Chapter 209: It's what you think

Avery sees Evan glance at Robert, and the butler runs toward the projector room. Within minutes the projector flickers on, and a video begins to play. The first few seconds of the video are black and grainy, but the sounds of intense lovemaking play loudly over the speakers. The crowd gasps and the scene slowly comes into focus. Avery immediately recognizes her room and closes her eyes—this is the scene from her nightmares—she doesn't want to watch it replayed in front of her.

"Open your eyes," Evan whispers. "It's not what you think it is."

Avery opens one eye and looks up at the screen. Her stomach turns sickeningly—a dark-haired man thrusts powerfully into a woman below him. She wraps her legs around his waist and arches her back, moaning with pleasure. The camera shifts and their faces come into view. The woman is clearly Leonie, but the man is not Evan.

"No! This is edited," Leonie screams. "Don't look!"

She runs onto the catwalk and stands in front of the screen, throwing her arms out to block as much of the image as she can. The video continues, projected on the pale fabric of her dress.

"Turn it off!" Leonie screams, "Turn it off!"

"Do you believe that I had nothing to do with her now?" Evan whispers.

Avery nods, but she doesn't know what to think. When she saw them together in the room, she could have sworn that the man was Evan. Though she's only been with him a few times, she thought she could recognize his body anywhere. Could the video be edited as Leonie says?

Avery turns her back to Evan, desperate for some time to think it all through. Evan taps her gently on the shoulder, and she turns back around. His face is slightly stiff—it's the first time she's seen him look awkward.

"I'm sorry, Avery," he whispers. "It's my fault. I was weak. I should have pushed her away immediately."

Avery blinks confusedly. She thinks, Is he really apologizing to me? She stares up into his face, trying to figure out if he's lying again, but his expression seems sincere. His forehead is wrinkled, and he bites his lip nervously. He grips her shoulders and stares intently into her eyes.

"Avery, please say something," he says.

"I don't know what to say to you," she says.

"Say that you forgive me," Evan says. "I swear to you that nothing like this will ever happen again. You're the only woman for me."

"Mrs. Howel, the situation is quite complicated," Robert interrupts. "I was there that day, and I saw it all. Mr. Howel was under the influence of a powerful drug, but he fought it as hard as he could. After you left the room, he went into the bathroom and begged me to lock him in. When I came to check on him, I saw that he'd broken the mirror. He was gripping the shards in his hands, trying to control his desire with pain."

Avery shakes her head in disbelief. "Is that true?" she asks Evan.

"Yes," he says. "I wanted to tell you immediately, but things are complicated."

A scream shatters the hush in the room, and Avery turns to see who it is. Leonie has crumpled to the floor in a dramatic faint. Her face is pale, and her legs bend at awkward angles. A bodyguard rushes to pick her up, and Robert orders the others to clear the room.

"When you're better, you can punish me however you want," Evan says, turning Avery to face him. "But for now, we need to get you to the hospital. All this excitement can't be good for you or the baby."

Avery shrugs his hand off her shoulder and walks toward the stage. She can hear Evan following her, but she ignores him. Though most of the crowd has vanished, she sees a stage manager headed backstage.

"Excuse me," Avery shouts, "Can you tell me where Bryan and Sophie are?"

"I'm sorry, I think they've already left," the manager says.

"Can you give me Sophie's phone number?" Avery asks.

The assistant hands her a business card, and Avery tucks it into her pocket. She's eager to ask Sophie questions about her mother. Evan grabs her gently by the shoulder—his patience seems to be wearing thin.

"Robert can get in touch with Bryan or whoever else you want," Evan says. "But now you're coming with me to the hospital."

"I'm fine," Avery says with a shake of her head.

"That's for the doctor to decide," Evan says. "You've been running around far too much for someone in your condition. Come on."

Avery sits through a long series of tests in the hospital's maternity wing. They prick her with needles and scan her with ultrasound machines. As she waits for the results, she hears Leonie's voice from down the hall.

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"Evan, the baby is yours, and you know it," Leonie says. "That video was obviously edited. I don't want to abort the baby!"

"It's not mine," Evan says, and his voice sounds impatient.

"It is yours! Evan, trust me!" Leonie begs. "I'll do a paternity test or whatever else you want, but I don't want to abort it."

"If you insist on keeping it, I won't stop you, but you have to consider the consequences," Evan says.

"I have thought about them, and I've decided," Leonie says. "I think you're the one who needs to consider the consequences. You may not want to recognize my child now, but there's no guarantee that Avery will safely deliver an heir. One day you might thank me for keeping it."

"Impossible," Evan says, his voice taking on a dangerous tone. "I want you to remember that the risks of abortion increase the longer you're pregnant. It would be safest and smartest to abort it now."

Avery hears footsteps, and then Evan appears in the waiting room door. Leonie runs up behind him and throws her arms around his waist. Evan unfolds her arms, holding both her wrists in one hand.

"Why won't you even look at me?" Leonie asks. "Why do you keep choosing Avery? She's all wrong for you."

"Because I love her," Evan says.

"That's impossible!" Leonie wails. "You haven't seen her for what she really is—she's a monster, Evan. Please, just give me a chance. I could make you love me."

Leonie's face is flushed a bright red, and she seems to be hyperventilating. She wobbles unsteadily and drops into a faint. Evan's tight grip around her wrists keeps her from hitting the floor. Robert calls for a doctor, and two nurses rush over with a stretcher. They wheel Leonie away.

Suddenly, Evan seems to notice Avery sitting in the waiting room. "Did you finish your exams and tests?" he asks.

He reaches out to embrace her, but Avery leans away. "You should be more careful with Leonie," she says. "Why don't you go check on her now?"

Evan scowls, "No, I'd rather not."

"It's your fault that she's like this, you know," Avery says.

"She's the one who tried to seduce me!" Evan says. "Believe me, I tried to get away from her as quickly as I could, but she was so fierce. She ripped my clothes off and—"

Evan trails off upon seeing the expression on Avery's face. She's grinding her teeth, and she feels angry tears welling in her eyes. She doesn't want to remember anything about that afternoon—even if Evan didn't sleep with Leonie, the memory is painful.

"You pushed her into bed first," Avery says.

Evan opens his mouth and then closes it. He runs his hand through his hair. "I know," he said hoarsely, "And I'm so sorry. But why are you trying to make me spend time with her now?"

"Because she needs you right now," Avery says.

Avery wants to hate Leonie—the things she's done are unforgivable—but she can only imagine what Leonie is going through. Being pregnant is hard enough on its own. Finding out that a stranger is the real father of your baby must be hell. Leonie looked so weak and fragile in the doorway, like a broken doll dangling from Evan's hands.

"I never waste my time on irrelevant people," Evan says.

"Fine, then I'll go check on her," Avery says.

Evan hesitates, and Avery knows she's convinced him. Though he may not want to check on Leonie, he definitely doesn't want Avery to spend any time with her. Avery watches him go and then finds a chair near the window. The golden afternoon sunlight warms her skin, and she closes her eyes.

Avery opens her eyes to hear a lot of screaming in the distance. A patient wearing blue and white striped pajamas runs down the hallway, waving a knife in the air. As he passes the waiting room, Avery meets his eyes. He skids to a stop and runs into the room.

Effortlessly, he grabs her by the arms and pulled her out of the chair. He wraps one arm around her waist and holds the knife at her throat with the other. A group of nurses, doctors, and security guards runs into the room. 

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