Chapter five

Chapter 5.

Evelyn’s POV. 

The car ride home was suffocating. Ethan drove, his grip firm on the wheel, but his eyes flicked to me in the rearview mirror. 

Every few seconds, it wasn't a look of concern, it was something else: like he was studying me. 

I shifted my gaze, trying to ignore the way my skin prickled under his stare. The leather felt cold against my fingers as I gripped the edge of the seat, my knuckles turning white.

Olivia sat beside him, completely unbothered, scrolling through her phone.  

I forced my breathing to stay even, my hands resting calmly on my lap. If they suspected anything, I was as good as dead. When we pulled up to the house.

Ethan opened the door for me. 

 “Let's get you settled down, honey, you need a lot of rest.” He smiled genuinely. 

I nodded as he guided me to our mansion. 

 Olivia walked behind us. Ethan led me down the hall, he stopped in front of the guest room door.

He pushed the door open. “This is your room.” 

I wanted to yell at him right now, how could he call a guest room my room? Was it that bad? I settled in the room, Olivia helping me lay down.

“Is Olivia staying with us?” The question slipped out before I could think better of it.

 “Yes, she lives with us,” Ethan's smile didn’t hover. 

My stomach twisted. How shameless are they. I nodded, pretending to accept it. 

“Okay,” I said, my voice low. 

 “Get some rest,” Ethan whispered, kissing my hands. I felt irritated. 

The door closed behind me and I wiped the hand Ethan had kissed. I sat on the bed, my hand curling into fists. 

I will teach them a lesson, they will never forget. 

—

That night, I lay there, expecting sleep to claim me when a voice pierced the stillness. 

At first, it was barely a whisper, a faint murmur that seemed to hover just unreachable. But then it grew louder, a low moan, a ragged breath, the unmistakable sound of skin against skin.

My breath caught. I pulled the blanket over me, slipping my slippers on as my body moved before I could stop it. Slowly, I open my door, stepping into the sitting room. 

The noises were coming from the master bedroom, my bedroom, pain slashing through my chest, sharp and unforgiving. 

I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me what was happening. Olivia and Ethan, were in my bed, in our matrimonial bed having sex. 

A chuckle escapes my lips. My knees wobble. It felt like my heart was being ripped apart like the butcher was sinking into my bones. 

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, my hands trembled as I pressed them over my mouth to stifle my sobs.

I should have known. All those times, Olivia looked at him a little too long, she was filled with love not hatred. 

I stumbled back to my room, shutting the door quietly. The pain was unbearable. I wiped my tears. 

They will pay for this. I will make them pay, no matter what. 

Just then, a message dropped on my phone. I picked my phone up, and it was a message from a strange number. 

“Come to my office tomorrow,” the message said, with a location attached. I knew immediately that it was that strange man. I wondered how he had gotten my number.

The next day, I didn't wait for Olivia and Ethan to wake up before I got dressed and went to the location the man gave me. 

I stepped into an unfamiliar big company. 

 It dawned on me that he must be one of the billionaire elite, which explained his rudeness and effortless access to my file. 

Squaring my shoulders, I steeled myself for the encounter. He was already waiting for me, seated behind a massive desk that seemed to underscore his commanding presence. 

  His piercing emerald eyes locked onto mine.

“You honored my invitation,” he mumbled, his voice cold. 

“I couldn't decline, you have my secrets with you,” I replied, dropping my bag on his table.  

“You knew this, yet he defied my order by choosing that murder. Same man that tried to kill you?” He yelled, slamming his fist against the table. 

“Are you any better? You’re blackmailing me too,” I said, meeting his gaze directly. His expression remained unreadable, his eyes steady and unyielding. 

Silence filled the room, the tension between us palpable.

 I broke the silence, exhaling sharply.

 “I’m not here to beg you. I’m here to make a deal.”

“Go on.” Interest flickered in his eyes. 

“I will accept your offer,” I said, “but I work from home.”

He leaned back in his chair, amusement playing at his lips. “You don't get to set the rules.”

But I ignored him. “I want to prove to the world that Ethan tried to kill me. I want him to rot in jail and the only way I can do that is by staying close to him.”

His smirk faded slightly. “You want revenge?” He raised an eyebrow.

“No, I just want justice.” I replied, my voice tinged with bitterness. 

He studied me for a long time before nodding lightly. “Fine. But if you want real power, there's another way.”

“What way?” I hesitate. 

He stood up, walked around the desk, and stopped in front of me. He was taller than I had realized, perhaps 6ft. His presence was alluring, and the scent of clean spices filled my nostrils.

 “Be my partner,” he said. 

My breath caught immediately. “Partner? How?”

 His smirk returned, slow and deliberate. “Accept, and you will find out.”

 I let out a weary sigh, my mind racing with different thoughts. 

Everything was at stake: my firm, my life, my revenge. I lifted my eyes to his, steady and unwavering.

“Fine.” 

A flicker of satisfaction crosses his face. 

“Good. Now tell me, how do you plan to show the world that your husband tried to kill you?”

I smiled mischievously. “Just sit and watch.”