Chapter 16

The car rolled quietly into Evelyn’s neighborhood, it was a modest, almost sleepy community where the streetlights hummed faintly in the dusk. Romaric had done exactly as instructed, finding a discreet, unmarked vehicle that drew no attention.

“Here we are,” he murmured as he parked along the curb. He stepped out, opened the passenger door, and straightened his posture.

Dr. Williams emerged gracefully, her coat brushing lightly against the car’s frame. She didn’t speak. The night air carried a hint of rain and distant exhaust. Romaric instinctively scanned both ends of the street before following her across the road.

According to the GPS Williams had given him, Evelyn’s house was directly ahead, though Williams already knew that. She had studied pictures of the house hours ago, memorized the number on the mailbox, and even noted the chipped paint on the windowsill.

She moved with purpose toward the small apartment, and Romaric quickened his pace to stay close.

“You don’t need to be this close to me, Romaric,” she said sharply, sensing his presence just behind her.

“Sorry.” He slowed down, keeping a respectful distance.

They stopped before a narrow wooden door. Romaric knocked twice. No answer.
“I think she’s not here,” he said cautiously.

“Then open the door,” Williams ordered.

He hesitated. “Withoutkey?”

Williams turned her gaze on him, a long, silent stare that said more than words. Romaric swallowed hard. He understood what she meant.

With a quiet sigh, he retrieved a small tool from his pocket and knelt to the lock. A soft click echoed a few seconds later. The door creaked open.

At that moment, he knew they were crossing a line. It wasn’t the first time she had stepped beyond boundaries; Williams was rich, powerful, and unafraid to use that power. Her phone calls could ruin a career or save one, depending on which side of her radar you landed. And Romaric knew: if he refused, she’d simply call someone else, and he’d be the next to lose his job.

“It’s done,” he said, straightening. “Should I check the interior first?”

“The lights are off,” he added.

“No. Wait for me outside,” she replied, stepping past him.

Inside, the air was cool and faintly perfumed with lavender and furniture polish. The apartment was spotless, not a single object out of place. Every surface gleamed as if the owner clung to order as a form of control. Williams’s eyes drifted over the tidy space with quiet irritation.

Her informant had confirmed Evelyn’s routine: always home by this hour. Williams wasn’t here to admire the decor; she wanted a confrontation. She imagined perching at the foot of her bed so that she would be the first thing she saw upon waking.

But before she could act on that diabolic thought, a movement caught her eye.

A shadow.

A silhouette stood near the edge of the table, still, silent, half-hidden in darkness.

That was Evelyn, dressed in pajamas, barefoot, a baton in one hand and a can of pepper spray in the other. She had come down quietly after hearing the noise. The two women locked eyes, predator and prey, though neither was sure who was which.

“There you are,” Williams said with a faint smile, her voice steady despite the sudden jolt in her chest.

Evelyn stepped forward slowly, trying to make out the intruder’s face in the half-light. Recognition flickered across her features.
“Dr. Williams?” she asked, her voice low, uncertain.

Williams turned her attention to a painting on the wall, hiding the tension behind her composure. “So, this is where you live?” she murmured, picking up a sheet of paper from the desk as though she owned the place.

“Dr. Williams, I don’t want to cause any trouble—”

“Evelyn Hazel, right?” Williams cut in, turning sharply toward her with a look that could slice through glass. Evelyn froze, unsure whether she was being mocked or tested. Did Dr. Williams fail to recognize who she was, or was it her brain creating some sort of resemblance?

“What do you want?” Williams insisted.

“I… I… want nothing from you.”

Williams smiled faintly. “Miss Evelyn, everyone wants something.” She slipped a folded check from her coat pocket and held it out. “When I see where you come from, it’s easy to guess what that something is. So, tell me, how much?” Her tone dripped with arrogance. “Or better yet,” she added, waving the check slightly, “you can write what comes to your mind.”

Evelyn blinked, her confusion giving way to indignation. “I don’t want your money.” She pushed the check back. “How rude are you?”

The words hit Williams like a slap. Her expression hardened. “Rude?” she repeated, stepping closer. “You’re the one who left two desperate people waiting, prolonging their suffering for your own reasons. So, tell me, what’s the number? Let’s end this.”

“I don’t want anything from you,” Evelyn said firmly. “You need to leave. Now.”

Williams’s face darkened. “Do you even realize you’re carrying an embryo that doesn’t belong to you? Do you understand the gravity of that?”

“You should be the one understanding the gravity of what your hospital did,” Evelyn shot back, her voice trembling but defiant.

Williams’s eyes narrowed. “So, you’re going to keep a child that isn’t yours? You can’t have what’s not yours. You’re wasting everyone’s time.”

“Leave my house,” Evelyn repeated, brushing her hair back and folding her arms tightly.

A tense silence followed. Williams stepped closer, her tone now a low hiss. “You care for the children at your orphanage and I care for my patients. But I will not let you play with their lives.”

She advanced another step, forcing Evelyn to retreat. “Avoid having me at your back, Miss Evelyn. The outcome might not look good for you.”

Evelyn backed into the table, her breath quickening. What had begun as disbelief now felt like fear. “Please, Dr. Williams… leave my house.”

A light brush of her elbow sent a vase tumbling to the floor, where it broke into pieces

The shattering sound broke the tense silence At the same time footsteps  hammered the ground just beyond the wall.

“Evelyn!” Kannika burst through the doorway, with Romaric right behind her. She froze at the sight of Evelyn cornered, Williams standing too close, her presence almost suffocating.

Kannika rushed to her friend’s side. “What are you doing?” she demanded. “Did you invite her?”

Evelyn said nothing, still shaken, but her silence was answer enough.

“You have no right to be here,” Kannika said, glaring at Williams. “Leave. Now.”

Williams didn’t flinch. “Think twice, Miss Evelyn,” she said evenly, her tone colder than the night air. “And think wisely.”

Then she turned and walked out, her heels clicking against the floor like a closing verdict.

Evelyn stood motionless, trembling beside her friend, shards of broken glass glinting at her feet like silent warnings.

Sa ii ko thanks you for your reading. Every vote and comment helps this story continue.