CHAPTER 6: SHATTERED FATE
671 Words
Evelyn ran.
The cold night air stung her face as she pushed through the darkness, her mind spinning.
Her father was the real monster.
Adrian had known all along.
And she… she had been nothing but a pawn in his revenge.
Her chest ached, but she couldn’t stop. Not yet. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she had to get away—from Adrian, from Henry, from the truth that had just shattered her world.
She stumbled into an alley, gripping the walls as her breath came in ragged gasps.
What do I do?
Everything she had believed was a lie.
A pair of footsteps echoed behind her.
She stiffened.
Slowly, she turned.
Adrian stood at the entrance of the alley, his silhouette illuminated by the dim streetlights.
His presence was overwhelming, his dark eyes locked onto hers.
“I warned you, Evelyn,” he said, his voice low. “I told you that once you learned the truth, there would be no turning back.”
Her body trembled. “Why did you let me believe I was guilty?”
His jaw clenched. “Because I needed you to suffer.”
The words cut deeper than any blade.
Adrian stepped closer. “I wanted you to feel the helplessness I felt when I lost everything.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “But it wasn’t me.”
“It didn’t matter.” His voice was cold, but there was something else beneath it—something fractured. “You’re still his daughter.”
Evelyn’s hands clenched into fists. “So that’s it? You spent years destroying me just because of my father’s sins?”
Adrian’s expression darkened. “I spent years waiting for the right moment to make you feel what I felt.”
Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.
Then, suddenly, he whispered, “But it wasn’t enough.”
Evelyn’s breath hitched. “What?”
Adrian’s gaze wavered, his fingers twitching at his sides.
“I thought breaking you would bring me peace.” He let out a bitter laugh. “But it didn’t.”
She stared at him, heart hammering. “Then why are you still doing this?”
Adrian exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Because I don’t know how to stop.”
The admission sent a shiver through her.
For the first time, she saw it—the conflict in his eyes.
Adrian Blackwood, the man who had tormented her, was just as lost as she was.
Her throat tightened. “Adrian…”
His name felt foreign on her lips.
He took another step forward. “Tell me, Evelyn.” His voice was dangerously soft. “If you were in my position, would you have forgiven me?”
Her heart twisted.
Would she?
Would she be able to look into the eyes of the person who had ruined her life and choose mercy?
She swallowed hard.
“No.”
Adrian’s lips curled into a knowing smirk.
“Then don’t expect me to.”
Her stomach dropped.
For a moment, she had thought—hoped—that there was a way out of this.
That he might let her go.
That he might let them go.
But she had been wrong.
Pain clawed at her chest as she forced herself to meet his gaze.
“So what now?” she whispered. “Are you going to destroy me completely?”
Adrian’s eyes darkened. “You’re already broken, Evelyn.”
Her breath caught.
“But…” His fingers brushed against her chin, lifting her face. “That doesn’t mean I’m done with you.”
A shudder ran through her.
He leaned in, his lips just inches from hers.
“Your father took everything from me,” he murmured. “Now, I’ll take everything from you.”
Tears burned her eyes. “You already have.”
Adrian smirked. “Not yet.”
His grip tightened, and for the first time, Evelyn realized—he wasn’t going to let her go.
Not now.
Not ever.
- Writer
