When Jayden’s hand touched her face, Eva was snapped back to reality.
“Jayden, as long as you spare me, I’ll agree to any condition…”
She said these words while frantically pressing her fingerprint on the phone.
She wanted to call the police or open the keyboard and press the number 1.
It was Amelia’s number, pressing 1 would connect her, but…
Jayden noticed and grabbed her wrist from behind, taking away her phone.
“Want to call Paul?”
A cold expression appeared on Jayden’s face.
“Eva, he’s given up on you, he won’t come to save you, so give up hope.”
Jayden picked up Eva’s phone and tossed it into the nearby ice bucket.
The bucket was filled with bad alcohol ice cubes and water. After the phone went black screen, Eva’s last bit of hope shattered, her gaze darkening.
“I never even thought about finding Paul, all of this is just your inferiority acting up.”
It was Jayden himself who felt inferior to Paul, that’s why he kept mentioning him.
“Say whatever you want, his woman is lying beneath me now.”
After Jayden finished speaking, he grabbed Eva who was struggling to get up and escape.
“Eva, be good, listen to me, don’t move around…”
He pressed down Eva’s soft body, reaching his hand to help her undress.
Eva felt hot all over, her mind unclear. If it weren’t for her rationality, she wouldn’t be able to see clearly who was in front of her…
She knew she couldn’t push Jayden away with brute force, she didn’t have that strength. She could only turn her blurry eyes around, surveying the room.
In order to escape, she had to go through the front door, but with Jayden there, it was impossible to get out…
She glanced at the ice bucket, then her gaze returned to Jayden.
“Will you be satisfied once you’ve got me?”
Jayden, who was leisurely helping her undress, raised his clear and gentle eyes and smiled at Eva.
“I don’t know, all I know is that from childhood to now, I would find a way to get anything I wanted, or I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”
“Even if it means using any means necessary?”
Jayden smiled and nodded.
“Even if it means using any means necessary.”
Eva also smiled, a bright and carefree smile.
This smile, however, puzzled Jayden…
“Why are you smiling?”
Eva didn’t answer him. She just lowered her gaze, looking at the black tie placed at the end of the bed.
“Senior, if I hadn’t jumped off the wall and bumped into you in high school, would we have never had any interaction?” Her words reminded Jayden of the first time he saw Eva in high school, when he did indeed feel his heart skip a beat.
Taking advantage of Jayden’s momentary confusion, Eval hooked her toe around the tie and then looped it around Jayden’s neck.
“Senior, if you want me, just say it directly. There’s no need to use aphrodisiac…”
Jayden froze, incredulously looking at Eva who had taken the initiative to embrace him.
“You…” Eva gently stroked his back as she slid her hand down, whispering softly in his ear, “Your mother was right. I’ve been frequenting entertainment venues for years. What kind of person I am and how many people I’ve slept with, who knows?”
Jayden’s expression darkened upon hearing this, seemingly disgusted, but he didn’t show any disdain because he wanted her.
“I never expected you to be so sultry!”
Eva turned her head, lifted her eyes to meet Jayden’s gaze for a couple of seconds, then smiled. “Everyone has two sides!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Eva raised the tie in her hand, pulled it from behind towards the front, and tightly wrapped it around Jayden’s neck.
Without any hesitation, she exerted all her strength, ignoring the fact that her strength would only last a few seconds before Jayden would retaliate. Eventually, she pushed Jayden down and sat on top of him.
With her body weight pressing him down and her foot on the tie, she freed one hand to reach for the bottle in the nearby ice bucket…
“You…” Jayden managed to squeeze out a word, but Eva immediately lifted the bottle she had grabbed and fiercely smashed it against his forehead.
In the instant the gla*s shattered, the alcohol splashed onto Jayden’s face, also cutting Eva’s hand as she held onto the bottle.
Blood flowed down their skin, dropping onto Jayden’s forehead, mixing with his own blood…
The vivid and striking blood stained the white bedsheets and Jayden’s eyes…
He thought Eva was a gentle woman, but he never expected her to have such a fierce side.
“Eva, you’re quite good at pretending.”
“I told you, everyone has two sides.”
After saying this, Eva picked up the broken bottle from the bedsheet and pressed it against Jayden’s neck…
Jayden was taken aback by her actions and tried to push her away, but his head spun and his vision blurred.
He had been hit by a bottle and had a concussion, unable to move, he could only glare angrily at Eva sitting on top of him.
“Eva, are you trying to kill me?” Jayden asked.
Eva shook her head expressionlessly.
“I just want to tell you that we’re done. If you continue to use dirty tricks on me, the weapon in my hand will pierce your throat.”
Jayden didn’t believe she would actually kill someone.
However, Eva leaned down slightly, her eyes red and fixed on him.
“I’m an orphan, with no parents. I can take a life for a life. There’s nothing to be afraid of…”
After saying this, Eva quickly got off the bed and took her phone from the ice bucket before leaving. She held onto the phone, bracing herself as she stumbled towards the glass door of the room.
Jayden, holding his head, followed her.
“Eva, we’ve been together for a hundred days. Haven’t you ever had feelings for me?” Jayden asked as he caught up to her.
Eva glanced back at him, but didn’t stop her actions as she frantically pressed the elevator button.
After taking a few steps, Jayden couldn’t support himself any longer and shook his head.
He regained his balance and tried to catch up to Eva, but at that moment, the elevator doors opened…
Eva slipped inside and desperately pressed the close button.
When Jayden reached the elevator door, it closed, leaving him on the outside.
As the elevator descended, Eva’s weak body suddenly slumped against the wall.
She held onto herself tightly, pressing against the cold wall, finally finding a sense of safety…
Luckily, Jayden had only intended for things to happen naturally, so the aphrodisiac he used wasn’t too strong.
Realizing this, Eva fought back the nausea in her body and desperately tried to turn on her phone.
But the soaked phone remained unresponsive, stuck in a black screen…
Fearful that Jayden would catch up to her, Eva ignored the phone and stared at the elevator screen. As soon as the doors opened on the first floor, she rushed out.
She was afraid the front desk would contact Jayden, so she didn’t say much to the front desk, instead, she forced herself and gritted her teeth, stumbling towards the outside of the hotel, walking quickly…
As she stepped out of the hotel, she saw a Lamborghini parked outside the Hilton hotel, followed by a tall figure walking out.
