Chapter 213: Kill him.

Cedric chuckled and squatted in front of her. "You were my daughter’s friend—best friend. She loved you and treated you well. But what did you do to her?"

The smile vanished from his face. His eyes turned dangerously cold.

Evelyn shrank back.

She had known Cedric for years. She had seen him countless times while growing up.

He had always been warm and welcoming to her.

She had called him Uncle Cedric since she was a child. But the man in front of her now was completely different.

He looked terrifying.

Evelyn could hardly recognize him.

Was this really the same man she had trusted all these years?

"You followed her," Cedric continued. "You filmed her and humiliated her in front of everyone. You betrayed her."

"I betrayed her?" Evelyn exclaimed in shock.

Vivian was the traitor. She was the one who had betrayed Elias. She was the one who had conspired against the Rowan family.

Yet Cedric was accusing Evelyn of betraying Vivian.

The shock soon transformed into rage. "She is the one who betrayed Elias in the first place."

Smack

A loud slap echoed inside the room.

Evelyn’s head snapped to the side.

Ian, who had been secretly watching from his hiding place, clenched his fists at his sides.

"How dare he slap her?" he muttered under his breath.

Rage burned through him.

He wanted to rush forward and kill Cedric. But he forced himself to stay where he was.

One reckless move could put both him and Evelyn in even greater danger.

’I have to wait for Elias.’

Evelyn slowly turned her face back. Her cheek felt as though it were on fire.

It was the second time she had been slapped that evening.

She stared at Cedric in horror.

"Why did you go after her that night?" Cedric roared. "You ruined her life. She is suffering now because of you."

His voice grew louder with every word.

"Why couldn’t you just enjoy your life? Why did you have to play detective?"

Terrified, Evelyn scooted farther into the corner and screamed, "Get away from me. Let me go."

Ian’s heart ached. Every cell of his body urged him to lunge forward and shield her. But he remained hiding there.

He had to wait.

"Stop shouting." Cedric grabbed Evelyn by the shoulders and shook her violently.

Her entire body jolted. Evelyn’s stomach churned, and she struggled to steady herself.

"You... you are a monster." Despite the fear consuming her, she glared at him. "You conspired against my brother. You are trying to ruin him and our family. You used Vivian against us."

For a moment, silence descended. Then Cedric threw his head back and laughed.

Evelyn flinched. She stared at him, wondering if he had completely lost his mind.

"Your dull brain is finally working," he mocked. "You are right."

He stood up, pulled a cigar from his pocket, and lit it.

"I conspired against your family."

He took a slow drag and exhaled.

"For years, the Rowans suppressed me, treating me like I was nothing without their support. But it’s wrong."

He shot her a hateful glare. "I don’t need the Rowans’ support."

At that, Evelyn almost laughed. "Really?" she scoffed. "Then why did you conspire against my brother? Why did you leak confidential information to his rival? And why did you kidnap me just to force him into a trap?"

She snorted. "You are nothing without the Rowan family."

The smugness vanished from his face. "Girl, you talked too much."

Evelyn swallowed, fear returning. She could see the anger building in his eyes.

"You are kidnapped and completely at my mercy," he said. "Yet you still dare to challenge me. Let’s see how long you can keep that arrogance."

He glanced at his men. "I know you all have been eyeing her. You want her."

Cedric flicked his fingers toward them. "You can have your fun with her."

The men exchanged dark smiles and began moving toward Evelyn.

Evelyn panicked. Her breathing quickened.

"No..."

She pressed herself against the wall. "Don’t come any closer. Stay away." Her voice rose into a terrified scream.

The men laughed. They continued approaching her, one slow step at a time.

Evelyn desperately tried to move farther away, but there was nowhere left to go. She was trapped.

Cedric calmly sat down on an old chair. He leaned back and took another drag from his cigar, watching the scene unfold with a cold, satisfied expression.

Ian’s blood boiled. He couldn’t stay hidden any longer. He stepped out from behind the wall.

"Stop right there."

Everyone froze.

The men turned toward him.

Cedric’s eyes widened.

Evelyn stared at Ian. For one brief moment, overwhelming relief washed over her.

He was alive. He wasn’t hurt, and he had come for her.

But the relief lasted only a second. Panic immediately replaced it.

"Ian, what are you doing here?" she shouted, her voice laced with fear. "Leave. Get out of here right now."

"I am not going anywhere," he said firmly. "I’ll take you out of here."

Two men immediately rushed toward him. They grabbed his arms and forced him down onto his knees.

Ian struggled violently. "Let go of me."

He tried to break free, but their grip was too strong.

"Well, well." Cedric slowly stood up. "Look who decided to play hero."

He tossed his cigar onto the floor.

"Dr. Whitmore." A mocking smile appeared on his face. "You came here to rescue her?"

He walked toward Ian. "Do you really think you can fight my men?"

Ian’s chest rose and fell. He glared at Cedric.

"Kidnapping is a crime. You can’t walk away with this. Let us go. I promise we won’t press charges."

Cedric laughed. "Let you go? No chance."

He leaned closer. "You came here on your own. Now you won’t be leaving this place."

"You will regret it, Cedric Sterling," Ian grumbled through his gritted teeth. "Elias will never let you go."

The moment he heard Elias’s name, Cedric’s expression changed.

First, Evelyn had challenged him. Now Ian was threatening him with Elias.

Something inside him snapped. He lost his cool.

"Kill him," he shouted.

The men immediately attacked. Fists and kicks rained down on Ian from every direction.

"Stop," Evelyn screamed. "Don’t hit him."

Ian tried to protect his head, but there were too many of them.

A punch struck his face. Another punch struck his stomach. A kick sent him crashing onto the floor.

Pain exploded through his body. His vision blurred. He couldn’t think clearly anymore.

His entire body ached. He felt as though he was slowly losing consciousness. But the men didn’t stop.

"Please," Evelyn sobbed. "Stop hitting him."

No one listened.

Ian’s body went limp.