Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 49

Evelyn bit her lip so hard it almost bled, too terrified to scream. She desperately didn't want to draw a crowd and have her perfect facade shattered by being seen in such a pathetic state. "What exactly do you want?"

Sean sneered, his breath hot and vile. "You thought latching onto that pathetic rich boy Julian would set you free? Newsflash, bitch. He's obsessed with you. Which means as long as I have you in my hands, Julian Hayes dances to my tune."

A frantic, desperate plan suddenly sparked in Evelyn's mind. She jerked her head up to meet Sean's eyes, her mind racing. "You're wrong. He only takes care of me because of an old friendship. He's deeply in love with another woman. His wife. Hazel."

Sean froze for a split second before backhanding her across the face with brutal force. "You dare lie to me?!"

Evelyn shrieked, clutching her stinging cheek as hot tears immediately spilled over her lashes. "I swear I'm not lying! Think about it! If he really loved me, why hasn't he divorced his wife? It's because he's obsessed with her!"

Sean's hand paused mid-air, a deep frown carving into his forehead. A flicker of genuine doubt crossed his violent features.

"Are you telling the truth?"

Evelyn sobbed into her hands, tears streaming down her face, her voice trembling violently. "Yes, it's the truth! If you want to bleed him dry, grabbing me won't do a damn thing! He doesn't actually care about me; he's just paying off an old debt. The only person he'd genuinely bleed for is his wife."

As she spoke, she took a cautious step backward, tentatively pushing his arm away. "Let me go. We're right outside the Institute. If someone sees us, you're the one going to jail."

Miraculously, Sean actually dropped his arm.

Evelyn suppressed a massive gasp of relief. Massaging her bruised wrist, she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "She gets off work at six o'clock every day. She always takes the secluded path by the back gate. If you're going to make a move... make sure you leave my name out of it."

Without waiting to see if Sean fully bought it, she spun around and power-walked back toward the safety of the main building.

After a few yards, she risked a glance over her shoulder. Sean was still rooted in the alleyway, staring into space with a dark, plotting glare.

She snapped her head back and practically sprinted the rest of the way through the Institute doors.

The moment she rounded the corner into the main hallway, she nearly slammed into someone.

Hazel had just stepped out of the lab holding a stack of files, clearly on her way to the archives. Finding herself face-to-face with her, Evelyn instinctively ducked her head, lifting a hand to shield her face.

Without giving Hazel a chance to ask a single question, Evelyn spun on her heel and hurried away.

Hazel stood perfectly still, watching her disappear around the corridor, her frown deepening. What secret could she possibly have?

Did Evelyn find out she was filing for divorce?

Her chest tightened. She rubbed her temple, a sudden wave of unease gnawing at her.

For the rest of the afternoon, Hazel buried herself in data organization inside the lab. By the time she finally looked up at the clock, it was already five-thirty.

Rubbing her dry, strained eyes, she filed away the final document, shut down her computer, packed her bag, and headed for the exit.

But as she reached the main lobby doors, her footsteps faltered.

Evelyn's cryptic threat echoed relentlessly in her mind. After a few agonizing seconds of hesitation, she let out a frustrated sigh, changed direction, and headed toward the back gate.