Chapter 80

Williams resurfaced from darkness like someone swimming up through tar.

The first breath burned in her chest, and when her eyes opened, she was lying across the bed, bathed in the soft, intimate glow of the bedside lamp.

The room was quiet.

Too quiet.

Evelyn was not there.

Williams pushed herself up, each muscle trembling as though gravity had doubled. Her hand throbbed, her temples pulsed, but she forced herself to stand. The silence of the hallway pressed in on her as she moved toward Evelyn’s room.

The door was open.

“Evelyn,” she whispered as she stepped inside.

The air was heavy, warm, thick with a perfume that was Evelyn’s, yet heightened, almost feral. Evelyn wore a transparent black lace nightgown that barely concealed a set of vibrant, shocking red lingerie. The fabric stretched tautly, exposing the curve of her belly and the stark contrast of red silk beneath sheer lace. Williams stared, stunned, unable to form a sound.

“Williams, are you awake?” Evelyn purred, turning her head as a slow, intoxicating smile spread across her lips.

Williams’s gaze dropped. Her laptop rested open beside Evelyn. The screen was frozen on the explicit content she had listened to the night before, a raw, exposed moment of desire between Yada and Kannika.

“What are you doing?” Williams demanded. “Where did you get that machine?”

Evelyn lifted her chin, eyes half-lidded. “I wanted to see what you were watching.” She nudged the laptop toward Williams.

Williams lunged and slammed the laptop shut.

“How dare you!”

Evelyn laughed, a light, teasing, dangerous sound. She pushed Williams gently by the shoulder.
“Don’t be a spoilsport. Didn’t you like what you saw?”

Williams glanced again at the provocative attire, swallowing hard. “What is this outfit, Miss Hazel? And I thought you found this kind of content disgusting. But…” She shook her head. “By the way, these are your friends you are watching; you should be ashamed.”

“I meant Disgusting when it’s other people,” Evelyn murmured as she stepped closer, “but not us.”

Williams grabbed the machine and staggered backward toward the door, but Evelyn was faster. She caught her wrist, the grip firm and possessive.

“Wait. Didn’t you notice something?”

“No.”

“Your hand, Niran,” Evelyn said softly. “It’s working perfectly.”

Williams looked down. Her injured hand flexed, opening and closing in a smooth, effortless rhythm.

“Yes,” she said slowly. “It’s working.”

Evelyn moved behind her and closed the door with a quiet click.
Her voice dropped into something low, warm, and dangerous.

“How about we check whether your hand has lost any agility?”

Williams stiffened as Evelyn slipped the robe from her shoulders, letting it fall soundlessly to the floor. Only red lace remained.

“What do you mean?” Williams whispered.

“Let’s see what your fingers can do.” Evelyn pressed further as she advanced.

Williams stepped backward until her spine met the cold wall. “What is wrong with you, Miss Hazel? Pull yourself together immediately!”

“I’m only suggesting we take advantage of the fact that we’re alone.” She closed the distance, pinning Williams with her gaze, her breath hot against the doctor’s ear. “You don’t need to move, Niran. Your left hand is still tied behind your back, and your right hand is already mine. Don’t worry. I will help you put it in a warm place.”

Evelyn reached for the clasp of the red silk bra.

“ENOUGH!”

Williams jolted violently. Her body convulsed as she gasped awake.

The scent of soap and warm milk replaced the heady perfume.

She was lying on the living room couch. Evelyn leaned over her, pressing a cool, damp towel gently to her face.

“Williams, can you hear me? You fainted again.”

“Get off me.” Williams shoved weakly and tried to sit up, pain flashing, but Evelyn placed a steady hand on her shoulder.

“No. Stay lying down. You lost consciousness.”

“What?”

“Please lie down,” Evelyn insisted.

Williams obeyed, her heart crashing against her ribs, the phantom weight of Evelyn’s body lingering. “What happened?” she asked faintly.

“You collapsed while we were talking,” Evelyn replied. “I think you need rest. Or to focus on something else. Why not me?”

