Ending ties

Evelyn was startled. Fear nipped her spine, “No, you can’t do this.”

“Why not?“, Dylan retorted, his gaze hardening, “I also have an Empire to run and unlike people like you who cry over petty issues, I have bigger matters to worry about. I tried to stay calm but you lack the zeal leaving me no option but to break the deal. There’s no way I will stress myself to work with such incompetent people like you.” He snapped at her and turned around to head to his desk.

But Evelyn grabbed his arm and rushed to block his way. Panic seized her, the mere thought of breaking the deal reduced her confidence to a pulp. She can’t let him do that. It was her company’s dream project. Opening a project in her hometown would serve as her biggest achievement but the major reason was that she has promised her Dad.

Mr. Clarke was over the Moon witnessing her business expanding leaps and bounds and his happiness only doubled when Evelyn told him about expanding her empire in New York. The man was extremely proud of her and she can’t afford to lose his smile which she got to see after so many years.

“You can’t wave me off like this. The deal was made with Fraser so you have no right to reject-”

“Perhaps the news of the new appointment slipped your mind, Ms. Clarke,” Dylan cut her midway and exclaimed before yanking his arm roughly, “I have the full right to call off the deal. Neither you nor Xander matches my taste. And if you ask me, I suggest you both see a doctor since you are in dire need of help. He keeps weaving ways to save you when he should help you to get rid of your siege mentality.” He proclaimed.

Evelyn remained rooted on the spot.

‘Did he just say that she is sick?’

White hot anger flushed through her. That seriously was a hard blow to her ego.

Evelyn grabbed the lapels of his coat and jerked him forward, her eyes turning red in anger, “How dare you call me mentally sick? You’re a bastard. Sending your people to manipulate me, turning me guilty, and shoving me away when I tried to make peace. Who do you think you are?” She yelled, the vein on her forehead throbbing wildly.

Dylan also turned furious but his brows puckered in confusion as soon as her words registered in his mind.

“Sending my men?”

Evelyn who was raging like a bull froze. Her hold loosened in dawning realization.

‘Shit, I messed up.’

She licked her dry lips. Apprehension snaked down her waist as she mentally reprimanded herself for losing control. Brandon had requested her not to reveal his name but it slipped from her mouth in the fit of anger.

“N-Nothing. Just go away.” Evelyn quickly schooled her expression and hastened to the door but whom she was trying to trick. A yelp slipped through her mouth when Dylan gripped her forearm and pulled her back to the original spot.

“Elaborate.”

“Let go”, Evelyn squirmed in his hold, avoiding his gaze but he only tightened the grip.

“You can’t walk away after accusing me of a thing I never did. Fucking speak.” Dylan was adamant about making her confess.

Evelyn looked at him. Sweat broke out from every pore of her skin.

“I wouldn’t. Let me go or I will gather people saying that you’re molesting me.”

She threatened him thinking that it would compel him to leave her but a cold shiver slithered down her spine when her eyes got connected with his bloodshot ones. Dylan heaved a low growl and pulled her closer to him, his heated glare boring holes into her petrified face.

Evelyn was appalled watching his chest expand as hot rage flooded inside him but soon a hiss escaped her mouth as his hold turned brutal.

“You’re hurting me.” She cried out. He was crushing her bones.

As if struck by a lightning bolt, Dylan released her with a jerk. Evelyn stumbled backward; her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the frustrated man who ran a hand through his hair while cursing under his breath.

“Go” He rasped and closed his eyes to simmer down.

“First promise me that you won’t cancel the deal,” Evelyn urged, she didn’t want him to crash her dreams. She will be doomed if he does this.

“I won’t now go. I need things to do,” Dylan sneered impatiently and hurried to the door. Evelyn was flabbergasted but the ground snatched beneath her feet when her eyes landed on the shining metallic gun that was tucked in the waistband of his pants.

Her bravura disappeared into thin air as a thick cloud of fear blurred her vision.

‘Brandon, he was going to kill her.’

She made a blind dash toward the exit and stood in front of him. Dylan looked at her with raised brows.

“Move away”, He said but Evelyn shook her head in denial and extended her arms wider, blocking his way.

“No, you would hurt Brandon.” Her voice trembled.

A muscle twitched in his jaw as he glared at the stubborn woman. But that only confirmed her fears.

“You’re indeed planning the same thing, right?” She asked him like a kid.

Now that was it.

Dylan heaved a growl; he was done being patient. He needs to show her who has the upper hand.

“Leave this room if you love your life,” he grated out each word much to her horror.

“Don’t blame him, I admit my fault. I shouldn’t have dragged your father-” Evelyn started explaining but a scream escaped her mouth when Dylan grabbed her throat and slammed her on the door. She gasped out loud, feeling her back on fire.

“Not a word.” He spoke with clenched teeth while looking at her with his smoldering eyes.

All the air got sucked out of her lungs as she gazed at the red streaks that covered his eyes. He looked demonic.

“I am sorry Dylan. Please hear me out.” Evelyn implored but it was a wrong move as the next moment Dylan swung his fist and punched the door just beside her head. She shrieked and closed her eyes. It would have surely dislocated her jaw if she hadn’t moved her face to the side.

