Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Black Estates

Inside CEO's cabin

Silence.

An eerie and dead silence crawled inside the closed room after the three words escaped her lips. Everything turned so still that one could even hear a pin drop. No words were exchanged after that heated conversation.

Evelyn looked at Dylan nervously, her hands were trapped in his large ones. He was still sitting on his knees in front of her but he was quiet, awfully quiet. His posture had turned rigid. His gaze was fixed on their intervened fingers but his face held an unfathomable expression. Deadly calm and stoic. But Evelyn wasn't able to digest his calmness. It only meant two things...

One, he was shocked and was left with no words.

And second,

She didn't even want to think about it.

That mere thought was enough to give her goosebumps. The man who was crying and begging miserably in front of her a few minutes ago was the same man who had pulled up such a cunning act that the girl who always used to stay away from men, fell so hard for him.

Although Evelyn was a brilliant girl, she had a very soft heart. She was way too kind and innocent. She neither can understand the shrewdness of people nor she can recognize the real faces of her loved ones. That's why she was in trouble, that was the reason why she had to face so many difficulties. She couldn't pinpoint the evilness of the man who claimed to love her so much. She didn't know that the man whom she had given her heart was a devil in human form.

Dylan was one clever and cruel businessman. He loved to keep people at his feet. Although Evelyn prepared the projects for him in a Machiavellian and devious way, he presented them in front of his clients didn't leave an option for them but to accept his offer. The man was at the peak right now and had become the talk of the town. His crafty ways were only responsible for why Black Estates took by storm and emerged as the number one company of America in such a short period.

Evelyn's P.O.V.

It would be a big fat lie to say that I wasn't scared but the point is I didn't want to back down this time. Everyone's patience has a limit. I had suffered a lot. I tolerated everything although it wasn't my fault. I was tricked, manipulated, and deceived. My heart was already shattered and scarred that now adding another pain to it will only rip it out from my body. I was tired, tired of everything. I had gone through so much and now I only want peace. I want happiness and some care as love was completely out of the picture. I don't want any love now, all I want is some respect.

I took a deep breath and looked at Dylan, “D-Dylan.”

I tried to sound confident but my voice staggered a bit as I was a nervous wreck. He didn't say anything, “Dylan l-let me g-“

“Eve.”

I flinched as soon as I heard his deep voice which made my insides churn in fear.

“You remembered the day you tried to run away from me?”

He spoke while caressing my hands slowly with his thumb. I frowned.

'Why is he bringing this topic?'

He sighed, “I lied to you that day.”

I looked at him confused, “What?”

'What does that mean?'

“I lied to you that I don't love you, that all I was doing was an act and all. I lied as I was angry at you for leaving me. I didn't mean anything.”

'WHAT?'

“Oh Eve! I must admit today. You are so sweet but stupid at the same time. You believed me. Ahhh!! I can't believe it myself. You are too easy to trick. Now I also really agree with what your mother said that day. How did your Dad even decide to appoint such an innocent and naive girl the Manager of their company? I mean really how could they give such an important position to such a naive and idiot girl?”

Anger rushed in my veins. I snatched my hands away from him and stood up abruptly making the chair hit the floor with a loud thud.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I-I, FORGET IT!! I DON'T EVEN CARE. DO I LOOK LIKE A FOOL TO YOU WHO WILL READILY AGREE ON ALL YOUR BLOODY FAKE WORDS? I AM NOT THAT NAIVE INNOCENT EVE ANYMORE!! THE SCALES HAVE FALLEN FROM MY EYES. YOUR CRUEL DECEPTIVE FACE, YOUR SINFUL INTENTIONS, YOUR MONSTROUS BEHAVIOR, YOUR HEINOUS DEVILISH ACTS!! I HAVE SEEN EVERYTHING. I KNOW EVERYTHING AND NOW I WON'T TAKE YOUR SHITS ANYMORE! I AM DONE AND I WANT FREEDOM FROM YOU AND YOUR SICK GAMES!!!”

I shouted in pure rage while shooting bullets at him from my fiery eyes. I was done with him now. This man has no shame. He is heartless. I was breathing heavily as I was burning in anger. My hands were shaking tremendously. I had no longer control over myself. My heart was beating at an erratic speed.

After my violent outburst the air around, we eventually turned thick. Dylan slowly got up from the floor and finally looked at me. His posture was still calm and composed as if he wasn't even bothered by my words. But now his silence was getting on my nerves.

'Why isn't he saying anything?'

Maybe he heard my thoughts as he finally decided to break the ice.

“I know,” he spoke in his raspy voice.

'What does he mean he knows?'

“I understand. I can understand you're still angry at me. I know you won't trust me. After all, whatever I had done to you, my mere apology will never be able to compensate for it. I neither deserve your forgiveness nor deserve an Angel like you.”

He spoke in a heavy voice. I looked at him and found tears sparkling in his obsidian orbs. My own eyes turned teary so I shifted my gaze away from him.

