Chapter Seventy-One: Not Welcomed

EVELYN’S POV:

I sat on the bed, my heart pounding like a raging drumbeat. I could hear their argument from the third room. If Leonard and his mum were fighting because of me, I would never forgive myself. It was obvious I wasn’t welcome here, and the logical thing to do was to leave before Leonard came back.

Summoning all the courage I could muster, I stood up and scanned the space for a way out. The security around the house was tight, but I intended to try my best. I walked quietly to the door and opened it to find two security guards stationed just outside.

“Ma’am, what may we get you?” one of them asked.

I forced a polite smile. “Where’s the kitchen?” I asked gently, masking my true intent as best as I could.

He led me to the kitchen and stepped back to wait for me. I asked him to leave, but he hesitated. Apparently, Leonard had given explicit instructions that I wasn’t to leave their sight unless I was inside the room. He even offered to call the cooks to handle anything I wanted in the kitchen.

It took some effort, but I eventually convinced him to leave me alone. Assuring him I was going to be fine. Once he was gone, I sighed in relief and pretended to pour myself a glass of water. When I was sure he was out of sight, I set the cup down and checked the window. I needed to see how far it was to the ground outside.

To my fortune, the kitchen was located between the front and back of the house, with only one guard stationed in that area. Their main focus seemed to be guarding the front and back entrances. The window was small, but if I squeezed hard enough, I could fit through.

I stood there waiting for the right moment. I observed the lone guard for what felt like an eternity. He never moved. My patience wore thin, but finally, someone called him away, and he left his post.

This was my chance. Without hesitation, I squeezed myself through the window. It was a tight fit, and I scraped my arm on the edge, but I made it. I landed on the hardwood ground below, painfully hitting my foot on a pillar. The sharp pain shot through me, but I couldn’t afford to slow down.

I limped to the flowerbed nearby and crouched behind the bushes, trying to remain unseen. Just then, the guard returned, this time with a partner.

Panic gripped me as I thought of ways to distract them, but nothing came to mind.

“Hey, look,” one of them said, pointing to the kitchen window.

They moved closer and noticed a piece of my clothing caught on the broken edge of the window.

“This wasn’t here a few minutes ago,” one of them said, sounding confused.

Before they could investigate further, the security alarm blared from inside the house. Leonard must have discovered I was missing.

I imagined his fury, but I didn’t care. This wasn’t my problem anymore. I pulled out my phone and noticed several missed texts and calls. Dana had sent three messages, Caleb had sent two, and there was a text from my dad asking if I was okay. The latest message was from Leonard, and I could sense the urgency in his words: “Where are you?”

I slid my phone back into my pocket and refocused on finding an escape route. However, by now, everyone seemed to be on high alert, and there wasn’t an inch of space for me to move. I felt trapped in the flowerbed.

With nothing else to do, I pulled my phone out again and read the texts. Dana’s messages immediately caught my attention:

“Hi Evelyn, since you didn’t listen when I asked you to, it’s either I get what I want, or I destroy everything. You’ll see your company fall to the ground, and you won’t be able to save it. With this evidence, there’s no way out for your father.”

Attached to the message were screenshots of a conversation between my dad and Dana. In the texts, he offered her money. It ended with him saying, “I’m sorry for everything.”

Rage boiled in me. Why was my father offering her money? Was he trying to compensate her for something? Did he actually do what she was accusing him of? My mind swirled with unanswered questions.

I scrolled down to her next message: “That’s just the beginning. You’ll get the rest soon.”

I wanted to use the texts as evidence, but the moment I tried to save them, they vanished from my screen. All I was left with was the attachment.

I cursed under my breath.

Ignoring Caleb’s messages for now, I turned my focus back to my escape. The pain in my injured leg had grown unbearable, and I glanced down to see it swollen and deep red. I clenched my teeth, trying to endure it.

I peeked out from my hiding spot, but the guards were still patrolling the area. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I turned around and froze. Leonard stood there, his expression dark and cold.

“Do you even realize what you’ve put me through?” he asked, his voice low and angry.

My earlier rage reignited. Wasn’t he supposed to apologize? Why was he the one acting so cold?

“You promised my dad you’d take care of me and protect me,” I snapped. “Now I make one simple request—take me home. That’s all I want!”

His eyes darkened further, but then they softened when he noticed my injury. He bent down and gently lifted me from the ground. I cried out in pain as his movement aggravated my leg.

“What happened?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

I refused to answer, glaring at him. He carefully pulled me out of the bushes and examined my leg. When he saw the swelling, he cursed under his breath.

I saw a flicker of guilt in his eyes.