Chapter - [ 3 ]

[ Evangeline ]

"Miss, are you okay?" He asked again with concern. 

I made no move to turn and contfront the man who destroyed my life including my son's.  I used to love him at a point of my life but now, I only feel hatred towards him.

"Evangeline! Is it you?"

I didn't realise when he walked upto me and stood right in front of me, staring at me with shocked expression on his still handsome face. 

I had no courage to look up at him. I don't know how am I going to control the flood of mixed emotions. 

"Evangeline?" He repeated again but this time in a higher pitch which sent warning alarm to my brain and in the next moment, I sprang up on my feet.

"Sorry, Sir, I bothered you for no reason but I am alright." I muster up my leftover confidence and replied him in a plain voice. 

His face hardened upon my reply.

"Eve, I am not a stranger for you nor you are to me. So, stop with these fucking formalities." He snappped in a pissed off tone. 

"But you're a stranger to me, Sir and my name is Evangeline but I prefer strangers address me as Miss Parker. Please excuse me." I hit his other nerve and turned to leave but he grabbed my wrist.

Electrifying sensation ran through my body as soon as his warm skin came in the contact with my cold one. I forgot to breathe for a moment. 

"How are you?" He asked in a soft voice this time and the same reflected in his beautiful green eyes. They always pulled me closer to him. 

'Focus, Evangeline! He isn't your husband but your tormentor!' I reminded myself. 

"You have nerve to ask me how I am when you abandoned me to rot on streets with nothing but humiliation in every news. You destroyed me and my future, Colton Black and now you have audacity to ask how I am." I taunted him angrily. 

Guilty flashed on his face but he quickly masked it. He distanced himself from me. The sudden loss between our skins didn't settle well with me for a strange reason. 

"You left me with no other choice, Evangeline. You chose that bastard brother of mine over me. You got what you asked from me." He said with no remorse and it boiled my anger on an exploding point. 

I don't know what have gotten into me and I slapped him across his left cheek. 

"How dare you to blame me for my own miseries when you were the one who wanted to get rid off me and my child because you knocked your whore and wanted her and her bastard in your life? " I vent out my frustration on him.

"Don't you dare call my daughter bastard, Evangeline or the consequences won't be good." He warned me with those piercing eyes digging holes in me. It sent a tremor in my heart but I couldn't fall weak. 

"It hurt, right? You did the same by calling my unborn child with different names but anyways, I am happy in my current life and yes," I jabbed my forefinger on his chest," Dominic is thousand times better than you. He leaves no chance to keep me happy." I hit the last nail by mentioning his step-brother and turned to leave but I found another nightmare of my life aka my sister standing right behind me with crossed hands.

"We're not done with you, Evangeline. You can't walk away after insulting my husband and calling our child with names." She said while walking towards me.

I had nowhere to run as two predators are standing at both sides ready to eat me alive. 

"You have to answer a few questions before we let you go, Evangeline." Colton said in a deep Alpha like voice

God please save me!

"He asked you a question, Evangeline." Evanca arched her brow like a hooded cobra.

"I don't owe an answer to any of you." I spatted back in the same firy tone but it doesn't seem to effect her a bit.

"Do you really think that you'd escape this time with this shitty attitude of yours?" She shakes her head, the determination to diminish me this time, is swirling in her eyes.

"I left Colton five years ago to not look back again and I wouldn't be backing off from my own words. Please excuse me, my boss is waiting for me inside." I try to act confident and try to walk but Colton blocks my way.

"I don't give a shit to that bastard and you're not going anywhere, Eve." He said in a deep voice which shook me from inside. He still has this effect on me.

I looked away from their dark gaze. I never noticed their eyes before. They hardly let their emotions get better of them.

"Where is your child?" He asked after an excruciating silence.

My child?

Does he still think that he isn't the father of my child?

"That's none of your business, Mr. Black?" I snapped bitterly at him.

His eyes turned a shade more darker.

"It is my business, Miss Parker because that child could be mine. So, you owe me an explanation." He emphasized on each word he said and the determination in his eyes clearly told me that he wouldn't let me go easily or unless I give him a satisfactory answer.

Should I tell him about his son?

No!

He would do everything in his power to snatch my son from me.

"Col, baby, why are you bothered for a child which isn't even yours." Evanca, who was silent till now, interrupted him, insecurity clearly reflected in her tone and uncomfortable face.

"Speak up, Evangeline. Where is the child?" He asked me again not sparing a glance at his wife.

"I miscarried a week after our divorce." I lied through my teeth and it breaks my heart into pieces. I never believed in telling people lies. It's against my ethics but this time my only source of happiness is involved. I can't let these monsters reach my son.

Hurt flashed through his eyes for a second but he again masked his emotions by coldness.

"You're lying?"

He asked me looking still suspicious but I don't understand why all of a sudden he grew interest in me and my child whom he abandoned for the love of his life and their symbol of love growing in her womb.

"Why would I lie to you, Mr. Black? Whatever we had in our past, is the past now and you didn't think of my unborn child when you threw us out on the streets, left me with nothing. You even called my child the fruit of my illicit affair with your brother." I feel the salted tears run down my spine and one fell on my lips. He definitely reopened my old wounds.

"Col, you got your answer. She's the same bitch she was five years ago, she didn't care for your reputation and your feelings then, she's doing the same now. Please, let's go from here." Evanca spatted venomously.

"Was it mine?"

His question left me in a web of conflicting emotions.

