Evelyn Sterling held a box of expensive silk ties as she walked down the quiet hallway of the Grand Regency Hotel. The soft carpet under her shoes made no sound at all. Tonight was her rehearsal dinner, the big night before her dream wedding.
She wanted to give her fiancé, Liam Vance, a sweet surprise before the guests arrived. They had been together for two years, and she truly believed he loved her. She thought he was her safe haven, especially after her father died last year and left her all alone in the cold world.
Evelyn reached VIP Suite 501. The wooden door was not fully shut. It stood open just a tiny crack. Warm golden light spilled out onto the dark carpet.
She smiled and reached out her hand to push the door open. But a strange sound stopped her instantly. It was a woman laughing softly, followed by a man whispering dirty secrets.
Evelyn froze in her tracks. Her heart gave a sudden, painful thump against her ribs. She recognized those voices right away.
She leaned closer to the crack, her breath catching in her throat. Through the narrow gap, she saw two people standing close together near the huge glass window.
Liam was holding a young woman by her waist. He was kissing her deeply, pulling her close against his body. The woman had her arms wrapped tight around his neck.
It was Chloe, Evelyn’s stepsister.
Evelyn felt as if a heavy bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head. Her knees went soft, and her hands began to shake. She almost dropped the silk tie box to the floor.
Chloe pulled back slightly from the kiss. She giggled and touched Liam’s jawline with her sharp, painted red nails.
"Liam, stop it," Chloe said with a fake pout. "What if my sister walks in right now? The rehearsal dinner starts in less than one hour."
Liam let out a cold, mean laugh. He tightened his arm around Chloe’s waist and kissed her soft neck.
"So what if she comes in?" Liam replied, his tone filled with disgust. "Evelyn is just a boring, useless girl. Do you really think I care about her feelings? The only reason I proposed to her was because of her father's company."
Chloe rested her head on his chest, looking up at him with greedy eyes. "But her father is dead now. The Sterling family assets belong to my mother and me."
"Exactly," Liam sneered, his voice dropping low with pure spite. "Her old man died like a dog in that hospital bed, leaving her with nothing. He thought he was so smart, but he was just an idiot. Once I get my hands on the final shares tomorrow, I will dump Evelyn like trash. She is weak, just like her dead father."
Hearing those cruel words about her loving father hit Evelyn like a physical punch. Tears of shock welled up in her eyes, but she swallowed them back.
In an instant, her deep sorrow turned into pure, ice-cold rage. Her heartbreak vanished, replaced by a fiery need for revenge. She was not going to cry for these backstabbing monsters. She was going to make them pay dearly.
Evelyn pulled her expensive smartphone out of her small purse. She moved her fingers carefully without making a single sound. She turned on the camera app and set it to record high quality video.
She aimed the lens right through the small crack in the door.
On the screen, the picture was crystal clear. Liam and Chloe were kissing again, laughing as they talked about how they planned to steal her father's legacy and ruin her life. Every word, every kiss, and every nasty smile were recorded clearly on her phone.
Evelyn held her breath, keeping her hands completely steady. This video was going to be her ultimate weapon. She was going to use it to smash their fake happiness into tiny pieces.
Suddenly, Chloe’s purse on the sofa began to ring loudly with a bright phone call tone.
The loud noise broke the mood inside the room. Liam pulled away from Chloe and turned his body directly toward the front door. His sharp eyes narrowed as he noticed the small open crack in the doorway.
"Who is out there?" Liam shouted angrily, stepping forward with long, heavy strides.
Evelyn’s heart leaped into her throat. She instantly ended the recording, saved the video file into a safe cloud folder, and slid the phone back into her purse.
She turned on her heel and started walking away fast. She did not want Liam to catch her in the hallway before she could use the video against him at the main party.
She hurried down the quiet corridor, but she could hear Liam’s heavy footsteps coming out of the room behind her.
"Hey! Stop right there!" Liam’s voice boomed down the hall.
Evelyn kept moving fast. Up ahead, she saw a private, polished metal elevator door sliding open. The inside of the elevator was dimly lit and completely quiet. It looked like an exclusive VIP lift.
Without thinking twice, Evelyn stepped backward into the dark private elevator, eager to escape Liam's sight before he reached the corner.
She took three quick steps back into the small space. But instead of touching the empty back wall, her back slammed hard into something firm and broad.
She had bumped straight into a tall, broad-shouldered man standing in the dark corner of the elevator.
The impact was strong. Evelyn lost her balance for a second and gasped in surprise. She felt a powerful, warm hand reach out with lightning speed, gripping her slim waist tightly to keep her from falling to the floor.
Evelyn quickly turned her head around to apologize.
Her eyes met a pair of deep, ice-cold eyes staring down at her.
The man was extremely tall, wearing an expensive, dark tailored suit that fitted his broad shoulders perfectly. He had a strong jawline, sharp facial features, and an aura of pure power and danger that instantly filled the small elevator car.
Before Evelyn could open her mouth to say a word, the heavy metal elevator doors slid completely shut, trapping her inside the dark space with this dangerous, intimidating stranger.