'No, not now. Enough is enough.'

I walked past him and marched towards the door. I grabbed the knob and turned back to look at him, “If you know it so well then just free me from your golden cage. Let me go and I'll forget everything.”

I spoke sternly. Dylan shot me a pleading look, his teary eyes begging me to not leave him. But I had made up my mind. I shook my head in denial. His shoulders slouched in defeat. Dylan looked down and closed his eyes. A tear rolled down his cheek as he cried silently. I immediately turned back and clutched the knob tightly.

“What's done has been done, Dylan. You have hurt me too much. Still, I am giving you a chance to redeem yourself but only on one condition. Let me go. Turn everything back to square one. Forget about me and let's move on with our lives,” I spoke firmly. To my surprise, my voice didn't crack a bit. He didn't reply and I didn't even wait for his reply. I immediately turned the knob and was about to leave the room when...

*Click*

"And that's what I can't let you do."

My heart dropped in my stomach as soon as I heard his words which were enough to turn my blood cold. I immediately started wriggling the knob with my shaking fingers.

“D-Dylan, please let me go.”

“Nope.”

My breath hitched as soon as I heard footsteps from behind. I immediately turned around and pressed my back on the door. Dylan was staring at me intensely.

“I opened my heart to you and this is what I get in return.”

His tone was accusatory as if I had sinned rejecting his feelings. My heart was palpitating wildly. He kept coming closer. I immediately shook my head and tried to put some sense in the brain of this stiff-necked jerk.

“D-Dylan, please. I-“

My words died in midway when all of a sudden, he stood in front of me. He put his hands beside my head caging me between his muscular arms. Dylan leaned down to my lips, I immediately moved my face to the side.

“Dylan, please. Please stop this. I don't want all this. Just let me g-“

“Shh.”

I flinched as he placed his index finger on my lips shutting me up. I looked at him in shock. He shook his head.

“No, don't say that,” he whispered, his breath fanning my lips. I glared at him and slapped his hands away, “Why? Why can't I?”

“Because it hurts me. I confessed my true feelings to you yet you rejected me so harshly. Why are you being this way? You weren't like this. What happened to you?”

'What happened to me? What happened to you, Asshole?'

He looked at me sadly but all I felt was anger. He raised his hands and tried to touch my cheeks but I jerked them away.

“I don't care. Understood, I don't care about you. NEITHER I CARE ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS NOR ABOUT YOUR PSYCHO LOVE SO JUST GET LOST!!”, I yelled and pushed him but he didn't budge.

“DYLAN!!, GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!!”

“Calm down love.”

“NO!!! GET LOST!!!”

I shouted and kept pushing him but he grabbed my waist and pulled me to himself. I punched his chest with my fists and kept throwing profanities at him but he kept calming me down unfazed by my screams and struggles.

“Calm down Honey. Calm down.”

“DON'T TOUCH ME!! LEA-“

“No.”

“GO AWAY, BASTARD!! LET ME G-“

“Eve”, Dylan growled as he tightened his grip around my waist which intensified my struggles more. I knew he was just controlling himself but I couldn't care less. I just want to be away from this maniac as soon as possible.

“L-LEAVE ME, BRANDON!! XANDER!!”

“SHUT UP!!!”

My heart lurched in my throat as soon I heard an angry growl. I quickly looked at Dylan and the moment our eyes met; I froze.

I was horrified when my teary eyes met with his murderous one. The ghastly look on his face was enough to kill me. His jaw was clenched, his eyes blazing with fire, his face was red in anger and the veins on his neck were popping out. He was looking very angry and scary.

I have to do something fast otherwise he will devour me alive. I placed my shaking hands on his chest although I was trembling with trepidation and tried to sound as brave as possible.

“M-Move, let me- AH!!”

A shriek escaped my lips when Dylan pushed me on the door and punched the door beside my head fiercely. I shut my eyes tightly and didn't dare to open them.

“Don't you dare. I am warning you; don't you dare utter this word. Not now nor ever. If I hear this word from your mouth one more time, I swear I will do something which you will regret,” he spoke with gritted teeth while pulling me closer to his chest.

“I-I am already regretting loving a monster like you. What more is left to regret now?”, I spat while staring at him sadly. Tears started falling from my eyes. I finally gave up. I tried to stay strong but failed miserably. His gaze turned soft when he noticed my bloodshot eyes. He rested my forehead on mine and sighed. I closed my eyes and started lamenting my pitiful fate.

“Please stop crying. I meant every word. I am sorry. I love you. What should I do to make you believe me?”, he whispered.

'Believe him? That's the last thing I will do even if the world ends.'

I opened my eyes and looked at Dylan. His eyes were closed. I gathered my entire strength and pushed him with all force. His grip loosened around me, I immediately gave him a hard push on his chest which made him stumble backward. I wiped my tears with the back of my hands fiercely and shouted.

