Chapter 5 Devil's Trap

Evelyn's POV:

I got out of the taxi and rushed inside my house into my room. I locked the door before I sat on the edge of the bed. I wiped the tears from my cheeks as I tried to stop crying.

Fear and confusion gripped me firmly. I thought that Valentino was a kind and warm, handsome man, but what he has done to me has changed how I feel about him. Right now, I feel afraid of him.

My phone vibrates again. I took it from my bag and checked it. Valentino is calling me. He had called me many times while I was in the taxi, but I didn't answer the calls.

He then sent me a message. [Evelyn. Please forgive me. I have made a big mistake. I shouldn't have done that to you. I'm so sorry. I want to talk to you. I'll be waiting for you at the fine dining when we first meet. I won't leave until you come.]

I turned off my phone as I told myself that I wouldn't come to see him.

*******

I stared blankly at my breakfast at the dining table in front of me. I have no appetite at all and I feel sleepy. After what happened to me yesterday, made me unable to sleep last night.

I bit my lip in thought. 'Was he still waiting for me last night?' I asked myself. I shook my head. 'He must be home. He won't wait for me,' I told myself.

"Miss Evelyn?"

Thomas's voice broke through my thoughts. I looked to my left, and I saw him standing looking at me with curiosity in his eyes. He is my butler.

"Are you all right?" he asked. I avoided his eyes with my mouth closed and drank my milk. "You should finish your breakfast. Mrs. Anna will be here soon," he said.

Mrs. Anna is my Finance tutor. After lunch, I still have two tutors who will teach me about Business Management and French.

I looked back into his eyes. "Can I not study today? I want to rest," I asked him. "I'm sorry. I can't answer your question. You should have asked your mother," he replied.

I sighed in helplessness as I looked ahead. I don't have to ask my mom because I already know her answer.

"Miss, you must eat and finish your breakfast now," he said in a forced tone. I held the spoon on my plate while holding back my upset, and I did as he said.

My phone suddenly vibrated. I took it from the dining table with my heart beating fast. My fear suddenly turned to curiosity when I found out that it wasn't Valentino who called me but my mom. My mom never called me when she was on a business trip.

"Mom, what is it?" I asked.

"Evelyn!" she replied frantically. "Go to the hospital now! Valentino fell unconscious last night. His friend just called me."

My eyes opened wide with my heart beating fast. Worry and guilt gripped me at the same time. 'Did he faint from waiting for me?' I asked myself.

"Evelyn! Why don't you answer me?!" my mom snapped at me, making me wake up from my thoughts."I-I can't go there. I have to study now," I said in nervous, trying to find an excuse to refuse.

"You don't have to study today. Just go there."

"But-mom. I-I don't want to see him."

"Why do you say that? Why don't you want to see him?!" she snapped at me again. I could hear her angry breath on the phone.

I suddenly felt my tongue freeze. I couldn't open my mouth to speak. I'm so afraid of her. She would never believe me if I told her the truth.

"I've told you to respect and think of him as your dad! You are wasting my time now! Go to the hospital now and take care of him! Call me when you are there!" she said and hung up her phone. I sighed in helplessness. She left me no choice but to obey her.

I got out of my car as soon as I arrived at the hospital and walked into the building. I stopped in front of the door to the room where Valentino was being treated. My heart beats fast, my hands feel cold.

A man with brown hair and brown eyes wearing a black suit who was sitting at the front of the room stood up from his chair when he saw me. I could see the worry and sadness in his eyes.

"You must be Evelyn Bloom," he said as he stood before me. I responded with a nod. He stretched out his hand. "I'm David Lee. I'm a friend of Valentino," he said. I shook his hand. His name reminds me of Valentino's friend who called him when we were in the car yesterday.

I took my hand from his and looked at the room door and looked back into his eyes. "How is he?" I asked him. "The doctor said he had hypothermia. He's sleeping now," he replied. I avoided his eyes, trying to hide my guilt and worry from him.

"Would you like to sit with me until he wakes up?" he asked. I nodded my head at him and we both sat on the chair.

"Do you know what happened to him?" he asked. I shook my head with a lie.

He sighed. "He looked really messed up when I met him at his place yesterday. He didn't answer my question when I asked what happened to him. He just kept drinking and told me to leave. I then got a call from his cellphone. A nurse called me and said he was in the hospital. Someone found him passed out in front of a fine dining restaurant at 3am. He can't stand the cold, but why was he standing there in the snow? Why would he do such a stupid thing? He's never acted like that before," he said with sadness, worry, and curiosity filling his eyes.

Guilt and worry gripped me even more upon hearing what David told me. I feel sad for Valentino.

"I know Valentino very well. We are good friends. He is not only a good lawyer but also a good man. He always fights for justice and helps poor people in need," he said in respect with his eyes teary.

David's words filled my mind. I have searched about Valentino on the internet. What they said about him was the same as what David had just told me.

His cell phone suddenly rang. He took it from his jacket pocket and read the incoming message. He shifted his gaze to me as he put his phone back into his jacket pocket.

"I have to go back to the office now. Valentino and I are working on Emma's case. She works as a maid. The owner of the house where she works tried to rape her. She's in the hospital right now. She broke her leg. She fell down the stairs as she tried to run away from the man."

"Oh my God," I said, putting my hand to my mouth. I was shocked and also concerned about the girl.

"That girl is so pity," he said with concern. "Valentino is furious with the man and we want him to rot in jail. Valentino really hates men who don't respect women."

I fell silent in thought. 'Why he tried to rape me if he hates men who don't respect women?' I asked myself.

"Please take care of him," he said, pulling me out of my mind and making me look into his eyes. "I have to go now."

I responded to him with a nod. He then stood up from the chair and left me in a hurry. I took a deep breath before I stood up from the chair and walked into the room. I want to find the answer to my question.