EVELYN

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Evelyn's POV

The headlights grew brighter, flooding my vision as they roared toward me. My legs felt like they were encased in cement, my body refusing to move no matter how loudly my brain screamed at me to get out of the way. My breath hitched, my pulse hammering in my ears.

Then, out of nowhere, I felt someone slam into me, knocking me off the road. My body hit the ground with a jolt, the air rushing from my lungs as I tumbled onto the grass. I barely registered the sound of the car speeding past, its engine fading into the distance.

When I opened my eyes, Luke was hovering over me, his arms wrapped tightly around me as if shielding me from the world. His face was a mixture of panic and anger, his chest heaving as he looked me over.

“Evelyn, what the hell were you thinking?!” he shouted, his voice thick with both fear and frustration.

“I... I don’t know,” I stammered, tears streaming down my face. I hadn’t even realized I was crying until now.

He pulled me into a fierce hug, his arms strong and protective, holding me as if he was afraid I’d slip away if he let go. “Don’t ever do that again,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “Don’t scare me like that.”

I couldn’t speak, couldn’t find the words to explain what had just happened or why I’d frozen. My body was trembling, and I could feel his heartbeat against mine, steady and grounding.

For what felt like forever, we stayed like that, his arms wrapped around me as my breathing slowly returned to normal. His hand moved to my back, rubbing soothing circles as he whispered, “You’re okay. You’re safe.”

Eventually, he helped me to my feet, his hand lingering on my arm as if to steady me. “Come on,” he said softly. “Let’s get you home.”

We walked back to the restaurant in silence, my legs unsteady but willing to follow his lead. He opened the passenger door of his car for me, waiting until I was inside before getting in himself.

The car ride was quiet. Neither of us spoke.
I glanced at him once, his jaw tight as he gripped the steering wheel. He didn’t look at me, his focus solely on the road ahead.

When we pulled up to my house, he finally turned to me. “Are you going to be okay?” he asked, his voice soft but laced with worry.

I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure of the answer. “Thank you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

He hesitated, as if he wanted to say more, but instead, he nodded and watched as I stepped out of the car. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked to the door.

The house was quiet, almost too quiet. I barely made it up the stairs to my room before I heard the knock.

“Evelyn?” My father’s voice was unusually gentle, and when he stepped into my room, his expression was uncharacteristically soft.

“Dad?” I asked warily, clutching the sheets on my bed.

He sat down beside me, his posture tense yet oddly kind. “I need to talk to you,” he began, his voice low. “About the video.”

My heart sank. I knew where this was going.

“Langston has been a huge help to this family,” he continued. “You don’t understand the kind of pressure I’m under, Evelyn. The company… it was on the verge of collapse. Langston stepped in. He invested when no one else would. He made sure we stayed afloat. Without him, we’d have nothing.”

I stared at him, my grip on the sheets tightening.

“And Max,” he added, his voice almost pleading now. “You know how much college means to him. Langston’s support has made it possible for him to go to that expensive school. If this gets out… if you keep that video up… everything we’ve built, everything we’ve worked for, will fall apart.”

His words hit me like a blow to the chest. "But dad.." I uttered, my voice trembling.

He hesitated but then nodded in my direction. “For the family, Evelyn. For Max. Please. You have to understand.”

For a moment, I thought he might say more, but instead, he stood and left the room, closing the door behind him.

I sat there in stunned silence, his words replaying in my mind. The weight of his request, the guilt he’d laid on me, was suffocating.

Tears blurred my vision as the night replayed in my mind—Luke’s concern, the almost accident, and now this. The betrayal burned deep. My own father was asking me to erase the truth, to protect the very man who had destroyed me.

I looked at my phone, the screen glowing faintly in the dark room. The video was still there, still garnering attention. The comments had only grown more polarized—some offering support, others demanding proof.

My hands trembled as I picked it up, scrolling to the video.

***“You’re so pretty, Evelyn.” His words made my body flinch, My eyes threatening to wetten. ***

I swallowed hard.

***“Now, be a good girl and stop struggling. This could be much easier for you if you just relax.”***

With tears threatening my eyes..my thumb hovered over the delete button, and with a deep, shuddering breath, I pressed it.

The video disappeared, taking with it the small sliver of courage I had left.

I dropped the phone onto the bed and buried my face in my hands, the tears flowing freely now.

I had deleted it.

I had silenced myself.