Chapter 254

"Get that phone from the woman named Evelyn—now!"

The command barely left Tobias Grant's lips when his gang surged forward, smashing car windows with crowbars.

Glass exploded inward, showering Evelyn Carter with razor-sharp fragments. The car alarm screamed into the night.

"You're Evelyn! Hand over your phone!"

Thugs reached through broken windows, grasping for the device in Evelyn's hand.

She twisted away with feline grace, her boot connecting with the lead thug's face. Blood gushed from his nose instantly.

"Brave move for daylight robbery," she remarked coolly.

The injured man clutched his face. "You bitch! I'll make you pay for that!"

He lunged forward—only to freeze as black SUVs screeched to a halt around them. Six-foot-tall bodyguards materialized like shadows, surrounding the gang within seconds.

"Run, you idiots!" someone shouted.

But escape routes had vanished. The thug who'd threatened Evelyn now trembled violently, backing away.

"Ms. Carter, are you unharmed?" The head bodyguard bowed slightly, his voice thick with concern.

Evelyn brushed glass from her designer coat with deliberate slowness. Each movement radiated lethal elegance, silencing the onlookers.

Though she spoke no words, the air thickened with unspoken threat.

"Allow us to handle these vermin, Ms. Carter. They'll regret touching your property."

The bodyguard's assurance hung in the air as Evelyn stepped from the wrecked vehicle. Her glacial gaze swept over the gang, reducing them to shivering wrecks.

"You showed such interest in my phone." She turned the device in her hand. "Curious, since it's quite ordinary."

The thugs exchanged panicked looks. Where was the fragile socialite they'd been hired to intimidate? This woman moved like a panther and commanded like a queen.

Before they could process their mistake, Evelyn's voice cut through the night again. "Names. Now. Who sent you and why?"

Tobias, barely nineteen, cracked instantly. "Two hundred grand! Someone paid us to erase videos from your phone!"

A cold smile touched Evelyn's lips. The puppet master behind this was obvious. "And now? Still eager to delete my files?"

"No! God no!" Tobias fell to his knees. "Mercy, please! We didn't know who you were!"

His entire body shook so violently his teeth chattered.

Evelyn examined her manicure. "Two hundred thousand seems paltry for such risks." She locked eyes with the gang leader. "I'll double it. For a different service."

Four hundred thousand dollars?

Tobias's eyes gleamed with naked greed. "Name it. We're yours."