CHAPTER 2: THE DESTRUCTIVE GIFT AT GRAND PLAZA

The pungent smell of disinfectant flooded my nostrils before I could even open my eyes. The steady, cold beep... beep... of the heart monitor echoed beside my ear, signaling the weak pulse of this battered body.

I tried to move my fingers, but a ruthless sense of emptiness in my lower abdomen made my heart clench. A mother's instinct jolted me awake. In a panic, I snapped my eyes open, my trembling hands frantically searching across my stomach, only to touch the stark white hospital blanket.

The door swung open. Mr. Arthur walked in alongside the chief physician. Seeing that I was awake, they both froze in their tracks, their eyes filled with visible pity.

Mr. Arthur had been a long-time butler for the Vance family. Years ago, when my mother endured endless humiliation, it was this kind-hearted man who stepped up to adopt her as his daughter, shielding her from public scrutiny. To me, he was my only and most revered grandfather in the world.

"Evelyn... you're awake," Mr. Arthur's voice was hoarse.

I didn't care where I was. Staring down at my empty hands, my voice trembled violently. "My baby... Where is my baby, Grandfather? It's still here, right? Doctor, say something!"

The chief physician sighed softly, avoiding my gaze. "I am deeply sorry, Mrs. Hayes. You were brought here with severe hemorrhaging caused by a blunt impact against the edge of a stone table. The fetus... could not be saved. You have been in a coma for a full day and night."

A day and a night. That meant it was already the following evening.

"No... it can't be..."

A sob burst from my chest and choked in my throat. I frantically bolted up, using my gaunt, trembling hands to slam repeatedly against the hospital bed, desperately clinging to the final shred of hope that I had misheard. But the doctor's face remained helpless. They weren't joking.

I broke down completely, twisting in agonizing sobs. The cramping pain in my lower abdomen stabbed like a dagger, but it paled in comparison to the gaping void in my chest. My child... the baby I had used all my dignity to protect was gone. Nothing remained but an empty, shattered body.

"Calm down, Miss Evelyn," the doctor said gently, holding my shoulders to steady me. "Physical trauma can heal. You are still young, you need to look after your health..."

I couldn't process another word. My ears buzzed, and my crying abruptly choked to a halt.

My elbow accidentally brushed against the remote control on the mattress. The television screen opposite the bed flared to life, immediately tuning into a high-society entertainment news channel. A female anchor's lively voice rang out:

"...We are currently live from the fifth-floor banquet hall of the Grand Plaza Hotel. The lavish celebration marking the Hayes Group's entry into the pinnacle of the business world is underway. In just a few minutes, Chairman Dominic Hayes will officially introduce his fiancée—the eldest young mistress of the Vance family, Sera Vance..."

On the screen, Dominic wore a perfectly tailored suit, his face radiant with pride. Standing beside him was Sera Vance in a magnificent evening gown, wearing the smile of a victor.

I stared intently at those radiant smiles. My eyes shot with crimson veins. They used my child's blood as a red carpet to step into glory. They want happiness? Fine, I will fulfill their wish.

Ignoring the doctor's warnings, I ripped the IV needle straight out of the back of my hand. Fresh blood oozed out, but I didn't even flinch.

"Evelyn! You are too weak, you can't go anywhere!" Mr. Arthur rushed forward in a panic, holding my arm.

"Grandfather." I looked straight into his eyes, my gaze as sharp as a blade freshly pulled from its sheath. "The USB drive containing the access software for the hidden cameras at the Hayes villa that I sent you last week—the bloody footage from last night must have automatically synced to it, right?"

Seeing my terrifying resolve, Mr. Arthur froze. In an instant, he understood everything. Determination etched across his aged face, he nodded firmly:

"Crystal clear, not a single second missing. Don't worry, child. I used some of my old connections from my days with the Vance family to settle everything with the technical team at the Grand Plaza. That bastard is going to pay!"

I bit my lip, suppressing the wave of pain surging from my lower abdomen. "Thank you, Grandfather. Have someone prepare a black dress for me. Today, I am going to deliver a congratulatory gift to my husband."

On the fifth floor of the Grand Plaza Hotel, glittering crystal chandeliers illuminated the city's most luxurious banquet hall. Hundreds of wealthy elites and media reporters surrounded the main stage.

Dominic stood at the center, one hand raising a wine glass, the other wrapped affectionately around Sera's waist. As he finished announcing Sera as his fiancée, thunderous applause erupted.

Slam!

The double oak doors of the banquet hall were violently pushed open from the outside.

Amidst the crowd of silk and finery, I walked in. No extravagant gown; I wore only a simple black dress. My face was pale and hollow, but my eyes burned with a fierce, chilling resilience. Raising a wireless microphone in my hand, I spoke in a flat yet resonant voice that echoed throughout the hall:

"Dominic Hayes. At a celebration for your ascent to the pinnacle of the business world, how could your lawful wife possibly be absent?"

