23. Theo

Istand outside my aunt's office, the polished wooden door gleaming under the fluorescent lights. It's silent up here at the top of the building, but I can see the bustling city below.

Bridget has been here a month now and has made so many changes. Losing Eva to her was a blow, but I can see why she did it. It wasn't right that we were sneaking around with her while still expecting her to clean up after us.

As I reach for the doorknob, whispers filter through the wood, Bridget"s voice carrying a weight of urgency that sends a shiver down my spine. "You need to tell them or I will!"

With a quick intake of breath, I push open the door and step inside, my gaze sweeping over the figures seated within. Bridget"s eyes meet mine, her expression a mix of determination and concern. Beside her, Evangeline stands with eyes downcast, her discomfort palpable.

Questions flood my mind as I confront the scene before me. With Bridget"s words hanging in the air, I know that whatever secret they"re keeping threatens to upend everything we know.

I meet Evangeline's eyes, though she can't bring herself to look at me. "Evangeline?" I ask. "Tell us what?" I demand, my voice cutting through the tension.

When she doesn't answer, I turn my gaze to my aunt. "Bridget, what does Eva need to tell us?"

Bridget stays silent and crosses her arms, clearing her throat pointedly.

"It's… hard to explain," Eva says, voice cracking as I approach her. "I…"

"This might be easier if I give you two privacy," Bridget declares, standing up and stepping out of the room. I turn toward Eva and approach her, waiting to hear what it is that she's been keeping from us.

"I… I should have told you this from the start, but you and your brothers hated me, and I didn't want to give you more ammunition," she whispers.

"I don't understand."

"I went out for my birthday a few weeks before I came to work for your family," she confesses. "I let myself get carried away. I went upstairs with three guys."

"Wait…" The wheels start turning in my head. "Wait a minute. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"You and Ryder and Oliver are the only men I've been with in a long, long time," she says, tears in her eyes. "The baby is one of yours."

My world seems to teeter around me as her words hang in the air, each syllable striking like a hammer against my heart. Every word she utters feels like a dagger aimed straight at my heart, piercing through layers of trust and friendship I thought we had developed.

Anger surges within me, a raging inferno threatening to engulf everything in its path. Betrayal gnaws at my insides, a bitter taste that chokes me with its intensity.

"What?" The word escapes my lips in a hoarse whisper, disbelief and pain intertwining in a tangled mess of emotions. My hands tremble uncontrollably, fists clenching and unclenching in a futile attempt to contain the storm brewing inside me.

I turn to her, searching desperately for some explanation in her eyes, but find only the heavy weight of her guilt staring back at me. The truth hangs between us like a tangible barrier, separating us in a way I never thought possible.

My mind races, thoughts colliding in a chaotic whirlwind of confusion and hurt. How could she keep such a monumental secret from me? How could she betray me in the worst possible way?

With each passing second, my anger grows stronger, threatening to consume me whole. I take a step forward, my voice trembling with barely contained rage. "You–You lied to me," I accuse, each word laced with the sting of betrayal. "How could you do this to me? To us?"

Before Eva can stammer out some pitiful excuse, I turn abruptly and leave, walking away so I can process these feelings alone.

"Theo, wait!" Eva calls out, reaching for my arm. I yank it away, needing space. Needing to clear my head.

My feet take me out of the office, past Aunt Bridget who calls out for me, and I continue going until I'm blinking at the bright sunlight of the day outside. Frustration rising, I storm down the street, anger surging through me like lightning in a bottle.

As I navigate the bustling city streets, my mind churns with a turbulent mix of emotions, still reeling from Evangeline"s shocking revelation. The weight of her confession hangs heavily on my shoulders, a burden I can scarcely bear.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely notice the imposing figure that steps into my path until it"s too late. A hulking man, his features twisted into a sneer of contempt, blocks my way with an air of arrogance that sets my teeth on edge.

"What"s the rush, Everhart?" he jeers, his voice dripping with malice. "Running errands for your beloved uncle?"

His words strike a nerve, igniting a firestorm of anger within me. My fists clench at my sides, every muscle in my body tensing with barely contained rage.

"You have a lot of nerve talking to me," I retort, voice laced with venom. "What do you want, besides stirring up trouble?"

The man"s smirk widens, a predatory gleam in his eyes as he takes a step closer, invading my personal space with deliberate intent. "Just keeping an eye on things, making sure O'Malley's little lapdog doesn"t stray too far from the pack," he taunts, his tone dripping with disdain.

The insult cuts deep, fueling the flames of my fury. I take a step forward, closing the distance between us with an air of defiance that brooks no argument.

"I'm in no mood to deal with you right now, DeLucci trash," I growl, voice low and dangerous. "And if you think you can intimidate me with your empty threats, you're sorely mistaken."

The man"s smirk falters, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face before he recovers with a scoff of derision. "We"ll see about that, Everhart," he sneers. "Or are you too busy crying about the latest DeLucci victory?"

My blood boils at his taunting words, a red haze descending over my vision. Without a second thought, I lunge forward, fists flying in a flurry of punches aimed squarely at his smug face.

The sound of flesh meeting flesh echoes through the air as our brawl spills out onto the crowded sidewalk. Passersby scatter in alarm, casting nervous glances in our direction as we exchange blow after blow in the entrance to the alleyway.

Adrenaline courses through my veins, dulling the pain of each impact as I land blow after blown on this rat bastard's face.

But even as I let my fists do the talking, a nagging voice at the back of my mind reminds me of the consequences of my actions. I can"t afford to draw too much attention to myself, not right now. I'm deep in DeLucci territory without any backup.

I need to finish this fight and get out of here before I can bring the rest of the DeLucci Family on my head.

The man is cowering now, hands over his head as I kick him in the stomach, sending him tumbling over as he lets out a sharp gasp of pain.

With a final, vicious punch to the head, he's out cold, and I stand up, wiping blood from my knuckles with the handkerchief in my pocket. I stand there, panting for breath as I realize that this situation is far from over.

My emotions have gotten the better of me, and I've taken it out on this man, nearly killing him for crossing my path at the wrong time.

The man seems to wake after a few seconds and starts picking himself off the pavement, crawling away.

Is this why Eva didn't want to tell us the truth? We have such a dark, twisted nature that it makes sense why she would keep this from us.

Perhaps she was scared to raise a child with us knowing we have danger as a constant companion. I stuff the handkerchief back in my jacket pocket and start walking away just as I hear the sound of sirens in the background.

I can hear my father's voice in the back of my head now, berating me for letting my emotions control me.

"You need to stay calm and cool," he would order me. "Keeping a level head means you have an advantage over your enemies."

But Eva isn't our enemy. Not anymore. Not for a long time now. I have to find a way to talk to her.

Because no matter how badly I reacted, knowing that her baby belongs to us changes everything. That child is an Everhart by birthright, and they deserve all that entails.

For now, I need to let myself cool down, maybe hide out until I can figure out what it is I really want from her.

Strolling away, I hail a taxi and get in, directing them to take me to the other side of the city, away from DeLucci territory.

If Eva is so scared of us that she couldn't bring herself to tell us the truth about this, I wonder what else she might be hiding.

I just hope it's nothing that we can't help her with.