2025-09-04 15:49:52Evan’s arrival brought different reactions to the faces of the three women before him. One was shocked, one was angry, and one was delighted.
Vivienne tried to approach Evan, but Helena immediately held her back.
“Don’t you dare go near Evan! Selene, take Vivienne to the dining room!” Helena barked sternly.
“Yes, Grandma Helena. Come on, Vivienne.”
Selene pulled at Vivienne’s arm, but the woman shook her off and ran toward Evan instead.
“Evan, please, you have to explain to my family that you are not guilty!” Vivienne pleaded, clinging to him.
“How dare you!” Helena yanked Vivienne’s hair, making her granddaughter scream loudly.
“Hey!”
Evan instinctively shouted at Helena, then pulled Vivienne tightly into his arms.
“Grandma, if you truly disapprove of my presence, then take it out on me! But please, do not use violence against Vivienne!”
“What is going on?!”
Evan turned toward the voice. When his eyes caught sight of the figure who had appeared, his whole body stiffened. His gaze widened, as though the world had stopped spinning. He had never imagined meeting the very person he was searching for here.
“Darian Voss!” Evan muttered.
His arch-enemy appeared, flanked by the other members of the LaRue family. His expression was calm, as if he had never committed the fatal mistake against Evan.
In disbelief, Evan asked Vivienne, who was still in his arms, “What’s happening? Why is he here?”
Darian approached slowly, clapping his hands, drawing Evan’s glare back to him.
Evan’s weakened hold on Vivienne was taken advantage of by Helena, who dragged her granddaughter away.
“Evan Caleum—heavens! You come out of prison not repentant, but causing new trouble. What are you doing with my future fiancé?!” Darian demanded firmly.
“No, Evan! I never knew him! I—”
“Enough!”
Helena’s shrill voice cut everyone off, her hand harshly covering Vivienne’s mouth.
“As the head of this family, I will make an important announcement! Starting today—you, foolish ex-convict who has disgraced the LaRue family—are no longer my granddaughter’s husband!”
Helena pointed straight at Evan as she released Vivienne’s mouth.
Evan’s eyes fell on his wife, who hung her head, sobbing uncontrollably.
“And allow me to add to that, Grandma Helena.”
Darian spoke with a calm tone, welcomed by Helena, who nodded proudly.
“Let me reintroduce myself to you, Evan—perhaps you’ve forgotten? I am your former boss, Darian Voss! Do you think it’s fitting for someone like you, who raped a woman, to stand beside a respected lady like Vivienne?"
He stood before Evan arrogantly. Evan clenched his fists but fought to restrain his rage.
He knew he was standing among madmen. Any wrong word or movement would only make things harder for Vivienne.
He tried to stay composed while facing the enemy he had been searching for all this time.
“I won’t say much. I only want to make it clear that I am the victim of Darian Voss’s cruelty. He is the one who raped that woman, and I was forced into a deal to take the blame—because I wanted to protect Vivienne.”
Evan’s words stunned everyone—everyone except Darian. He burst out laughing, slapping Evan’s shoulder mockingly.
“What kind of lunatic dares to slander someone? And your so-called slander is against your own former boss! Evan, you should be grateful you got out of prison without a scratch!” Darian barked.
“Yes, that’s right! A man like Darian would never do something so vile! The Voss family is an honorable family, respected by all!” Helena retorted.
“Really? From where I stand, the Voss family lives only in their own bubble. Ask leaders far more powerful than the Voss family—do they even know of their name?”
Evan’s reply made Darian’s smile twist into a sneer.
“How dare you say that! Do you want to lose your life?!” Darian snapped.
“Go ahead—if you truly think my words are lies and an insult. I fear no rapist born from a dishonorable family—a traitor of the lower class,” Evan shot back.
“Take that back or you’ll regret it, Evan!”
Darian jabbed his finger at Evan, but Evan stood unmoving. He merely shrugged with a mocking smile.
Darian swung his hand at Evan, but just like when he fought Darian’s men at the office, Evan blocked it swiftly.
“Argh!” Darian cried in pain, his arm trapped by Evan’s grip. As though he were made of paper, Evan hurled him effortlessly across the room, sending him crashing against the wall.
“Darian! how dare you, Evan! Call the police at once!”