The words "lawful wife" dropped like a bomb onto the audience. The entire hall broke into a frenzy; hundreds of camera lenses instantly whipped around toward me, flashes blinking relentlessly.

On stage, Dominic's smile froze. A fiery rage erupted in the depths of his eyes as he gritted his teeth and barked into his walkie-talkie, "Where is security? Throw her out! Cut that microphone right now!"

The Hayes family bodyguards, faces twisted in savagery, instantly lunged toward me. But before they could even brush the hem of my dress, the entire lighting system snapped off.

Amidst the engulfing darkness, the colossal ten-meter LED screen behind the stage flared to life, casting a harsh, blinding glare across the entire banquet hall.

The first image to appear was a crystal-clear copy of the marriage certificate—still legally valid—between Dominic Hayes and myself. Whispers and murmurs instantly erupted like a disturbed hornet's nest beneath the stage. Suspicious, contemptuous glances swarmed toward Sera Vance. She staggered, clutching the railing tightly, her eyes bulging at the screen.

"Turn it off! Smash open the control room door for me! Hurry!" Dominic screamed frantically, his dignified facade fracturing into utter panic. He rushed forward, ripping the microphone from the podium, and roared, "Apprehend that woman!"

However, the LED screen was faster. The bloody video clip began to play with vivid audio.

Dominic’s prejudiced and ruthless voice echoed through the high-end speaker system: “I haven't touched you in two months... Whose bastard child is this?” — That chilling tone sent shivers down the spines of every guest present.

Following that was the violent struggle, the brutal shove of his hand, and the image of blood ceaselessly pouring out, staining the fabric of my dress bright red on the magnified screen. My own voice rang out in desperate, choked pleading: “Dominic... save... save our child... Please... save the baby...”

The climax was the audio recording of his phone call with the butler: “No need to take her to the hospital. A woman carrying a bastard child just to deceive me doesn't deserve to be saved. Throw her out...” right up to the scene of my body being cast out into the driving rainstorm.

The entire banquet hall fell dead silent for a few seconds before a massive wave of public outrage erupted violently.

"Chairman Hayes, do you have an explanation for this video of domestic abuse?" "Is the Hayes Group planning to use its power to silence the victim?"

Half of the reporters instantly surged forward like a pack of wolves catching the scent of exclusive, hot blood, frantically thrusting their lenses and microphones at Dominic right on stage. The other half rushed straight toward me, repeatedly flashing their cameras to jockey for a position to interview the victim: "Miss Evelyn, is the child truly gone?" "Do you intend to file a lawsuit?"

The chaotic shoving and crowding from all sides of the media inadvertently formed a solid human wall, completely cutting off the movement of the bodyguards while pushing Dominic further away and shielding a safe space around me.

Standing behind the wall of people, I looked up at the two individuals on stage who were driven mad by their wretched humiliation. I didn't bother using the microphone anymore, tossing it straight onto the floor. The sharp thud was instantly swallowed by the roar of the crowd.

I curled my lips into a faint smirk, leaving behind a phrase mouthed clearly enough for the two on stage to read:

"A gift for you both. Are you satisfied with it?"

Right at the moment I turned to leave, I deliberately directed my gaze toward the stage, locking eyes precisely with Sera Vance’s shattered, panic-stricken stare. My gaze turned to ice, pinning her in place with a half-smile full of mockery and disdain.

Taking advantage of the utterly unsalvageable chaos in the hall, I quietly slipped into the shadows and turned to walk away.

Up on the stage, Dominic roared frantically at security to immediately evacuate Sera through the backstage corridor reserved exclusively for shareholders to avoid the media's lenses. And that wind-shielded corridor happened to lead directly to the hallway of the VIP basement elevator—the exact destination I was heading toward.

My body was thoroughly exhausted after the embryonic curettage surgery, and freezing shivers repeatedly washed down my spine. One of my hands clutched my lower abdomen, which was cramping in waves, while the other gripped the wall along the deserted corridor, dragging my heavy steps toward the VIP elevator area to get to the basement. I just wanted to vanish from this filthy place immediately.

But before the emergency exit doors could even open before me.

The sound of rushed, stumbling footsteps abruptly pursued me from behind. I was trembling as I reached out to press the elevator call button, and before I could even turn my head, my wrist was violently seized by a brutal force and jerked backward.

"Evelyn! You filthy b*tch, how dare you ruin my life!"

I stumbled and nearly fell. Turning around, I was instantly confronted by Sera Vance's face, distorted with hatred. She had completely lost the haughty elegance of a wealthy heiress. Her high updo had unraveled, her magnificent evening gown was disheveled, and her wide-open eyes were heavily bloodshot.

The public humiliation before hundreds of reporters had thoroughly burned away her sanity. Sera panted heavily, her sharp nails digging deep into my flesh as if she wanted to tear me apart:

"You've destroyed me! I will make you and your child burn alongside the title of Mrs. Hayes tonight!"