Evan's POV
"No, no, no—please, Mr. Black, have mercy!" I pleaded with the men he had sent, but none of them spared me a glance.
I tried to plead with that bitch—Lena—but she simply looked away as she walked off with Mr. Black.
"Lena, please, plead with Mr. Black for us—Lena, Len—"
A hard punch to my stomach sent me sprawling to the ground. I groaned as pain rattled through my nerves, struggling to fight it back.
"Evans… Lena! You'll pay for this!" Mr. Smith roared, his face reddening with anger and humiliation.
I shot him a glare. The man truly didn't know when to shut his mouth.
One of the men standing before us—clearly their leader—chuckled as he wrapped chains around his fists.
What exactly was he planning to do with that?
I cowered, slowly backing away while forcing myself to stand despite the pain.
"You still dare to threaten our boss's woman?" he sneered. "You've got some nerve. Beat them to a pulp!"
"N-no, don't listen to him. He just said—"
A scream tore from my throat as the chain-wrapped fist slammed into my face. I felt my jaw dislocate, my nose crack, and a tooth flew out as everything seemed to reset violently.
Oh God… we're done for.
Lena, this won't be the last time you see me. I'll make you pay for this.
Pain consumed me as the blows kept coming. I was kicked and beaten relentlessly. At some point, my head was shoved into the fish tank beside the living room. Water filled my lungs, and I nearly drowned.
I gasped desperately for air when they finally pulled me out, my chest burning as I struggled to breathe. Mr. Smith lay nearby, trembling—he looked even worse than I did.
He deserved it. If he had kept his mouth shut and not threatened Lena, none of this would have happened.
"You should be grateful Mr. Black isn't in a dark mood—just a bad one," the leader smirked. "Otherwise, you'd all be dead."
He let out a slow whistle. The others immediately stopped and followed him toward the exit.
"Next time, don't mess with people you shouldn't," he added before leaving the mansion.
My legs finally gave out from fear, pain, and exhaustion, and I crashed heavily to the ground.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. So stupid—so damn stupid.
My entire body burned with pain as I curled into myself, trembling and fighting the urge to sob.
"Are you okay?" a trembling voice asked.
I forced my eyes open to see Ashley staring down at me, her eyes red and swollen. She looked like she had been hit too, though not badly enough to break anything.
"I—I—" I stuttered, unable to form a proper sentence before hissing in frustration.
Lena… I'll make sure you pay for this. My hands will reach you soon—very soon. And when they do, I won't let you go easily.
Don't think you've won today. You'll regret the day you turned against me.
If I had gotten that damn signature earlier, none of this would have happened.
"Get us to a hospital!" Mr. Smith barked, rage filling his face.
His wife shot him a furious glare.
"You should've thought about the consequences before opening your mouth!" Selena screamed. "Do you even know who you offended? You better pray he doesn't come after our family!"
"We'll talk about that later," Mr. Smith snapped. "Help Evans and me to the hospital."
I was done listening to their bickering.
I pulled out my phone and called my driver.
When he arrived, he helped me to my feet. I nearly passed out from the pain.
Without sparing Ashley a glance, I headed toward the door. I heard Mr. Smith pleading for me to take him along.
I turned back sharply, anger surging.
"Find your own way to the hospital, Mr. Smith," I said coldly.
Then I left.
At the hospital, the doctors sedated me. I didn't know what happened while I was unconscious.
When I woke up, Ashley was sitting beside me, crying.
I felt a strange warmth at the sight.
I tried to reach for her face, but pain shot through my body.
"Ouch!" I cried.
I noticed my hand was connected to a beeping machine, and parts of my body were wrapped in bandages.
"It's okay, darling. Don't move," Ashley said softly. "I'm here to take care of you."
"It was all Lena's fault," she added bitterly. "She instigated Mr. Black against us."
At the mention of Mr. Black's name, rage and confusion crashed into me.
Why was he even there?
I remembered him saying he was with Lena the night I paid someone to sleep with her.
Has she been cheating on me all along—with him?
Anger flared violently in my chest. The thought of her with another man made my heart race.
Just wait, Lena. I'll destroy you.
"Evans," Ashley said, "Mr. Smith is admitted here too. He asked me to inform him when you woke up. He says he has something to discuss with you."
"Alright. Go get him," I replied flatly.
Moments later, Ashley returned with Selena, wheeling Mr. Smith into my VIP suite.
I was shocked. He looked just as battered as I was.
As soon as he was close enough, he spoke, as if desperate to unload his thoughts.
"I don't think we should let this go," he said through clenched teeth. "Lena has to suffer for what she did to us."
A slow, devilish smile crept on his face.