Chapter 7: Do something tonight

Eva's POV

“The cops are on their way.” Margaret added. “I have called them to pick up this thief who escaped from jail!”

I stared at Enzo. Is this why he wanted me to change my features? I bit my lips.

Maya came and pushed me, breaking Damien's grip on me. Enzo rushed to my side, preventing me from falling.

Damien reached out but was stopped by Maya whose face had turned beet red.

“I know why you're here.” Maya smirked. “After hearing of my engagement to Damien, you thought escaping jail for a while and showing your face to him will save you.”

She scoffed. “You're wrong, Eva, because you're going right back to that cell where you belong!”

Just then, sirens could be heard from a distance. Soon, the police trooped in.

Damien stopped them. “You can't take her.”

“Move away, Damien and let the police do their job.” Margaret said in a stern voice.

Maya was the perfect definition of anger. She grabbed Damien's arm. “What are you doing? This woman tried to destroy everything you and mom worked hard for!”

“Three years in jail is punishment enough.” He answered and stared at me. “I'll legally rescind the charges and set her free.”

The crowd gasped.

“That won't be necessary, Mr Hale.” Enzo chuckled. “You left her there all by herself, after abandoning her. And now, you're suddenly trying to play the hero?”

“She only suffered for her crimes, I'm simply showing mercy by wanting to rescind it.” His jaw tightened as he added, “Besides, you're not any better. Does she know the true reason you're helping her?”

“I don't need your help, Mr Hale.” I snapped. “I'd like you to respect my husband and stop making false insinuations.”

“Husband?” Damien's fist tightened. “Eva-”

“That's enough!” Margaret frowned. “I was the one who filed charges against her, Damien. So if anyone should rescind, it should be me and I'm definitely not going to do that.”

She turned to the cops. “Take her away!”

“Don't touch her!” Enzo warned.

Margaret pressed her lips into a thin line. “What are you doing?” She yelled at the police. “Beat them up if necessary! She must return to jail.”

“Step aside, Hartley.” The cop said. “I don't want to make an enemy of your father.”

“Sergeant, the legal proceedings to release her are underway. You can't take her.” Enzo tried to explain.

The sergeant signaled to his colleagues and two of them grabbed my arm and began to pull me away.

“Let go!” I screamed and struggled to get out of their grip. One of them lifted the baton, ready to hit me when arms from nowhere circled around me.

I looked up to find Enzo. The cop had hit him with the baton instead and blood trickled from his head.

My eyes widened, as I held him. “Are you okay?”

“Margaret Hale!”

Everyone's gaze turned to the entrance and a sophisticated, middle-aged man walked in. He was dressed in a tuxedo, and his hair was just the same as Enzo's, jet black and long.

The shock on Margaret's face was surprising. As matriarch of the Hale family, everyone thought there was nothing and no one she feared.

The man stopped before us. The police immediately stepped away upon seeing him. While I cleaned the blood seeping from Enzo's wound, the man stared at him lazily.

Did they know each other?

“Margaret, send the cops away and meet me.” The man said just as he began to walk up the stairs.

Whispers that dared not rise up to be audible enough could be heard among the guests.

I must have missed a lot during my three years in prison. Whoever this man was, it's obvious his power and influence was unmatched.

Margaret forced composure and said, “My deep apologies for the interruption. It seems some misunderstanding must have occurred. Let the party continue!”

She turned and disappeared up the stairs too. The cops also left.

I held Enzo. “There must be some first-aid in the restroom. Let me help you.”

Enzo nodded, held my arm and pulled me along.

Damien's gaze burned on my back as we disappeared through the hallway.

Maya held Damien's face. “Honey, ignore them. It's our engagement party, let's not disappoint our guest.”

Damien calmly removed her hand from his face. He was clearly perturbed.

“We've already exchanged the rings, let's end the party.”

“Of course not, Damien.” Maya shrieked. “We haven't even danced yet. That's the last on the order of events.”

Damien was not in the mood to argue. He simply left Maya to greet the guest while he remained in a pool of his own thoughts.

Was he wrong to have left Eva all those years? How could he be wrong? She confessed to having committed the crime. How could he have supported her then?

Still, she must know that Enzo is not someone she should be entangled with. Maybe he should tell Eva that Enzo had killed her brother before his eyes.

….

“You shouldn't have stepped in that way, Mr Hartley.” Eva said as she cleaned the wound in the restroom. “It could have been a sharper object and things could have gone worse.”

After a few seconds of silence Enzo replied, “Call me Enzo, Eva. No need for formalities.”

Eva blinked. She sighed and said, “I can only clean the wound and stop it from bleeding. You must see a doctor after the party.”

She began to put the items into the box when suddenly,

“You don't believe Damien's words, do you?”

“You did say you had something against the Hales, I don't want to meddle.” She held his gaze. “Our agreement was a six month marriage, let's focus on getting our revenge.”

Eva returned the first-aid to its original position, with Enzo's eyes glancing at her curves displayed by her body-con gown.

He shut his eyes, and took a deep breath.

“C’mon, let's return to the party.” Eva urged as she turned and began to leave the restroom; however, Enzo held her wrist, stopping her from leaving.

“Since we're focusing on revenge, permit me to do something tonight.”