Chapter four

Chapter 4.

Evelyn’s POV.

“My wife.”

My mouth opened wide, what the heck was going on? 

Bang!

I whipped my head around, my eyes locking onto the source of the noise. Ethan's face was a deep, fiery red, a vein bulging at his temple like a warning sign. 

 His expression was a mix of shock and anger.

 “You liar!” Ethan roared, his hand twisting into a fist. “She’s my wife.”

The man beside me remained calm and composed, utterly unfazed by Ethan's anger. 

He tilted his head slightly, an amused smirk dancing on his lips, his eyes glinting with a hint of mockery.

 “I'm lying?” he asked. “That's rich coming from a man who's trying to claim something that was never his to begin with.”

Ethan lunged forward, his fists clenched, but before he could reach him, two guards in black suits seized Ethan and Olivia, pinning them in place with an unyielding grip.

“Let go of me.” Ethan yelled, struggling against the guard. “You have no right to do this.”

Olivia shrieked, trying to claw at the guard's hand, but her attempts were just as useless. 

The man beside me didn't even flinch. His eyes flicked to the bouncer, his voice carrying a costly authority.

 “Get them out,” he ordered, his tone dripping with disdain.

The bouncer got into action, swiftly dragging Ethan and Olivia toward the doors. Ethan struggled violently, his face contorted in a desperate plea. 

“Baby, don't let him do this! He's lying! I'm your husband!!” His voice cracked with raw desperation, echoing through the room as he was forcibly hauled away.

I didn't move or speak. 

I felt a numbness spreading through my body, my hand brushing against the hospital bed as if seeking an anchor. 

Slowly, I turned to face the man standing beside me, his presence a steady, unnerving hum. 

“Who are you?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

His eyes darkened as he stared at me with an unblinking intensity that sent a shiver down my spine and made my stomach twist into a knot.

He took a step closer, closing the space between us. His hands shoved in his pocket and he dropped a bombshell.

“I know you have your memories intact.”

“What?!” I gasped, as fear creeped my soul.

This can't be happening. My hands squeezed the bedsheets. 

I couldn't breathe properly, how could the doctor betray me? As if reading my mind he said; “The doctor is innocent.”

Relief washed over me, only to be replaced by confusion. 

“Then how do you know?” I asked, my voice tinged with suspicion. 

“That's none of your business. You are lucky I didn't expose you,” he said, and I nodded swallowing hard.

“Thank you,” I mumbled.

“For? I'm not some philanthropist. If I keep your secrets, don't you think I should be compensated? Do you know the doctors license will be seized if this gets out? And your darling husband, sorry, murder would kill you without thinking twice.”

 “What's your condition?” I asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

The smirk on his face faltered, replaced by a glacial mask that sent a shiver down my spine. His eyes seemed to bore into mine, their cold, calculating gaze making my skin prickle with unease.

“You work for me.”

“What?” I gasped. 

 “You are not deaf,” he replied, rudely. 

I felt like hitting him, how can I work for a total stranger? Who the hell was this man? 

He leans down slightly, his voice low.

 “The innocent doctor who covered for you will lose his license.”

A chill runs through me, my body turns cold. 

“You wouldn't dare.”

“Wouldn't I? He raises an eyebrow. The weight of his words settle heavily on my chest. 

I didn't know him, and I had no idea what kind of power he possessed. But one thing was clear, he was dangerous, and he was not bluffing. 

My fingers trembled as I clenched the hospital gown. 

“What type of work am I to do?”

“When the time comes, I will let you know,” his expression is unreadable.

 Then without another word, he turned toward the door.

 “Bring them in,” he barked. 

Seconds later, Ethan and Olivia were dragged back inside, their struggles evident in their disheveled appearance.

 Ethan's hair was mussed, his eyes wild with desperation as they immediately snapped to mine, locking onto me with a fierce intensity. 

“Honey?” He rushes forward. “Please don't listen to him. Look at me. I'm Ethan. I'm your husband.” He begged. 

Ethan fumbled with his phone, scrolling frantically before turning the screen towards me.

My breath caught in my throat.

It was our wedding photo. I stood there, dressed in a white gown, with a smile. Ethan stood beside me, his eyes adoring, drinking me in as if I'm the only person in his universe. 

Memories came crashing down. I recalled the moment I whispered “I do”, the way my heart soared as Ethan's words wrapped around me like a promise. 

I remembered clinging to the hope that this was forever, that we'd found our happily ever after. 

The memory of that joy, that pure, unadulterated happiness, sliced through me like a knife, leaving me breathless and hurt.

I loved him, with every fiber of my being. I had given him my whole heart, completely and utterly, without reservation or condition.

A part of me still aches for the Ethan I thought I knew: the one who cradled me in his arms, whispering promises of eternal love. The one I would have surrendered everything for. 

But now, standing face-to-face with the man who tried to destroy me, that love feels like a heartless deception, a cruel mockery that taunts me with what could have been.

 A lump formed in my throat. I forced myself to look away. My chest aches. 

The strange man beside me finally speaks. “Now let's end all this, shall we?” I nodded. “Good, who are you willing to go with?” 

The room fell into silence and I could hear my heartbeat. I lifted my gaze, locking eyes with the strange man. His stare was steady, daring me to choose him.

The words left my mouth before I could stop it. 

“I will go with Ethan, my husband.”