Through her blurry vision, Paul’s handsome face gradually appeared, causing Eva’s eyes to well up with tears…
She leaned against the round pillar at the hotel entrance, wanting to call out his name, but then Elsie suddenly rushed over and threw herself into his arms.
Standing at a distance, Eva couldn’t see Paul’s expression clearly. She turned away and forced herself to walk towards a side path.
She needed to get to the hospital quickly, avoid male pedestrians, and be on guard against Jayden chasing after her. Struggling to hold on, she gritted her teeth and took one step at a time.
After swaying out of the side path, she arrived at the roadside, staring at the passing vehicles, searching for a taxi…
But after searching for a while, no taxis passed by.
At that moment, a middle-aged man waiting for the bus noticed her flushed face and trembling body. He quickly stood up and walked towards her.
“Miss, do you need any help?”
Upon hearing the man’s voice, Eva instinctively took a step back.
“No, thank you.”
But the middle-aged man reached out to grab her hand.
“You look really unwell. How about I take you to the hospital?”
Eva struggled and refused, but the old man was surprisingly strong. He pulled Eva into the nearby dense grove of trees.
After being embraced by Elsie, Paul’s expression suddenly turned cold. He forcefully pushed Elsie away. “I made it clear to you, don’t come looking for me anymore!”
Elsie had finally encountered him, how could she let go of such a good opportunity? She held his hand and acted coquettishly, “Paul, don’t be so heartless. I’m at least your first love and your lifesaver. It’s unnecessary to abandon me for an orphan..?”
Paul shook off her hand. “Elsie, you saved me, and I’m grateful. But I’ve already repaid that debt. We don’t owe each other anything. As for my first love…”
Paul paused for a moment, his icy eyes revealing a hint of disgust. “Don’t think I don’t know about your seduction of James back then.”
Upon hearing this, Elsie’s heart skipped a beat.
She seemed to have not expected Paul to know about this long-hidden past, and her face suddenly became embarra*sed.
Paul didn’t pay attention to her expression anymore. He quickened his pace and headed towards the top floor of the Hilton hotel.
When the elevator door opened, he didn’t see Eva, but he saw Jayden lying unconscious on the ground…
He furrowed his brow, quickly took out his phone, and called Anthony.
“So, what’s the deal? Did Jayden do something to Eva?”
Without waiting for Paul to speak, Anthony immediately asked, “Yes, those recordings and photos were sent by me.”
After sending them, he thought that knowing Eva’s personality, she would definitely confront Jayden and break up with him. And based on Jayden’s statement of “I have never got her, so I’m not content,” Anthony speculated that he would do something to Eva after she confronted him.
After speculating about Jayden’s mind, Anthony quickly told Paul everything he had done and urged him to quickly locate Eva and save her.
Paul, who had already returned to the elevator, coldly reproached Anthony, “How many times have I told you? She went through her ex-husband cheating on her, and she definitely wouldn’t be able to handle seeing these photos all of a sudden. But you still sended them to her.”
Upon hearing this, Anthony panicked and blamed himself, asking, “Is Eva okay?”
In the instant that the elevator doors closed, Paul glanced at Jayden, whose forehead was covered in blood, and seemed to know something. He quickly hung up the phone.
Eva didn’t care about the injured Jayden, indicating that they had a conflict. But those photos and recordings alone wouldn’t be enough to cause such a big conflict between them.
It must be that Jayden used some underhanded methods, which caused Eva to smash his head and escape…
If that’s the case, Eva, who was all alone now, might in great danger…
Paul thought of some possibilities, and his heart suddenly tightened. Feeling anxious and restless, he quickly rushed out of the elevator.
While giving orders over the phone to the hotel staff to quickly check the surveillance, he searched for Eva’s figure around the hotel.
If she was really drugged, she wouldn’t be able to drive and could only take a taxi to the hospital…
After realizing this, Paul quickly rushed to the road on one side of the hotel, but when he didn’t see Eva’s figure after looking around, he immediately turned back. Suddenly, he heard a muffled groan from the forested area behind the bus stop sign…
Paul’s footsteps stopped, and he slowly turned around, staring at the dense greenery. After a few seconds, he went crazy and rushed over.
The light was very dark, so he could only vaguely see a patch of thorns that sank down…
After stepping into the thorns, Paul bent down and tremblingly used his fingers to push aside the overgrown thorns…
When Paul saw Eva lying on the ground, torn clothes and covered in blood, he froze.
He, who had never felt fear before, was now so scared that his blood turned cold…
His heart, which had been pounding nonstop, suddenly plummeted, as if falling into an abyss, causing intense pain. that made him difficult to breathe.
Looking at Eva in this state, Paul opened his thin lips, wanting to say something, but no words came out.
It felt like his was being choked, unable to make any sound. He could only extend his trembling hand to touch Eva’s face…
Feeling someone touching her, the lifeless Eva trembled, wanting to move but realizing she couldn’t.
Tears welled up in her eyes, accompanied by blood that covered her vision, slowly rolling down…
“Please, don’t touch me, I beg you…”
Hearing her, who had always been strong, pleading for the first time, Paul’s heart ached to the point of suffocation.
“Eva, it’s me.”
Paul’s trembling voice made Eva pause for a moment.
She opened her dry eyes and slowly lifted them to look at him.
Her eyes were blurred by the blood, unable to see clearly, and she dared not confirm who the person in front of her was.
“No matter who you are, don’t touch me, I beg you…”
Eva’s pleading voice suddenly made Paul’s eyes turn red.
“Eva, it’s me, Paul.”
Paul… I know you’re Paul.
Precisely because you’re Paul, I don’t want you to see me like this…
Eva turned her head, not wanting him to see her disheveled appearance, but tears continued to roll down.
Besides the blood, her body was covered in countless wounds from thorns, everywhere.
When Paul’s gaze touched these wounds, his heart ached and he slowly crouched down.
He lifted Eva up, disregarding the blood on her neck, burying his head in her shoulder.
“Eva, don’t be afraid, I’ll take you home.”
He knelt on one knee, carefully holding her, showing a tenderness and pity he had never shown before.
Eva didn’t want him to see her like this, but she was completely exhausted and had no strength to struggle.
