Chapter 44



𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥

Eve's POV (ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕕𝕒𝕪)

Watching the life being drained out of Laura hadn't fazed me. What had, was the fact that I'd have done the very same thing my mother just did if I was in her shoes.

The realisation scared the shit out of me. Even if I didn't want to admit it, I was my mother's daughter.

I lifted my eyes from Laura's dying form and fixed them on Gina. "Where we were? Let's see." I tutted, then smirked. "Deciding on the slowest and most satisfying way to cause you pain. Can we continue from there please?" I sweetly sneered.

"And here I was, thinking you still had a soft spot for me."

Lucas chuckled, his eyes flashing. "She has a soft spot alright, just not where you expected it. I'll make sure she takes her sweet time showing you exactly where it is."

Gina's face tightened in a grimace and I sent a satisfactory smile to Lucas. He grinned back at me and I immediately remembered why I had fallen for him in the first place. That smile, that look, his heart. A heart I had misjudged due to the manipulation of my mo- Gina. All those years were wasted.

And for what?

Lies. Lies this woman had manipulated us to believe.

I needed to hurt Gina. Hurt her as badly as she had hurt me, and at this point, I was beginning to think death wasn't a cruel enough punishment.

"I'd loved to experience the legendary torture of Eve Red. It's just so sad it's based on the assumption that any of you are getting out of here in one piece." Gina taunted and began moving around us in circles.

"Why don't you get to the reason you are here so we can quickly skip to that part, huh?" I grounded out, my lips turning up in a sinister smirk. My palms were itching to wrap themselves around her annoying thin neck. Maybe when I could finally cut through this wire I'll get a chance to.

Gina smiled. "I want what was stolen from me. What loverboy here, took from me."

"Which would be?" I asked, brow raised.

"The document I made you sign. The one that hands over your company and its funding to anyone who wields it." My eyes snapped to Lucas as he said this. Regret briefly flashed across his features and my face softened. A few hours ago I'd have burnt up with fury at the memory. But right now, I knew the truth, and it changed everything.

"That never belonged to you. You are the thief, not Lucas, you." I incensed, defending Lucas.

"Am I?" Gina fired, her heels making a clicking sound on the cemented floor. "I built that company. From fucking crash. It was I who had to sell my body for the major contracts - which propelled the company into becoming one of the top-ranking textile companies in the world."

"That's not true." I gritted. Knowing my mother, I knew there was a very good chance she was twisting events to her favour. "And even if it was, was that the reason you hated me so much? Was that why you set me up so you could kill your husband and inherit what rightfully belonged to me? If the answer is yes, then you are more pathetic than I thought."

Gina halted her pacing and came to stand before me. "You think I did this because I felt entitled?" She tittered. "Baby, I thought you were smarter than this. You just keep disappointing me."

I sniggered. "From what I remember, Gina, you aren't all that smart too. Your failed attempt to acquire a simple document further solidifies my point."

"On the contrary, I had a big win." She turned to Lucas. "I eliminated the bastards that lied to me, used me and felt they could throw me away like trash." I frowned. This was getting interesting.

She continued. "I had met your father a year after marrying John. He was hot, sexy, rough and commanding. Unlike my husband who was just plain boring. I needed excitement in my life and at that time, I didn't give a damn how I got it. Even if it was with a married man." Lucas's eyes flashed, anger settling beneath them. Gina continued, ignoring the evil glare he was sending her way.

"We started having an affair and I got pregnant, but couldn't pin it on my husband because he hadn't touched me in years."

"From what I remember, you and dad were the greatest couples in TRansville."

"That was all a scam, Evelyn. We played in love in the open. And due to constant practice, became masters of our very own game."

"Tell me about it," I muttered under my breath, not surprised at all to hear this. I yanked at my bindings again, testing to see if the pin I had been trying to cut it with was doing the job. The rubber expanded and I smiled. Anytime now.

"So why did you kill my parents? Why would you kill a man you had feelings for?"

"Because he fucked me over!" Gina spat, clenching her fist in anger, her voice a well of resentment. Lucas question must have really reeled her up.

"I was pregnant. I asked him to leave that trash of a wife he had but he refused, choosing her and you over me. So I decided to take it away from him to teach him a lesson. Fortunately for me, you escaped, and opened a whole world of opportunities for me."