"Doesn't matter now." I responded coldly. He still not believes that he fathered a child with me.

His eyes suddenly turned icy cold and this look scared the shit out of me. He inched closer to me despite constant pestering from Evanca to leave me alone but he turned deaf to her.

His whole focus is fixed on me.

Suddenly, he pointed his index finger on me,"If I find out that the child was mine and your recklessness caused its death, mark my words, Evangeline Parker," He paused and took a step back,"I'll kill you and your lover for snatching my heir from me."

Did he just threaten me?

Oh pretty yes.

"Darling, we do have an heir, our daughter, Mia. You don't need a filthy bastard born from this insignificant and inconsiderate sister of mine." A very pissed off Evanca said to hit the last nail on my patince with these two.

My heart filled with more hatred for this man. I could I ever loved a vile and rotten man like him.

I might look pathetic in their eyes but they succeeded in breaking me again. I gave them the leverage to walk over me once again but this time my son is also included.

"Let's go from here, love. She doesn't need our attention even if it's our hatred." Evanca circled her arm around his waist and gave me a victorious smirk. She always wins whenever we face each other.

He glared at me for one last time before walking away with her.

Without realising, I started crying hysterically and tried to recollect the freah pieces of what just happened.

The determination in Colton's eyes bell all the alarms in my brain. He wouldn't sit quiet and there are high chances that

he would dig into my very secretive life.

"Ma'am are you okay?" A manly voice snapped me out of my weakness. I looked around and found more staff members circling around me with both curiosity and concern on their faces.

Shit! If Dominic comes to know about my encounter with Colton and Evanca, he may shake the earth upside down and probably confront his stepbrother.

I can't mess up with his life for my own shit. A female staff member forwarded a napkin to me. I quickly took it and wipe my smudged face. Embarrassment is all I felt in that moment. I just made a compelete joke of myself.

"Ma'am should I call someone you know here?" One of them asked.

"No, I am fine. I was just leaving." I declined his offer.

"Are you sure, Ma'am? I remember you coming with Mr. Dominic Rodriguez. Should I inform him or call him here?" He asked again. I know they're only performing their duties but it annoyed the shit out of me.

"No, thanks. I don't feel good, so, I am leaving early. Don't worry, I've informed him already. Please resume your work and thanks for your hospitality." I forced a smile at them and rushed out of their to avoid more attention on me. I wanted to run to my son and go out of the city for some days.

I walked out of the hotel and begun to walk on the sidepath. I didn't bother to hire a cab, it was so stupid of me but I needed some time to figure out my next step before heading back to home.

I met my ex-husband after five years and he has not changed a bit. He's the same ruthless man who doesn't care for my feelings and turned completely blind to diffentiate between good and bad people. He has a snake for a wife but he thinks she loves him the most in this world.

I didn't realise when I walked into a dark alley where no single soul could be seen at this hour. When I realized my mistake, it was too late to regret. I heard heavy footsteps nearing me. My heartbeats accelarated and I turned to run to the main road but as soon as I put off my heels to run, four bulky and dangerous looking men surrounded me from all sides. They all are taking forward steps in my direction.

Blood froze in my veins.

I was caught up in a more worse situation. I might be robbed, raped or worst murdered and no one will save me.

"Where are you running, Missy?" A toothless man asked me.

"Please let me go. I can give you my jewelries, my phone and anything you want but please don't hurt me. I have a child waiting for me at home. I am his only family. " I pleaded to the goons in a hope that they might show some mercy on me.

Their laughter echoed in the silent air filling my heart with despair and fear.

        

"Oh, look at the poor Missy. She wants us to grant her mercy and let her go, did you hear her, boys? She wants us to  spare her 10,000 dollars life! Can we afford it?" One of them laughed hard followed by the others'.

Tears stained my cheeks and my eyes stung for crying continously.

"Plea..please, let me..let..me go. I beg...you." I pleaded them again in a feeble voice but every chance of a miracle faded away when they begun walking towards me with knives in their hands.

"We have been paid a hefty sum to take your precious life, Missy. We can't disappoint our regular client. Sorry, but your son will be an orphan in next few minutes." One of them said smirking at me. His silver knife flashes in front of my blurry eyes.

I took backward steps clutching my pendant close to my heart, it was a gift from my late grandmother. I wanted a miracle to happen but all my hopes died when I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen and wetness on my dress.

"Ahh!'

I looked down at my belly and saw blood oozing out of the wound where he stabbed me. Another stab punctured my stomach followed by multiple jabs. I fell down on the concrete sidepath, coiling into a ball.

"Man, I think she's dead. Let's run from here or we'd be caught up big this time." I heard one of them saying to others.

"Wait! Mr. Black and his want us to send a picture of the dead body otherwise they won't pay us the other half of our payment."

I forgot the numbing pain in my stomach but my heart being crushed again by the brutality of those monsters. It didn't take them an hour to plan my murder. I feel my senses going numb with each passing moment.

The face of my son danced in front of me. He would be devastated at such a young age. I am never going to take him to Disney world, I won't be there when he'll graduate, step into the world, find his love and marry one day. I won't be a part of his life but a piece of memory.

I wish I had another chance to live and redo my mistakes. I'd change my past and probably stop those monsters before they destroy more lives.

"Yes, Mr. Black, I've sent you the photo. Yeah, she's cold dead." I heard their fainr voice.

Colton finally succeeded in his solo mission.

I'm dying.

My heavy eyes finally closed and darkness consumed me;

Forever.