After letting go of the stone she had been tightly gripping, she buried her heavy head deep in Paul’s embrace.
Let her cherish this moment of warmth…
Paul took off his coat and wrapped it around her, then carried her in his arms.
As he turned to leave the green belt, a large hand suddenly grabbed his ankle.
The middle-aged man who had dragged Eva into the green belt held onto Paul’s foot, his bloodied face pleading.
“Sir, please call an ambulance for me, I can’t hold on much longer…”
Seeing this man, Paul’s anger surged like a tidal wave, rushing to his head!
“Get lost!”
He kicked the middle-aged man away with great force, and with that kick, the man suddenly fell silent.
Without even looking back, Paul quickly returned to the hotel entrance with Eva and placed her in the car…
He quickly started the car and drove to Stella’s hospital while making a call to his assistant to handle the middle-aged man.
Seeing him hang up the phone and look at her, Eva lowered her eyes in insecurity, afraid to meet his gaze.
It seemed like Paul knew what she was thinking, he pursed his lips and didn’t ask anything, just focusing on driving.
When the car stopped at the entrance of Stella’s hospital, Eva lifted her eyes and looked at the man who quickly unbuckled her seatbelt.
“Paul, before he could touch me, I smashed his head with a stone.”
Paul’s fingers paused while unbuckling the seatbelt, he lowered his head and looked at the pale-faced woman in front of him.
After staring at her for a few seconds, he didn’t say anything, but bent down to pick her up and rushed into the hospital.
Eva wanted to ask, “Paul, do you believe me?”, but because he didn’t say anything, the words didn’t come out.
Paul also didn’t know why he didn’t answer her, he felt both heartbroken and angry towards her.
Angry at why she trusted Jayden, angry at why she didn’t get back together with him, angry at why she didn’t love him.
With these emotions, Paul carried her and rushed to the emergency doctor.
“Save her quickly!”
The doctor quickly examined Eva and arranged for nurses to take the patient into the examination room.
At the moment the examination room door closed, Paul leaned against the wall in exhaustion.
He looked at his blood-stained hands, tears uncontrollably falling.
He didn’t even know where she was injured, but she was covered in blood, not a single part of her body was unharmed.
He had never felt so heartbroken for a woman to the point of crying, Eva was the first. He hated himself for being like this,
but had to admit that deep down in his heart, he couldn’t let go of Eva.
Stella heard the news and quickly rushed over.
Just as she was about to ask Paul what happened, she saw his tears.
She frowned, walked past him, and quickly entered the examination room.
She saw the doctor injecting a sedative into Eva’s arm, and her heart sank.
“Is the dosage too much?”
The female doctor didn’t lift her head and replied, “Not much, just need to took a while for the toxins to clear, and there are multiple external injuries, seems like she was in a struggle with someone.”
Eva had already passed out at this point, her face had been cleaned of blood by the nurses, revealing a small face that had been slapped multiple times.
Both sides of her face were swollen, with clear finger imprints. overlapping each other. There were also marks on her delicate neck, indicating that someone had forcefully grabbed her neck.
Stella’s heart clenched when she saw these injuries.
She approached, lifted the coat covering Eva’s body, and saw that her clothes had been torn, with bruised and swollen skin exposed.
The skin was covered in numerous thorns, clearly indicating that she had been dragged into a thicket and subjected to violence.
Paul’s heart ached and his eyes turned red when he saw the injuries on Eva.
He knelt on one knee in front of the hospital bed, holding Eva’s hand, only to discover wounds on her hand as well, like cuts from broken glass, bleeding profusely…
“Stella, quickly stop her bleeding!”
Paul’s trembling and angry voice snapped Stella out of her daze.
She hurriedly fetched medication to stop Eva’s bleeding and then grabbed tweezers to remove the thorns one by one…
“Paul, maybe you should step outside and leave this to us.”
Stella needed to perform a full-body examination on Eva, which would require removing her clothes. It wasn’t appropriate for Paul to be there.
But he didn’t want to leave, his crimson eyes fixated on Eva.
Seeing this, Stella didn’t try to convince him any further.
Stella had witnessed the love between the two, if Paul wasn’t so stubborn and had a bad temper, refusing to admit his love for have been married long ago.
Adler cleaning Eva’s wounds and applying medication, Stella stood up and made a phone call to James.
Amelia, who was already asleep, vaguely heard Eva’s name through the phone. Without caring whether she heard correctly or not, she threw off the covers and got out of bed.
“Is that Stella on the phone? What happened to Eva?”
James didn’t want to disturb her, but when he saw her rushing towards him without even putting on her shoes, he quickly put down his phone and embraced her.
“Don’t worry, Eva had a little accident, but she’s fine now.”
Upon hearing that Eva had an accident. Amelia’s heart skipped a beat. Just as James had placed her on the bed, she climbed back down.
“I want to go see Eva.”
James raised his slender hand and held her back.
“Put on some clothes first. I’ll go with you.”
After gesturing for her to calm down, he got up, fetched her clothes and shoes, and helped her put them on.
Only then did he take her, who was anxious beyond measure, to the hospital.
On the way to the hospital. Amelia learned from James’ description that Jayden had drugged Eva. After escaping, she was then assaulted by a drunken middle-aged man in the green belt. If she hadn’t fought back, she would have been raped.
After hearing all this, Amelia’s eyes turned red with anger. “How could Jayden be such a monster!”
She had thought Jayden was Eva’s senior, at least he was a decent gentleman who wouldn’t deceive Eva like Daniel did. Little did she know he was even more despicable than Daniel.
James, with his chin resting on his hand, had a cold gaze, hinting at a touch of murderous intent, but he didn’t answer Amelia’s question. He simply patted her hand to comfort her.
When the car stopped at the hospital entrance, Amelia quickly pushed open the door and hurriedly made her way to the emergency room…
As Eva slowly regained consciousness, feeling less weighed down and overheated, she let out a deep sigh of relief.
She turned her weary eyes and looked at the person sitting by her hospital bed, only to meet a pair of deep eyes.
She felt uncomfortable and looked away, only to find that her hand was tightly held by him. Ilis palm was sweaty, indicating that he had been gripping it for a while.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Eva wanted to withdraw her hand, but Paul grabbed her, preventing her from doing so.