Helena shouted to the others, who immediately scattered to carry out her orders, leaving only Darian, Helena, Selene, Vivienne, and Gideon in the living room.
Helena and Gideon helped Darian to his feet, while Selene held Vivienne tightly.
“No, Grandma! Please, let me stay here! I want to be with Evan!” Vivienne cried, struggling to resist.
“Go, Vivienne! I promise I’ll come for you again soon,” Evan answered.
Selene looked at Evan with disgust as she forced Vivienne to walk with her. Still, she didn’t dare be too rough, still traumatized by Evan’s outburst at the boutique earlier.
“Catch him!” Helena ordered Gideon, pointing at Evan.
Gideon glanced at Evan, swallowing hard.
“What?! What do you mean?! Are you afraid of that fool?!” Helena snapped.
Gideon, like Selene, was still shaken by Evan’s behavior at the boutique. Even more so now, after learning Evan’s true identity—he knew this man was not someone ordinary. That knowledge was also what pushed Gideon to swallow his pride and forgive Selene. He wanted to stay close and uncover who Evan truly was.
“Useless coward! You’re not reliable at all!”
“Darian, stop! You don’t need to soil your hands with someone so dishonorable!” Helena cried.
“Mother, the police have been called and are on their way!” shouted Nancy, Vivienne’s mother, who had just entered.
“Did you hear that, Evan? You’re going back to prison! Farewell, Evan—this time I’ll make sure you die behind bars!” Darian sneered.
Once again, he grinned wickedly and swung his hand toward Evan’s face.
But Evan didn’t flinch. He smiled, as if waiting for the moment Darian’s hand would land.
Just before it could connect, however, the front door burst open, followed by a sharp command:
Three policemen with thick mustaches stormed in, guns aimed directly at Evan—halting the blow that was about to strike.
“Arrest him, Officer! He’s a dangerous threat here!” Helena shouted.
“Yes, we’ll be taking Evan to the station immediately. You can all come to give your statements later. Move, Evan!” one of the policemen barked.
Evan raised his hands without resistance, allowing the three officers to cuff him.
“Rot in prison, Evan! Die there!” Darian bellowed. “I’ll be the first to testify against you and make sure every word condemns you!”
Evan only smiled faintly as the policemen led him away. Their steps echoed down the staircase, chased by Darian’s curses and Helena’s shrill voice.
“Get in, idiot!”
They shoved him roughly into the car. One of the officers glanced back at Darian and Helena, bowing slightly as if in respect.
“Thank you, Officer! Lock him up right away and wait for me at the station!” Darian shouted.
From inside the car, Evan smirked darkly and muttered under his breath, “Pathetic bastard.”
The officer climbed in beside him, nudging his partner to start the engine. Evan exhaled a long breath and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to speak, didn’t want to ask questions—he only forced himself to stay calm, reminding himself that at least, in prison, he would reunite with his mentors.
But he hadn’t noticed. The officer seated next to him was tugging off a fake mustache and cap. A wide grin spread across the man’s face as he clapped Evan on the shoulder.
“Hey, aren’t you going to thank me?”
The voice made Evan’s eyes snap open. Shock rippled across his face the moment he recognized the man before him.
“Travis?! You…! How is it possible you’re here?!”
Travis arched both brows with a sly smile. “Of course I’m here to save you, Evan. The situation’s out of control—and it’s time you met the leader.”
Evan frowned deeply. “Leader? What do you mean?”