Williams’s eyes flew open.

“What did you say?”

Evelyn frowned. “Nothing. Just that you need rest. You are not thinking clearly.”

Williams stared at her. Evelyn wore a modest, clean cotton dress. No lace. No red silk.

It had been a dream.

Too real. Too precise.

“I’m fine,” Williams muttered, pushing Evelyn’s hand away. “I’m going to my room.”

“Williams, you should rest.”

“I know. I’m going to my room.”

Evelyn followed her. “I will bring you your meal.”

“No, thank you. I need space.”

They walked together along the corridor. Evelyn watched her like she feared another collapse.

Inside her room, Williams closed the door. Her pulse still raced, her thoughts in chaos. She sat on the bed and grabbed her phone. Polo’s message was open: deposition forms, police questions, updates about Yada, and a note that her mother was worried.

She did not respond immediately.

Breathing in and out till the dizziness was gone and her Clarity returned.

With it came the cold, surgical precision that defined her.

She opened her tablet and reviewed each question methodically, like a machine rebooting into its true operating mode.

A soft knock interrupted her. Evelyn returned with a cup of hot milk.

“Williams, please. You need to rest.”

“I know. And I asked you to give me some space. So, allow me to finish this.”

Evelyn sighed, leaning against the doorframe. She watched the doctor with confusion. One moment bleeding, the next collapsing. Now utterly focused. A disturbed mind, Evelyn thought, unaware of the psychological storm she had helped awaken.

“I would also like to have a bath first,” Williams said, politeness coated in dismissal.

“Let me prepare your bath.”

Evelyn lunged for the bathroom, but Williams interjected, “No. I want to be alone.”

“Williams…”

“Please, Evelyn.”

The word landed with effortless cruelty.

Evelyn hesitated, not only because of the tone, but because Williams’s right hand had clearly regained strength, a fact the doctor intentionally ignored.

Once the door closed, Williams locked it again and went back to work.

Forty-five minutes later, she had answered the police questionnaire with ruthless precision and drafted a public statement that Polo would finalize and distribute, neutralizing the lawyer’s attempts before they reached daylight.

She opened her drawer, retrieved a fresh USB key, transferred sensitive files, encrypted them with a complex code, and sealed it in an envelope. Then, without hesitation, she took the laptop, the one that had preserved that intimate moment, and submerged it fully into a bucket of water in her bathroom.

The screen fizzled. Then silence.

She pulled the ruined machine and dumped it in a plastic bag, then wrote a note on the envelope with her right hand, already strong.

She sent Makizal a message, ordering him to present himself at the gate in ten minutes. And finally, she showered, changed into clean pajamas, drank the hot milk calmly, then unlocked the door. The plastic bag and envelope rested on the table.

Evelyn appeared almost instantly.

“Williams, are you okay?”

“Yes. I am done.”

The doorbell chimed softly.

“Please give this to Makizal,” Williams said.

Evelyn studied the sealed envelope and the dripping black bag before taking them downstairs. Guards leaned in as the door opened, curious about what had been going on in the villa. Makizal looked genuinely shocked to see Evelyn alone.

“Is Madam well?” he asked, concerned.

“She asked me to give you this.” Evelyn ignored his solicitous question, closing the door firmly in his face. How could she forget the man who had wished her harm?

“Okay,” He replied with a genuine smile, not surprised by her attitude.

Now, he had to destroy the surveillance evidence and deliver the USB to Yada, as instructed.

If Williams thought she had everything under control, one crucial detail escaped her notice: when Evelyn helped her during the fainting spell, she took the opportunity to check the forbidden content on the laptop before it was destroyed.

A mistake she bitterly regretted, because the scenes depicted couldn’t be erased from her memory, but she had to pretend to protect her deal.

So, yes, she already had an idea of what Williams was planning to do.

Blackmail Yada and Kannika to discourage them from pursuing Evelyn further and sticking their noses in the hospital’s affairs.

And this time, not even heaven would stop Niran Williams.

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