When Eva looked at him, he furrowed his brow and spoke, “Where else did you get hurt?”
Eva shook her head and her gaze fell back to Paul’s hand. “Can you stop touching me for now?”
After staring at her for a few seconds, Paul let go of her hand.
Eva turned her head and looked out the window, remaining silent.
Paul, on the other hand, looked at her, unsure of what to say.
While the two remained silent, Amelia rushed in.
“Eva!”
Upon hearing Amelia’s voice, Eva’s dull eyes suddenly showed a hint of life.
“Amelia…”
Seeing Eva’s swollen lace, bruised neck, bleeding forehead, and bandaged hands, Amelia felt heartbroken.
She rushed over and hugged Eva, gently stroking her back while comforting her.
“Eva, don’t be afraid, it’s okay now. You’re safe now.”
Since the incident, Eva hadn’t cried. But in that moment, being embraced by Amelia, her nose suddenly tingled and tears welled up in her eyes.
Like seeing a family, all the pent-up grievances rushed to her heart, causing her to unable to hold back her tears.
“Amelia, I thought I would never see you again.”
When that middle-aged man dragged her into the bushes, she had already made up her mind.
At that moment, she thought that if she couldn’t resist and was raped by him, she would kill with the price of her life.
Fortunately, she had that kind of strong will, which made her to find a stone and smash it hard on the back of his head, saving her own life.
Eva held Amelia tightly, burying her head in her shoulder as tears streamed down her face.
Eva had always been strong. From childhood to adulthood, she ever cried like this?
Amelia couldn’t imagine how Eva had managed to escape tonight, but she could feel her grievances, her fear, and her unspeakable pain.
Eva’s life had been quite bitter…
From a young age, because she was a little older, she always took on everything, earning money, supporting the family, taking care of them like the head of the house. Even though she was also a child back then, she did whatever she could to shield her and Ryan from harm and support them.
When Eva grew up, she saved up to buy an apartment, but then she encountered Daniel, who deceived her for money and emotions, and even wanted to trick her into raising his mistress’s child. If she hadn’t caught Daniel cheating on her, she would probably still be in the dark now.
Amelia’s misfortune also changed Eva’s life. She went from being a quiet and reserved person to becoming the owner of a nightclub. She picked up smoking and drinking during that time. After going through a divorce and losing loved ones, Amelia didn’t know how she managed to get through it all….
Perhaps during those three years, she indeed had feelings for Paul. But Paul was known for being a playboy, so Eva never dared to give her heart to him. Plus, he never expressed any interest in her and always acted like he didn’t care about her. So, Eva couldn’t rely on or trust him.
She thought that she would end up with Jayden. For Eva, she didn’t need to marry someone she loved or be madly in love with someone before marrying them. She felt she wasn’t deserving of love. All she wanted was to marry a reliable and faithful man who could provide her with a stable home.
Many couples lived their lives respectfully and peacefully, like a calm river flowing. That was all she wanted – a sense of peace. But she didn’t realize Jayden didn’t feel the same way. His so-called secret admiration for her was just his unwillingness to accept that he couldn’t have her when they were young.
Eva was only in her thirties, but she had already experienced countless hardships. If talking about suffering, Amelia had also suffered a lot, but she was slightly luckier than Eva. At least she found her sister and saw videos of her mother, so she knew what they look like Eva didn’t even know who her parents were.
Thinking about Eva’s experiences over the years, Amelia hugged her tightly in sympathy.
“Eva, it’s my fault. I didn’t protect you well.”
It was her fault for not stopping them when she realized Jayden wasn’t a good person, which led to Eva’s ordeal.
With her bandaged hand, Eva, who had already cried, gently stroked Amelia’s waist-length curly hair, soothing her softly.
“I’m fine, don’t worry, and don’t blame yourself.”
This had nothing to do with Amelia. It was her own fault for not being able to judge people clearly when it came to relationships, and she only realized it was a mistake after taking the risk.
Honestly, a person like her shouldn’t have gotten involved in marriage. She should have lived a solitary life and grown old peacefully, living a quiet life.
Thinking this, Eva looked at Paul, who was still sitting by the bedside, and a bitter feeling overwhelmed her, making her eyes turn red once again.
“Paul, thank you for saving me.”
The calmness in her tone seemed to be a way of expressing gratitude and separating herself from him.
Paul’s brows furrowed slightly as he contemplated saying something, but in the end, he remained silent and decided to wait until she was out of this nightmare.
“Rest well, I have some things to take care of,” Paul said as he stood up to leave, only to see James standing outside the ward with his arms crossed.
“Where are you going?” Paul clenched his fists, and the veins on his strong arms suddenly surged.
“To find Jayden, to find that old man!” He was going to make them pay a heavy price!
Paul took a step forward, but James reached out to stop him. “I’ve already had that man sent to the police station. As for Jayden, leave it to me.”
He also had to clear Henry’s name, so it would be best to settle all these accounts at once.
“Leave it to you?” Jayden’s situation had nothing to do with James, so why was he getting involved?
“Remember to watch the news tomorrow morning,” James said without explaining further.
Paul wanted to ask for clarification, but he saw James raise his long hand and pat his shoulder.
“You should stay here and accompany Eva.” When a woman went through something like this, she needed someone by her side, and besides Amelia, Paul was the best choice.
James didn’t care whether Paul agreed or not. After leaving Peter to protect Amelia, he turned and walked towards Stella.
“Where is he?” James asked.
“On the top floor of the hospital.”
Stella immediately sent an ambulance to bring Jayden to the hospital after learning the details. After a simple treatment, she secretly locked him up on the top floor.
“And the forensic doctor?”
Stella took out the VIP card for the top floor while swiping open the elevator, and respectfully replied, “Also on the top floor.”
The forensic doctor was not on duty tonight, but Stella managed to call him to the hospital. As soon as he entered the director’s office, she took control of him.
“Has the surveillance been deleted?”
“It’s already been deleted.”
Only then did James extend his hand to Andrew. Andrew immediately understood and took out a sealed package that he
carried with him. He tore open the packaging and took out a clean pair of gloves, placing them in James’s palm.