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Latest Chapter
98
The Caelis family dining hall had always been a spectacle of grandeur—long tables carved from obsidian, chandeliers dripping with crystal flames, and portraits of past patriarchs glaring down with eyes that followed every breath. Yet tonight, grandeur felt suffocating. The atmosphere vibrated with unspoken hostility, as if the chandeliers themselves leaned closer to witness the night’s inevitable fracture. Vivianne walked at Evan’s side, her heartbeat thrumming beneath her ribs as dozens of eyes tracked her every step. Inside this room, gossip sharpened into weapons, and respect shifted like sand—dangerous, unstable, always ready to bury the unprepared.Evan’s hand rested lightly at the small of her back, guiding her with subtle authority. He was dressed in black—sharp, immaculate, regal—yet there was something more chilling beneath the fabric. An aura. A heaviness in the air that hinted at the bloodshed from the night before, still lingering beneath his skin like phantom fire. No one
97
Midnight draped itself across the Caelis estate like a velvet shroud, muffling the usual evening activity and leaving behind a silence thick enough to feel on the skin. The mansion’s hallways—usually alive with subtle movement, guarded murmurs, and the soft click of polished shoes—were disturbingly still. Vivianne sensed the wrongness of it immediately, even though she lay curled under the heavy duvet in Evan’s chamber, trying desperately to rest after the chaos of betrayal earlier. She had insisted Evan sleep beside her, but he had refused, choosing instead to sit in the armchair near the balcony door, half in darkness, half in moonlight, his silhouette carved from tension.He had changed since the ritual. Not in temperament—his voice was still gentle when he spoke to her—but in presence. His aura, always restrained and composed, now hummed faintly like an awakening storm he kept just beneath the surface. Vivianne watched him from the bed, her voice soft and worried. “You’re not slee
96
Night settled across the Caelis estate with an oppressive stillness, as if the mansion itself held its breath after the ritual in the Ancestor Hall. The corridors were dim, lit only by sparse lanterns that flickered from the residual energy Evan had awakened hours earlier.Vivianne walked beside him, her arm draped protectively around his waist as he leaned into her for support. His steps were slow, weighed down by the aftermath of the ritual—the memories ripped open, the pain of his lineage punched into his bloodstream, the hidden voices of the Caelis ancestors burned into his spine like ancient fire. She could feel the tremors beneath his skin, the aftershocks of power rising through him, and it terrified her that he had been forced into it at all.“You shouldn’t be walking,” she murmured, her voice soft but firm, tightening her hold on him. “You nearly collapsed in my arms. Again. Let me call Jimmy. Or at least a doctor.”Evan managed a faint, tired breath that was almost a smirk.
95
The Caelis mansion stood unnervingly still beneath the gathering dusk, as though the ancient stone recognized what was about to unfold and braced itself in anticipation. Wind brushed across the high windows with a hollow whisper, carrying with it the faint scent of old paper, candle smoke, and something more elusive—an echo of bloodline power that had not been awakened for decades.Vivianne followed closely behind Evan as they approached the farthest section of the mansion, where towering archways turned darker and colder, and even the servants stepped aside with alarmed reverence. She sensed something shifting in the air around them, something older than every political feud she had witnessed since entering this world, something that felt like the mansion was finally exhaling after being forced silent for centuries.Evan stopped before a set of colossal stone doors carved with sigils she had never seen—not modern ones, not ceremonial ones, but markings that looked alive despite their
94
The next morning dawned with a muted, overcast sky, the kind that made the world appear softer while concealing the quiet violence taking place beneath its stillness. Evan stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Caelis executive building, his suit impeccably tailored, his posture relaxed yet sharpened with an underlying intensity that commanded attention without a single spoken word.The city skyline stretched before him—dozens of corporations that once answered only to the highest tier of global influence—but today, they answered to something far more terrifyingly precise: Evan Caelis’ newfound willingness to break anyone who threatened what was his.Vivianne entered the private boardroom behind him, her steps cautious but confident. She had exchanged her coronet for discreet pearl earrings, her hair pinned into a neat twist, her posture portraying quiet grace rather than forced authority. She paused at Evan’s side, noticing how the silver in his eyes refracted the muted dayli
93
The afternoon sun slanted across the Caelis estate like a blade of fractured gold, cutting sharp angles through the windows as whispers swirled through the mansion corridors with growing urgency.Something had shifted in the balance of power after Vivianne’s coronation, and every member of the Tier-A bloodlines felt the tremor ripple through their fragile alliances. Even the ancient portraits lining the hall seemed to watch with awakened suspicion as Evan moved through the estate with quiet, predatory grace—his presence unnerving enough to make even seasoned strategists lower their voices when he passed.Vivianne walked beside him, her coronet replaced by a simple pinned braid that still carried the weight of her new title. She tried to focus on the steady steps ahead of her, yet she sensed the hostile gazes lingering at her back. She whispered, barely moving her lips, “They’re staring at me like I’m the omen of their downfall.”Evan’s reply was soft, but edged with steel. “You are si
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