Chapter 50
Alexander clearly didn’t anticipate Evelyn speaking to him with such defiance.
His initial intention had been to put her in her place, but something shifted in his gaze. His voice remained as icy as ever. "What do you mean you won’t live long?"
Evelyn hadn’t expected him to latch onto that. Shouldn’t he be shouting at her, warning her to stay away from Victoria?
She couldn’t decipher his thoughts, nor did she want to reveal the tumor growing inside her.
"It’s nothing. You shouldn’t waste your concern on a woman like me, Mr. Blackwood." She pushed him away, her body aching where the tumor pressed against her nerves.
But Alexander didn’t relent. "Evelyn, you’re as stubborn as ever. Is this another one of your pathetic ploys to manipulate my sympathy?"
She blinked before letting out a hollow laugh. "Yes, another act. How could someone as shameless and cold-blooded as me ever compare to the love of your life? Victoria must be an absolute saint in your eyes."
Her gaze locked onto his, searching for any flicker of emotion.
He paused for a brief moment before answering. "You’re right. No one could ever replace Vic in my heart. From the moment I met her, I knew she was the woman I’d protect for the rest of my life."
His eyes darkened, sharpening like daggers. "So if you dare lay a finger on her, I’ll make sure you suffer a thousand times worse."
Each word sliced through her like a blade, drawing invisible blood.
Her vision blurred—whether from anger or tears, she didn’t know.
So he had killed their daughter without hesitation, all to appease Victoria.
So he had chosen her from the very beginning.
Then what was she?
He had once promised to protect her forever on that beach. He had vowed to make her his wife.
Had it all been a joke? No—in his eyes, she wasn’t even worth that much.
The man before her was a stranger. No—not a man. A monster.
When Alexander finally left, Evelyn collapsed onto her bed, curling into herself as pain wracked her body.
She refused painkillers. She wanted the agony—to remind herself to stay sharp, to stay alive long enough to avenge her daughter.
Evelyn resumed her job hunt, but the result was the same—no one would hire her.
Standing at the intersection, she stared blankly at the traffic light.
How was she supposed to fight Victoria like this?
Her gaze drifted toward a glittering entertainment district nearby, and a memory surfaced.
Before her imprisonment, she had been drowning in debt.
Yet since her release, no creditors had come knocking.
At first, she assumed they pitied her—until she learned someone had already settled her debts.
Her first thought was Olivia. Had her best friend taken out another loan for her?
But the answer stunned her.
"A man paid it off."
Her pulse spiked.
Alexander’s face flashed in her mind.
Was it him?