The elevator doors opened, revealing a tall and upright man with a group of people. He calmly put on the gloves while walking towards the isolated and sealed ward…
As soon as the ward door was pushed open, Jayden saw James in a black suit wearing white gloves, walking slowly with an air of confidence, surrounded by a group of people…
His figure was tall and straight, with a slender body and three-dimensional and profound facial features. He seemed as though he had been meticulously sculpted, exquisite and handsome, without a single flaw. The aura emanating from his entire being overwhelming.
Every time Jayden saw James, he would feel a sense of fear. James had a natural ability to instill fear in people. Just one glance from him would make anyone scared.
In this moment, Jayden felt exactly that. The effect of the aphrodisiac had worn off, leaving only guilt and frustration towards Eva.
If he had taken things slowly and not caused a scene, perhaps Eva would have fallen under his gentle charm and things would have naturally progressed as he desired. But now, he had messed it up and even attracted James’ retaliation.
Yes, up until now, Jayden still believed that James had shown up to help Eva seek justice. He didn’t suspect anything related to Henry and thought that James was simply here to scold him a bit.
But he didn’t expect that when James entered, he gestured and two strong men suddenly came forward, restraining his arms and dragging him off the bed, throwing him onto the ground.
As Jayden was dragged to the ground, he tried to struggle and get up, but one of the strong men viciously stepped on his back.
In that moment of being stepped on, Jayden fell completely to the ground and couldn’t get back up. He could only lie there, lifting his head to look at the man walking against the light.
“Mr. Evans, this is between me and Eva. If you want to settle the score with me, Eva should be the one to do it in person. You have no right to treat me like this!”
The man who was already sitting on the sofa crossed his long legs lazily, lowering his gaze. He played with his white gloves, speaking in a nonchalant tone.
“Mr. Sherwood, we’ll talk about you and Eva later. Let’s settle another matter first.”
Jayden looked up at James in confusion. As far as he remembered, he hadn’t offended James, except for that one time when he had used Ryan to mock him. But James had already forced him to kneel and apologize back then, so that matter should have been resolved. Could it be that James held a grudge and not only retaliated once, but also wanted to deal with him. again over this?
As Jayden struggled to understand, Stella walked in with a forensic doctor. The moment Jayden saw the doctor, all his doubts became clear. So, when James mentioned settling the score, he was referring to the mistake in Henry’s surgery…
“We already have the mastermind. As long as you tell us the truth now, I can overlook your falsification of the autopsy report. But if you don’t cooperate, then…”
James paused for a moment, lifting his prominent chin and casting a cold glance at the trembling forensic doctor standing at the door.
“Dr. Lee, I will revoke your medical license, ruin your career, make sure you never hold your head up in the medical field again, and then, your wife will leave you and your family will be destroyed.”
James spoke these words casually, as if discussing a trivial matter, with a hint of a bloodthirsty smile on his lips.
“I can do all of this, do you believe me?”
What kind of merciless person was James? Who in the entire hospital didn’t know?
The forensic doctor couldn’t bear it anymore and looked at Jayden, who was being trampled on the ground. Seeing him in such a miserable state, he thought he had truly confessed, so he spoke up.
“I…”
“Dr. Lee, don’t admit to something you didn’t do!”
Jayden’s words cut off what the forensic doctor wanted to tell the truth. His deep, dark eyes hinted at the recording device next to them..
Feeling Jayden’s gaze, Dr. Lee finally realized that James was deceiving him, Jayden hadn’t confessed at all.
As long as they both denied it, James wouldn’t have any evidence and they would be safe.
With this in mind, Dr. Lee immediately composed himself, gathered his courage, and raised his eyes to look at the man sitting on the sofa.
“Mr. Evans, I have never falsified an autopsy report, I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
The fact that even the boss personally intervened in this matter suggested that the boss was siding with Mr. Simpson. If the boss wanted to help Mr. Simpson turn things around, then they could only expose what they had done. Although the boss said there would be no blame for the past, the exposure would inevitably mention bribing the forensic doctor and other words.
As long as those words were mentioned, Dr. Lee, who had performed autopsies for international experts, would still be unable to survive in the medical field and would be scorned by all medical professionals. Rather than being despised by everyone, it was better to face retaliation from the boss alone. With this in mind, Dr. Lee firmly denied everything.
“I haven’t done anything I don’t know why Mr. Evans brought me here.”
Dr. Lee’s stubbornness even impressed Stella.
“Dr. Lee, you probably don’t know. After you completed the autopsy, I sent another forensic doctor to perform a second examination, and it differs from your report.”
Dr. Lee froze for a moment, incredulously turning his head to look at Stella, who had her arms crossed and leaned against the wall.
“Have you had any other forensic pathologists perform an autopsy?” Dr. Lee asked.
Without even blinking, Stella nodded.
“I suspected there was a problem with the patient’s blood vessels, so I had someone else retest it. Turns out, it really was a problem with the blood vessels.”
Hearing the words “blood vessels,” Dr. Lee instantly panicked.
“If you had already detected the problem with the blood vessels, why didn’t you immediately confront me about it, and why didn’t you expose the correct report?” he asked.
Stella raised her chin and gestured towards Jayden on the ground.
“We were waiting for the right moment to catch him,” she replied confidently.
Jayden was confused by Stella’s statement. What did she mean by that?
Stella walked towards Jayden.
“At that time, you hadn’t broken up with Eva yet. Mr. Evans and I didn’t want to cause any trouble, especially in front of Eva. But now, the time has come…”
Stella stood up and faced Dr. Lee.
“You should know Mr. Evans’ personality. He only gives one chance. Whether you take it or not is up to you.”
Dr. Lee couldn’t decipher whether Stella was telling the truth or not. Feeling anxious, he looked towards Jayden.
“Mr. Sherwood, didn’t you tell me that only you knew about the problem with the blood vessels? How does Stella know?” he asked.
Jayden was also perplexed, looking at Stella and then at James.
“Did you two already know everything?”
“Of course,” Stella casually nodded, pretending like it was no big deal. In fact, she didn’t know anything. She just suspected that there was a problem with the blood vessels based on Henry’s failed surgery. She never expected that Jayden had indeed hidden the patient’s condition from Henry.
Jayden never expected that James and Stella had already noticed something was wrong. Or rather, James had noticed, but he had kept quiet, not retaliating against Jayden. He had waited until Eva broke up.
James did this because he was afraid that Jayden would use Eva as threat against him. That’s why he didn’t rush to deal with Jayden.