"So you sent Damien to me at that age to gain my trust. I'm sure you were also in charge of the Jobs we did for money."

"Now you are thinking." Gina groaned. "I needed money, and what better way to get it than seducing foolish rich maidens?"

"Fuck you." Lucas spat and at that very moment, my binds finally snapped. I kept my hands behind my back, acting all tied up. The only advantage I had right now was the element of surprise.

"You didn't answer my question, Gina. Why did you come after me? Kill my father? Why?"

"He knew." She muttered and began pacing again. "He found out about my affair and figured I was the one who staged the fire at the Crane's house. I couldn't let everything I'd worked for just slip between my fingers." Her eyes clashed with mine. "I'm sure you can understand - seeing that you created an entire empire all on your own."

My nose flared. "Don't ever compare yourself to me. I didn't have to burn houses and destroy innocent lives to get here. But you did and was just trying to evade the consequences of your actions but this time, this time, Gina, you won't escape me."

Gina let out a deep laugh. Her head shaking from side to side. "After I've skinned that document from our resident loverboy here, I'll proceed to skin you alive."

I grinned. My eyes flickered towards Lucas, my eyes landing on his almost freed hands. He needed to cut faster.

"You'll have to catch me first," I murmured under my breath. Gina frowned and tilted her head toward me.

"What?" She asked and came closer, her head a hair's breathed from mine.

"I, " breathes, "Said," Breathes again, "Go. Fuck. Your-" My head jabs forward, colliding with Gina with a heavy thud.

"Fuck!" She has cursed, her body stumbling backwards, giving me the perfect opportunity to bend forward and release the ropes on my ankles. Before she could comprehend her current situation, I was already on my feet and coming at her with rancour.

Lucas was also on his feet and making his way to the metal door Gina had come out from. Before he could reach the handle the metal was pushed in, two hefty men rushing in at the sound of Gina's curse.

I turned my attention back to Gina - who was already on her feet and coming at me with malice. I knew Lucas could hold his own long enough for me to take care of this wicked bitch.

Her fist came at me with blunt force and I stepped to the side just in time to miss the blow, but she didn't relent, coming at me with blows upon blows which I dodged, or blocked with my arms. So she could fight? A bitch like her surly never left anything to chance.

She aimed for my neck and I blocked her with my left arm, which left her right side vulnerable. I struck her on the ribs, hard. Her bones making a crunching sound at the impact of my fist. She groaned and staggered backwards, her hands going to the affected area.

Well, I hope she could take more than a hit because I was just getting started.

I went after her, my foot landing on her knee, bending it the other way with a worrisome crack. She howled in pain and went on one knee, her right leg dislocated. I grabbed her by the hair and aimed for her face, blessing her with the base of my fist, over and over and over and over-

"Eve!" Lucas boomed beside me, my hands suspended in the air, due to his strong arms holding it. "You are more than this, Eve."

"Oh, she is exactly like me." A very bloodied, almost unrecognisable Gina grunted, her bloodied lips cracking in a smile. "Do it." She spat, her swollen eyes strained on me. "I know you want to, you ache for it even. So do it."

I stared down at her, my eyes seeing red, my fingers tightening against her hair, my mind reeling. All I wanted was to keep hitting. Keep hitting until I couldn't recognise her face anymore. Until no one could. But Lucas was right. I was more than this.

I released her, the force of my pull sending her to the cold cemented floor. "You coward," She growled, her eyes shining with hatred.

"Releasing you wasn't cowardice mama," I whispered, staring down at her. "It's called strength. Something you'll never have." I picked up the iron chair I had been tied on and turned to her. "One more thing," I said, taking a menacing step towards her. "I forgive you."

She looked up at me, eyes wide, nose bleeding. She looked frail, vulnerable, pitiable even. "I don't need your forgiveness. At least I won't be alive to see you-"

The back of the chair met with the side of her head, knocking her out in an instant. "I might have forgiving you, but I don't think the law can." I spat at her unconscious body.

Footsteps began echoing through the corridor, heading towards us in a hurry. I raised the chair in my hands in a defensive position while Lucas corked the guns he had taken off Gina's men.

The door was kicked in and we both froze as a bewildered Rowan broke in, followed by Jay and-

"Oh shit, seems we missed all the fun." Rita snickered as she emerged from behind them. Her eyes clashing with Lucas, she smirked. "How much have you miss me, big brother?"