught in the middle of it, Evelyn. Hunter’s been using you to get to me. To hurt me.”

My chest tightened, a cold dread creeping up my spine. “No. That’s not possible. Hunter’s been with me through everything—my treatments, my recovery. He wouldn’t—”

“He would,” Dorian interrupted, his voice gentle but firm. “And he did. I have proof.” He tapped his phone again, pulling up a series of documents—emails, bank transfers, encrypted messages. “I’ve been digging, Evelyn. For months. I’ve traced every move they’ve made. Lila’s payments from Hunter’s shell companies. Sage’s communications with Blake. The drugging incident. It’s all here. And I’ve turned it all over to the police.”

I stared at the screen, the words blurring as my heart pounded in my ears. “The police?”

“They’re already moving on it,” he said. “Hunter, Sage, Lila, Blake—they’re all going to face the consequences. I made sure of it.”

I shook my head, backing away from him. “This is too much. I don’t—I can’t believe you. Not after everything.”

“I know,” he said, his voice breaking. “I know I’ve hurt you. I was angry, Evelyn. I thought you’d betrayed me, and I lashed out. But I never stopped loving you. Not for a second. And I can’t lose you again.”

His words hit me like a tidal wave, stirring up emotions I’d buried years ago. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him he didn’t get to say those things, not after everything he’d put me through. But the look in his eyes—raw, vulnerable, desperate—made it impossible to walk away.

Before I could respond, the sound of tires crunching on gravel outside snapped me out of my thoughts. Dorian’s head whipped toward the window, his expression darkening. “Stay here,” he said, moving toward the door.

“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice trembling.

He didn’t answer, just strode out of the room. I followed, my heart in my throat, as the sound of footsteps—too many footsteps—echoed through the estate. I reached the top of the staircase just as the front door burst open, and there he was.

Hunter.