“And the photos and recordings sent to Eva, was that also your doing?” Jayden’s tone shifted from fear to anger.
If James had noticed the problem from the beginning, as someone so calculating, he would have surely plotted against Jayden step by step.
No wonder when Jayden had tried to have Sex with Eva, an unknown number had sent photos and recordings to expose him. It turns out, it was all part of James’ plan!
“James, you really are cunning!”
James, who was inexplicably labeled as “cunning,” coldly glanced at him with icy and bloodthirsty eyes.
“Do you think I have nothing better to do?”
Jayden hesitated for a moment. James never denies the things he has done, but this time he didn’t admit it. Could it really not be him?
If it wasn’t him, then it must be Paul. These two brothers always teamed up to tease and bully him!
If it weren’t for them, he and Eva would happily be together. How did it come to the point of falling out?
As James, who was already impatient, shifted all his hatred onto the two brothers, James coldly spoke again:
“Jayden, if you confess how you framed Mr. Simpson clearly, I’ll let you go back to France. Otherwise, you’ll stay here forever, and don’t even think about walking out that door.”
After Jayden snapped back to reality, he snorted in disbelief.
“Do you think Arcadia is your own place and you can do whatever you want?”
A deep, bottomless look flashed in James’ eyes.
A tall figure walked step by step towards Jayden.
As the tall and upright figure approached, Jayden instinctively blinked his eyes.
James lifted his slender finger and grabbed Jayden’s chin, forcing him to raise his head.
“Mr. Sherwood, you may not know this, but in Arcadia, I truly can do whatever I want.”
The condescending action, the disdainful tone, and the overwhelming gaze all fueled Jayden’s anger.
Why did the Evans family always have the upper hand just because their background was slightly better? Did that give them the right to disregard him?
“I don’t care what you want to do, I will never admit it.”
“Very well.”
After a slight nod, James released his grip on Jayden’s chin and turned to look at Dr. Lee, who stood beside them, helpless.
“And what about you?”
Under pressure, Dr. Lee instantly didn’t know what to do.
When Stella mentioned that other forensic experts had confirm it, Sherwood, indirectly admitting to falsifying the report.
Now, James was asking him again, but he just wanted him to explain the whole process of the incident so that they could proceed with the case.
If he stubbornly refused to admit like Jayden, Stella could simply expose the recording, which would be enough to ruin his career as a forensic expert.
If he cooperated now, perhaps Mr. Evans would be lenient with him, after all, he was just an accomplice, not the mastermind. Mr. Evans wanted to deal with Jayden, not him.
After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Dr. Lee made a request to James:
“Mr. Evans, I know that once I reveal this, you will surely use the audio and video recordings to clear Mr. Simpson’s name. But my career will also be ruined. I am willing to take the risk and tell you the truth, but you need to find a way to minimize my losses. At least protect his identity from the outside world, so even if he couldn’t make it here, he could go abroad and start anew.”
Dr. Lee regretted taking the money from Jayden, but if he wasn’t in need of money, he wouldn’t have done something that goes against medical ethics. But now that things had come to this, he could only try to secure his own future.
Jayden clenched his fists tightly and glared at Dr. Lee when he proposed this condition. However, Dr. Lee didn’t even look at him and kept his gaze fixed on James.
“Mr. Evans, do you accept this condition?” James smirked slightly.
“You’re the first person to negotiate with me.”
Dr. Lee’s heart skipped a beat, thinking that James would refuse, but he nodded.
“Okay.”
Dr. Lee breathed a sigh of relief and explained in detail.
After Lee’s confession, all they needed now was to extract the reason why Jayden concealed the patient’s condition…
James returned to the couch, crossed his long legs once again, and lazily looked at Jayden kneeled on the ground.
“Dr. Lee not only explained everything, but also provided transfer records as evidence. Even if you don’t admit it, it won’t help you.”
“Then take Dr. Lee’s accusations against me and sue me.”
Since the body had already been cremated, the autopsy report made by the other forensic doctors might just a lie Stella used to trap Dr. Lee.
Jayden believed that as long as he stubbornly denied it, Dr. Lee’s accusations alone wouldn’t be enough to easily bring him down.
But obviously, James didn’t want to go the legal route.
“Mr. Sherwood, do you think I locked you up here just to sue you?”
Jayden’s heart sank as he squinted his eyes and looked at the man sitting in the light.
“Then why did you do it?”
James didn’t answer, he just beckoned to Andrew who was standing beside him and gestured with his finger.
Andrew quickly took out a small knife from his military boots and placed it in James’ palm.
With a gloved hand, James flicked the sharp blade.
“I heard that a doctor’s hands are precious. What would you do if I severed your tendons?”
His casual tone carried a cruel, bloodthirsty undertone, causing Jayden to instinctively tighten his grip on his own hand.
“If you resort to torture to force the truth out, it won’t hold up in court.”
“It seems you still haven’t understood what I mean…”
Even Dr. Lee, standing on the side, couldn’t bear to watch anymore.
“Mr. Evans means that he only wants to expose what you have done to the medical field, so whether he used extreme methods to get the truth out is inessential.”
Dr. Lee anxiously finished speaking and earnestly advised Jayden, “Mr. Sherwood, please stop resisting. Mr. Evans just wants to clear Mr. Simpson’s name. If you confess everything, he will let you return to France. This way, you can still establish yourself in the medical field abroad. But if your hands are ruined, you will never be able to become a surgeon!”
“What about my Nobel Prize in Medicine?!” Jayden shouted angrily, leaving Dr. Lee stunned.
“That is Mr. Simpson’s research achievement, what does it have to do with you?”
“How does it not have to do with me?!” Jayden glared at Dr. Lee through gritted teeth.
“You only helped him, it wasn’t your own development…” Dr. Lee couldn’t comprehend Jayden’s thought at all.
“So what? If I want something, I must have it!”
James, sitting on the sofa, propped his elbow on his knee, leaning slightly forward, his eyes fixed on Jayden, filled with resentment and unwillingness.
You want to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine, don’t you?”
“Which doctor doesn’t want to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine?!” Jayden candidly admitted his ambition, causing James to lightly smirk.
“While you desperately want to obtain something, I’m sorry, the more you want it, the less I will let you have it.”