“I DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE! I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE! I DON'T WANT YOU ANYMORE! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THIS? WHY DO YOU KEEP FORCING YOURSELF ON ME? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GET THIS THING IN YOUR THICK SKULL THAT I DON'T LO-“

Dylan immediately pounced on me and clasped his right palm on my mouth. Before I could understand, he wrapped his left arm around my waist squeezing me mercilessly. I looked at him in shock and found him glaring at me ferociously.

“DON'T!! YOU LOVE ME!! GET THAT!!”

He gnashed his teeth making my heart thump loudly. I shook my head angrily but he immediately removed his hands from my mouth and grabbed my throat. He pinned me on the door while lifting me to his level. My toes were barely touching the ground, I tried to pry his hands off my neck and was about to shout when he placed his lips on mine swallowing my screams.

He kissed me roughly. Anger, lust, madness, and obsession, all these emotions were evident in his voracious kiss. Tears of helplessness rolled down my cheeks as I cried hard. I tried to move my head to the side but his steel grip on my neck was turning all my efforts vague.

After struggling for around five minutes, he finally broke the kiss while nibbling on my bottom lip. I looked at him and found him breathing heavily as he glared at me. My mind went blank. I was petrified. I took large gulps of air as I was completely out of oxygen. Dylan noticed my panicked condition. He quickly removed his hands from my neck and pulled me in his embrace.

“Breath, it's okay,” he spoke softly while drawing circles on my back.

'This man is insane. He is not stable. It's proved now.'

I need to get away from him before he goes out of hand. His insanity is now creeping me. I didn't say anything as I know it will only fuel up his anger. I am already too exhausted and if I want to get away from him, I need to act smart and watch my steps.

Dylan soon broke the hug when he noticed that my condition had stabilized. He looked at me and sighed after watching my miserable state. He removed the strands of hair that were sticking on my forehead and wiped the tears off my cheeks with his thumb. I yelped as he suddenly bent down and carried me in his arms. I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck as I wasn't expecting that. He moved towards the couch while carrying me in bridal style and placed me on it gently. He sat beside me and took a tissue which was kept on the table beside the couch. He was holding my hand all the time as if he knew that I would try to run away.

'How can I run? He locked the door, didn't he? Psycho!'

But I kept quiet. He then started wiping my face with the tissue gently.

“See, what you made me do? I told you, I told you to not make me angry. You know I have anger issues. Still, I tried my best to control myself but you have to do this,” he mumbled as if he was talking to himself. I kept looking at him.

I am damn sure this is one of his tricks and even if it isn't, I will still run away. I will run away from you Dylan Black. One day, I will leave you.

“No, you will not. I won't let you.”

I flinched and looked at him in shock.

'Is he a mind reader?'

I was startled as all of a sudden, a deep husky chuckle escaped his throat. He threw the tissue away and cupped my face.

“No, I am not. But I guess your thoughts were way too loud dear,” he grinned. I looked at him with wide eyes.

But suddenly his smile got dropped from his face and his dour sinister aura again groped him.

"Which I didn't like. Not at all."

He spoke in a deadly calm tone. I immediately tried to move away from him.

“You can't cage me. You can't force your decisions on me all the time. I am a human being. I have a life too. I am not your toy. Don't do this to me anymore,” I spoke in a broken voice as a lone tear escaped my eyes. I always try my best not to cry in front of him but the memories have left such a huge impact on my life that remembrance of even a single memory turns my heart heavy.

'Why God? For what crime are you punishing me? Why can't I do anything? At least now lend me your hand. Why have you made me so miserable? Please, please end my misery and grant me peace.'

I cried while praying to the Almighty silently. Dylan stared at me for some time but then he leaned forward and kissed my tears. He moved back and rested his forehead on mine. We stayed like this for a couple of minutes, no words were exchanged between us. I closed my eyes letting my tears free which he wiped the moment they kissed my cheeks.

But what he said next left me to shell shocked.

“But you're my wife, aren't you? Okay, let's make it simple. I am ready to give up everything. My company, my house, my wealth, my position, my status, my reputation everything. I am ready to sacrifice everything. If you want my apology, I am ready to apologize to you in front of the whole world. Come on, say it.”

He finally ended his speech and looked at me for my answer but I was left speechless. He spoke so calmly as if it was a piece of cake. I looked at him in disbelief. But to my surprise, his expressions were dead serious.

'Am I dreaming? How can he do that? Dylan Black, the man for whom his status matters the most, is ready to put his pride at stake and most importantly, for me?'

I couldn't believe my ears. This is a dream. This can't be true. Dylan noticed my perplexed state. He knew that I wasn't convinced at all. But he was right as I know he is just bluffing. He is again trying to put up an act. I know he is-

But my thoughts vanished in mid-air as he abruptly stood up and looked at me sternly.

“Fine then.”

With that, he turned around and started walking towards the door.

“W-Wait, what are you doing?”

'Oh My God! What is he up to now?'

*****