Chapter 5

"Evelyn, have you lost your mind? You dare hit me?" Dayna lunged at Evelyn like a madwoman, forgetting she was shorter and far less fit than Evelyn.

Before Dayna could land a blow, Evelyn kicked her to the ground.

Standing over her, Evelyn pressed her foot against Dayna's face, consumed by the urge to crush her and avenge her father. "Dayna, do you remember how you bullied me in school? I endured it all, but why... why did you have to kill my father?"

The memory of her father's desperate final moments made Evelyn's voice tremble.

Dayna, never having faced such humiliation, screamed hysterically, her words venomous. "I'm the one Aidan loves! Why should a nobody like you get the Harrisons' care? So what if I bullied you? And your father deserved to die for me! He knew I didn't have a license and didn't stop me. I hit someone, so he had to pay with his life. Evelyn, you're as pathetic as he was. You're just Aidan's toy. He's never cared about you. You and your father got what you deserved!"

Evelyn's tears fell onto Dayna's face, one after another, unstoppable.

"So you admit it? You were driving during the accident three years ago? Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the police?"

Dayna sneered. "Afraid? Why would I be? Aidan pities me. If I shed a tear, he'll do anything to save me, just like when he dragged your father to the driver's seat. He'd never let me suffer. Oh, and you didn't know, did you? The doctors said if we'd called 911 two minutes earlier, your father might have lived. But guess what? I told Aidan I was scared, so he kept comforting me. By the time he made the call, your father was gone. That's how much he loves me!"

Evelyn's heart felt pierced by a blade, her blood pooling silently within, the pain excruciating.

A noise came from the doorway. Evelyn saw Aidan rushing toward them. "Evelyn, what are you doing? Let Dayna go!"

He shoved Evelyn hard, her back slamming into the cold corner of the wall. The physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in her heart.

A faint, bitter smile crossed her lips. Dayna was right-Aidan would do anything for her.

Dayna threw herself into Aidan's arms, sobbing dramatically. "Aidan, I almost died! I don't know why Evelyn hates me so much. I don't know what I did wrong."

Aidan glared at Evelyn, his eyes burning with rage, as if he wanted to tear her apart. "Evelyn! Don't you know that if it weren't for your father, Dayna wouldn't have spent three years recovering abroad? She suffered so much and never blamed him, yet you hit her? Have you lost your mind?"

Evelyn gave a carefree laugh. Aidan probably didn't know she had uncovered the truth about the accident.

But that was fine. She would make sure he found out.

Seeing her silence, Aidan's anger flared. He stood and grabbed her throat, veins bulging on his forehead.

Evelyn had never seen him so enraged, but she felt no fear. She smiled and asked, "So I should be grateful to you both, is that it?"

Aidan froze. Why did Evelyn look so broken, so despairing? Did she know something?

Impossible. Only he, Dayna, and his assistant, who handled the aftermath, knew about the accident. There was no way Evelyn could know.

"Evelyn, I'm warning you-don't push your luck." He released her, helped Dayna up, and lifted her into his arms, his eyes filled with disgust for Evelyn. "I'm taking her to the hospital. If anything happens to her, I won't let you off."

Evelyn clutched her throat, gasping for air, and watched them disappear. She laughed, a sense of release washing over her.

She once thought Aidan was worth loving for a lifetime. Now she saw how blind she had been.

She wiped her tears, picked up her phone, and pressed pause on the recording. Then she sent it to her lawyer. "Here's the latest evidence. See if it's useful."

After finishing, Evelyn collapsed to the ground, exhausted, and began to sob uncontrollably. "Dad, just wait a little longer. I'll clear your name soon."