But rather than she knew that Dylan aimed at the wall, not to hurt her but scare her.

A couple of minutes passed in deadly silence. His heavy breaths and her soft sobs were the only sound that could be heard in the room. Evelyn slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head to the front only to find his blazing orbs dead set on her face.

“I told you to shut up, didn’t I?” His voice was so deep as if rose from the depth of Hades. Evelyn bit her lips as fresh tears pooled in her brown hues, and a thick lump jammed her throat.

“Dylan, I-”

“Didn’t I?“, he shouted making her sob out loud. But her whole being jumped when he cupped her face and forced her to look into his eyes.

“Stay away from me. That’s what you said to me that day and I am following your word then why are you irritating me huh?” Dylan hissed in a vitriolic tone not attempting to dampen her cries.

Evelyn peered at him through soaked eyelashes. She was playing with fire but she needed to lift this burden from her chest. And she was determined to do it even if it costs her life.

“Because I am guilty.” She croaked out, a tear slid down her cheek.

“There’s no need for it. I deserved it,” Dylan responded plainly while his eyes followed the trail of that lone tear that only reflected his cruelty.

Evelyn on the other hand was stupefied. How can he even say that?

She instantly denied, “No, it’s my fault.”

Dylan breathed out a cold sigh, she was twisting his mind. His eyes softened, guilt consumed him watching her scared and tear-soaked face. The vagaries in his behavior could give anyone a whiplash.

Lowering his head, he tenderly cleared her tears with his bare fingers and cradled her small face in his palm.

“I have heard worse, Eve,” his lips tugged in a wistful smile. Evelyn felt a searing pain in her chest, his misty eyes instead of reducing her guilt added another layer, a thick one.

“I wouldn’t deny that I came here to see you but not because I am some stalker who loves traumatizing you. But because you are my remedy, the only hope of my life. That day I came to you because I was broken. I don’t care if people call me heartless, their words don’t matter to me but it hurts like a bitch when you judge me without knowing my reason. I want you to know that I was hurt. I was in pain, you don’t know how much it stabbed my conscience watching my mother lying on the hospital bed with multiple tubes attached to her body. But nothing in the world can change the fact that it’s karma that’s punishing us. I know it’s my fault and I deserved it but it becomes unbearable sometimes. It makes me so vulnerable that I lose my sanity and the only way I could think of getting rid of this pain is to give up.”

Evelyn shuddered, “No don’t do that. Your mother needs you.” She chided him.

Dylan smiled sadly, “No she doesn’t. She wants to kill me and to be honest, I would be delighted if I dies at her or your hands. You two are the only people I am living for but I was wrong.”

His expression abruptly turned frigid. Evelyn gaped at him stunned. She failed to read him while Dylan straightened his posture and removed his hands from her face.

“Yes, I came to seek your comfort that day and I am not angry at you that you called me worthless. It’s the truth though. But when you mentioned it clearly that you have nothing to do with me, that made me realize that it’s too late to regret now.”

“You wouldn’t forgive me because you have moved on. You have given my place to Xander and I don’t want to crush your dreams. Also, you’re right, I bought J&K Corporation intentionally because I wanted to test myself. See that I can deal with seeing you becoming someone else. It’s hard to fight back my emotions but I want to try. I don’t want to live on false hopes because you wouldn’t be mine. That’s why I acted so indifferently and I am sorry if it hurt you. I didn’t want to disclose it but now I think that you deserve to know it.”

He stated leaving her speechless.

No words could describe what she felt after listening to him. So, he was trying to adapt to a world where she would be someone else’s. His words should have brought a succor to her anxious heart but it only left her perturbed.

Dylan thinks she was with Xander. Okay, that wasn’t something to be shocked but Dylan Black was ready to let another man snitch his woman?

His woman. The words rang in her ears like a danger bell. The sun can set in the west but Dylan would never leave her. His words made no sense.

Dylan noticed the look of disbelief on her face. He brought his hand forward and caressed her face. What left him ecstatic was that she didn’t jerk away from his touch this time. Maybe because she was having a hard time digesting this breaking news.

“I am saying the truth, Evelyn. I am trying to learn from my past. I want to see if I can move on from you. You wanted to punish me but I wanted to redeem myself. I wanted to become a better man and that would only be possible if I stay in your shades and watch you bloom away from my darkness.” His face couldn’t mask his despair. Evelyn also noticed it and for some unknown reason, she didn’t like it.

But she didn’t let her resolve stray.

Hurt flickered through his eyes when Evelyn stepped away from him and spoke sternly, “You don’t need to do all this. I also want to start fresh and I-”

“No, I need to do this only,” Dylan interrupted her and stressed his words, “I told you I am doing this for my sake. It has nothing to do with you. So, let’s remain strangers from now on. Forget we ever met and leave. I hope whatever happened today would never happen again in the future.” He spoke icily.

Evelyn opened her mouth to refute but Dylan pushed her slightly to vacate the entrance. Her lips parted in shock but he didn’t give her time and walked out leaving her speechless.

‘What in the world just happened?’