Chapter Twenty Eight: Nude Photos

EVELYN'S POV

With my heart pounding and questions racing through my mind, I dragged my feet to the door and flicked it open.

The sight before me rendered me speechless. I had planned to visit Dad after lunch, yet here he was, standing in front of me.

He wore a distressed look, as though he had just received terrible news. His face was etched with devastation.

Stepping aside, I motioned for him to come in.

“Dad,” I managed to whisper, my heart sinking as worry consumed me.

We walked into the living room and sat side by side on the couch. As we were faced by ourselves.

“Dad, are you okay?

You're good?

Is everything okay?” I asked not giving him any chance to speak, my voice trembling with concern.

He looked at me with a mixture of fear and sorrow, laced everywhere in him, “I’m fine, Evelyn,” he said, though his trembling voice betrayed him. “But I need to talk to you about something. You’re the only one I have in my life right now, the only treasure I can hold onto, you are a thousand reasons to make me live and die, Evelyn. And the thought of seeing you hurt is unbearable. We need to talk.”

He paused, taking a deep breath. “Is managing the company really what you want? I want to make sure you’re not burdening yourself unnecessarily. You’ve always wanted to be a fashion designer—I know that’s your passion. But this sudden interest in the company concerns me a lot.

“You’ve been acting strange lately, and I’m worried about you. If handling the company feels like a burden, let it go. I’ll be fine, I'll be very fine, Evelyn. We’ll find another solution. That's not a problem.”

His words made my eyes widen. I waited anxiously for him to get to the actual problem.

“I’ve vowed to myself to protect you from any harm. But lately, you’ve been so withdrawn—even from your friends. I saw Dana and Caleb leaving earlier, and they couldn’t tell what’s going on with you. They said you’ve been distant and cold.”

Dad’s words hit me like a freight train. Guilt and regret swirled in my chest. I knew I’d been acting unusual, but I hadn’t realized how much it was affecting him.

My frustration mounted as I thought about Dana and Caleb sharing such details with my dad. How dare they? I thought, anger washing over me. I tried to suppress the irritation, reminding myself they were likely trying to help him in their own way.

Dad stood, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I just want what’s best for you, Eve. Please, count on me. I’m here for you—always.”

“Dad,” I began softly, my voice thick with emotion, “everything is fine. The company isn’t a burden to me. I told you before, if I wanted to pursue fashion design, I could still own the biggest fashion house around. We can afford it.

“But I’ve thought about it, and I feel it’s best to take over your company. With your guidance and experience, I’ll be fine.” I paused, my voice breaking slightly. “I love you, Dad. I promise—everything is okay.”

He pulled me into a tight hug, a tear slipping down my cheek as I allowed the emotions to flood through me.

He kissed my forehead gently, whispered his goodbyes, and walked out the door, leaving me to wrestle with my own demons.

Once alone, a wave of unease washed over me. I knew I had to rebuild my relationship with my dad, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him the real problem.

“I won’t let this second chance slip away,” I murmured aloud, determined to persevere.

After taking a deep breath, I walked into the kitchen to grab lunch. As I ate, I couldn’t shake the anger simmering beneath the surface. Dana and Caleb’s meddling lingered in my mind. What were they up to? Why were they so involved?

First, Dana had shown up unannounced with Caleb. Then, they’d spoken to Dad about me. It felt like too much.

I decided to take a nap, hoping sleep would clear my head.

But my rest was short-lived. I woke in the dead of night, my mind racing with thoughts of Caleb—the one person I had loved dearly.

I trailed downstairs to the living room, where I had left him earlier, but a strange noise stopped me in my tracks.

My body went cold as I saw Caleb and Dana sitting on the couch, laughing. They were huddled over Caleb’s phone, engrossed in something.

Curiosity got the better of me. I walked closer, trying to see what had them so entertained.

As I approached, the sight on Caleb’s phone made my stomach drop.

It was a nude video of me—taken without my consent.

My heart stopped. A wave of nausea overwhelmed me as I stared at the screen, horrified.

I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat. Dana and Caleb looked up, startled. For a moment, our eyes met, and the room fell into a deafening silence.

I couldn’t process what I was seeing—the betrayal, the violation, the sheer cruelty of it all. The tears that had been brimming in my eyes began to fall freely.

Caleb broke the silence, his voice cutting through the suffocating tension.

“What are you doing down here, Evelyn?”

I tried to speak again, but this time, the words caught in my throat. I choked on them, unable to push anything out. They both kept staring at me as I struggled to breathe, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably.

Dana stood with a smirk on her face, her expression void of any remorse.

She took two steps closer, and the tension in the room instantly thickened, suffocating me. It felt like the heat was pressing down on me alone.

“Oh, Evelyn, what were you thinking?” she asked, her voice dripping with mockery. Then, with a chilling nonchalance, she added, “Caleb is mine and always has been.”

Before I could process her words or even react, the sound of the door opening interrupted us.

Dad walked in, followed closely by Leonard.