Jayden was infuriated by these cruel words, his face turning red.
“Why?”
James placed the small knife in his hand under the sunlight, causing the blade to instantly emit a blinding light.
“Because your life and future are in my hands.”
The light reflected from the knife stabbed into Jayden’s eyes, causing him to instinctively close them. In that moment, Jayden felt his wrist being cut by someone.
When he opened his eyes, all he saw was fresh blood gushing out of his skin…
And the person who cut his wrist didn’t even blink at the sight of the blood, as if he didn’t value life at all.
Jayden thought James was just bluffing, but he didn’t expect him to be serious, which scared him instantly.
Dr. Lee was also terrified, continuously retreating, but was pushed back by the bodyguard blocking the door.
James calmly took the wet cloth handed to him by Andrew and wiped the blade clean in front of Jayden.
“Mr. Sherwood, my patience is limited. If you still refuse to talk, then I will continue cutting you until you are willing to speak.”
The pain in his wrist made Jayden realize that James wasn’t just trying to scare him with his words.
This man was not only deep-thinking, but also dare to do anything. Jayden had underestimated him and hadn’t realized that James was this ruthless.
“If I tell you, will you let me go back to France?” Jayden asked.
James smirked and nodded as if nothing had happened.
Jayden could no longer decipher the meaning behind the smile on James’ face, and hesitated while staring at his bleeding wrist.
James had run out of patience. He aimed the tip of the knife at Jayden’s wrist, about to pick out the veins inside, which frightened Jayden into immediately begging for mercy.
“Don’t damage my tendons. I’ll talk, I’ll talk…” he pleaded.
His hands were about to operate surgery and must not be ruined!
Seeing Jayden’s fear, James withdrew his hand.
After Jayden held his right wrist and looked up, he gazed at the man towering over him.
“When the director came to find Mr. Simpson and said that the Nobel Prize in Medicine belonged to him, I became jealous. Coincidentally, the patient who needed the surgery urgently had previously had a conflict with Mr. Simpson. So, I deliberately injured my hand so that Mr. Simpson would come and perform the surgery for me.”
“Before the surgery began, when Mr. Simpson was checking the patient’s medical condition, I concealed the fact that the patient had vascular problems. Because Mr. Simpson trusted me too much, he didn’t double-check. After the surgery started, in order to remove any suspicion on myself, I specifically prevented him. from touching the blood vessels…”
He had even bribed the forensic doctor, but he hadn’t expected that James and Stella would still suspect him.
After hearing what he said, Stella’s eyes turned red.
Just because of Jayden’s selfishness, Henry was wrongly accused and his reputation was tarnished.
Meanwhile, Jayden was calmly waiting to receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Stella angrily rushed forward, wanting to scold Jayden, but James stopped her.
“Is it recorded?” James turned his head and asked the man standing next to Andrew.
The man quickly nodded respectfully, “It’s recorded.”
James ordered coldly, “Send this recording of what Mr. Sherwood said to the patient’s family and the medical students he taught.”
He believed that once they received this recording, they would come to the hospital and make a scene. The hospital management would definitely prevent Jayden from receiving the medical award and clear Henry’s name.
Furthermore, if the patient’s family members found out that the death was not due to a surgical mistake, but rather someone intentionally harming for personal gain, Jayden wouldn’t be able to leave easily.
The man, who orchestrated everything, leaned back on the sofa, propped up his legs, and raised his eyes, looking down at Jayden. with a cold gaze.
“Mr. Simpson’s account has been settled. Now it’s time to settle Eva’s…”
“Why do you get to revenge for Eva?” Jayden shouted angrily at James, clutching his wrist and raising his head, his eyes bloodshot.
James recorded everything he had done and would send it to the patient’s family and medical students. It was like cutting off his escape route. Even if he was sent back to France, he couldn’t escape the condemnation of these people.
James had already done enough, and now he even wanted to help Eva settle the score. Who did he think he was?
“Why?”
The seemingly lazy man tilted his head slightly, then spread his gloved hand and beckoned to Jayden’s bodyguards.
The two bodyguards immediately understood, picked up Jayden, and threw him in front of James. Before Jayden could get up, a slap suddenly came.
The tremendous force of the slap, accompanied by a gust of wind, made his cheeks vibrate. When the wind subsided, a tearing pain struck.
Jayden, half-kneeling, had a swollen left cheek, and blood from the corner of his mouth dripped onto his hand, shocking him. Slowly, he raised his head.
“You…
James took off the gloves that had just slapped him and threw them into the nearby trash can. He then took the wet wipe handed to him by Andrew and wiped his hands before finally lowering his gaze to the person kneeling on the ground.
“Eva is my wife’s sister, which makes her my sister. Shouldn’t I be the one to settle her account?”
Jayden looked incredulous, staring at James in a daze for a while before slowly coming back to his senses.
“Even if you consider Eva your sister, you have no right to hit me!”
He had never been slapped before, let alone by a man. At that moment, Jayden felt that there was left of his dignity.
“If you want to settle the score, take me to court and let the law punish me. Why hit me?”
“Be patient.” Compared to Jayden’s furious state, James appeared calm and composed, saying, “I will see you in the court.”
“If that’s the case, why did you slap me?”
Cutting his wrist wouldn’t have resulted in this slap, which only made him angrier!
He glanced at him, indifferently.
“For my wife’s sake.”
If someone bullied his wife’s sister, they deserved some punishment.
“It’s just a slap, Mr. Evans has been quite restrained.”
If it were before, Mr. Evans would not have let the other party off so easily. But now, perhaps due to marriage and more considerations, he didn’t go all out on Jayden. Otherwise, would he still have the chance to shout and scream here?
Stella spoke up and Jayden angrily rebuked her when he heard her words.
“Stella, Eva was introduced to me by you, but instead of helping me, you joined forces with James on bully me!”
Stella’s biggest regret was hosting the blind date banquet, which led to Eva meeting this hypocritical fake gentleman. If she hadn’t done that, Eva wouldn’t have been abused and lying in the hospital unable to get up.
The thought of the thorns all over Eva’s body made Stella regret and hate herself. She clenched her fists and rushed towards Jayden!
“Slap!”
Another slap landed harshly on Jayden’s face, in the same spot as before, but with a different force, also causing him to dizziness.
“I thought you were a decent man, but I never expected you to drug Eva and almost let her be raped by a stranger!” Jayden was initially furious, but upon hearing that Eva almost fell victim to a stranger, his anger gradually turned to concern.
“What happened to her? Did something happen after she escaped from the hotel?”
Jayden disregarded the wound on his wrist and grabbed hold of Stella’s pants, looking up at her with urgency from his lower position.
“Tell me quickly, what really happened?!”
Stella was starting to hate Jayden, feeling disgusted just looking at him. Without hesitation, she kicked him away.
“Thanks to you, she almost died in the park tonight!”
Jayden thought Stella was lying to him, but when he saw the anger in her eyes, he felt that she wasn’t lying.
“Is she okay?”
He still had feelings for Eva, but his selfish desires outweighed his affection for her. So when he heard that something had happened to her, he couldn’t help but worry.
“It’s none of your business.”
Stella’s expression was emotionless, causing Jayden to furrow his brows deeply.
“Stella…”
“Don’t call me that, you make me sick.”
Jayden had done everything he could to frame Henry and bully Eva.
“From now on, you don’t exist in the hospital anymore.”
After firing him, Stella turned to face James.
“Mr. Evans, I’m going to check on Eva first.”
James nodded slightly, and only after Stella left did he slowly rise from his seat.
The towering figure of the man walked towards Jayden, who was curled up on the ground. Seeing him approach, Jayden felt a suffocating sensation.
“What else do you want?!”
Compared to his slight concern for Eva, at this moment, he was more afraid of James laying his hands on him again.
He had thought that people like James, who had power and influence, wouldn’t dare to act recklessly because their reputation was important.
Who would have known that James didn’t play by the rules at all and not even cared about his reputation.
Jayden had made up his mind. Once he escaped from here, he would expose James’ actions today and make him the target of public criticism.
He would use all media and online resources to destroy James’ reputation.
As he thought this, Jayden looked down at the man in front of him and turned around, lightly parting his lips.
Hand him over when the patient’s family comes to the hospital to cause trouble.” trouble.”
“Yes!”
Jayden, still in a daze, became frantic when he saw James walk away with his men.
“James, didn’t you promise that if I told the truth, you would let me go back to France?”
The man, still wiping his fingers with his head down, slowly stopped and turned to look at Jayden, who was being held by the bodyguard.
“Why would you believe my words?”
Jayden stared at James in disbelief, his eyes wide open.
“You…”
Seeing that he had made Jayden tremble with anger, James’ lips curled up in a mocking smile.
“Mr. Sherwood, you can’t escape your attempted murder and rape. Your time is up.”
After saying that, James withdrew his cold gaze and started walking away.
Watching his lonely and proud figure, Jayden suddenly clenched his fists.
“James, you probably don’t know something about Ryan, right?”
Ryan…
That name was a taboo in James’ heart.
Every time he heard that name, he would instinctively feel anxious.
He had never been afraid of anyone or anything, except for Ryan.
It wasn’t fear of Ryan herself, but the psychological trauma caused by hearing Amelia call out Ryan’s name in her sleep for the past five years.
James didn’t want to stop, but his steps still slowed down, even looked like waiting for Jayden to say something unpleasant.
He had mentally prepared himself, but at the moment Jayden opened his mouth, he felt like he had been struck by lightning, frozen in place.
“He’s suffering from severe depression because of missing your wife…”
Jayden laughed loudly at the frozen figure in front of him.
“James, you judged me in place of Eva, but who will judge you in place of Ryan?”
“You took away the woman he loved the most and live peacefully, while he remains trapped in hell forever!”
Jayden’s dark voice echoed from behind, causing James’ face to turn pale.
Perhaps Andrew couldn’t stand it anymore. He turned around, walked quickly to Jayden, grabbed his collar, and punched him unconscious.
After throwing the unconscious Jayden to the ground, Andrew returned to James’ side, and reassured him:
“Mr. Evans, don’t believe what Jayden said. Don’t let it bother you!”
James didn’t owe Ryan anything, at most they just fell in love with the same woman. If there were any misunderstandings or conflicts, it was during the year when he broke up with Amelia.
But back then, Amelia and Ryan weren’t in a romantic relationship, so when he pursued Amelia, it wasn’t even considered interfering with someone else’s love, let alone taking away.
Later on, Ryan wanted to commit suicide, and James saved him, using manpower, resources, and finances to protect him and encourage him to keep living.
When Amelia came back, James also chose to support their relationship, even helping him seek revenge and regain his family’s fortune. So even if he owed Ryan anything, it had already been repaid.
Andrew witnessed all the grievances and entanglements between the three of them, and he didn’t think James did anything wrong.
If there had to be any fault, it would be that James shouldn’t have been so cold towards Amelia from the beginning.
If it wasn’t for that, even if Ryan regained his memories, James and Amelia would already be together.
But clearly, James didn’t think that way. He knows better than anyone the place Ryan holds in Amelia’s heart.
If Ryan really developed severe depression because of missing Amelia, what should he do…
Severe depression can be deadly, and Amelia wouldn’t just stand by and watch Ryan die. If she found out, would she…
James’s mind was in chaos, his temples throbbing with tearing pain, which struck him like clockwork, making his face pale.
Andrew saw him break out in a sweat in an instant and quickly supported him, “Mr. Evans, what’s wrong? Is it another headache?”
James tightly grasped his hand, enduring the excruciating pain and coldly ordered, “Send people in the capital to investigate immediately.”
Upon hearing this, Andrew furrowed his brows, “Mr. Evans, if it’s true as Jayden said, are you planning to tell Amelia?”
Considering the relationship between Ryan and Amelia, not to mention love, just in terms of their childhood bond, Amelia wouldn’t just abandon him. What should James do in this situation?
James raised his hand and rubbed his temples forcefully, the pain of his scattered thoughts making it difficult for him to muster the strength to respond to Andrew’s words.
Seeing him like this, Andrew supported him with a worried expression and said, “Mr. Evans, let’s not worry about Ryan’s situation for now. You should go get a brain check-up first.”
Although the doctor told James to have a check-up every six months after the surgery, his current condition couldn’t wait half a year.
However, James pushed away his hand and said, “I’m just feeling a bit nervous and anxious because it’s a thing about her, no need for a check-up.”