Margaret Blackwood halted her frantic struggles.

She glared at Alexander Blackwood, her lips twisting into a contemptuous sneer as her eyes raked over his legs.

"You believe being able to walk makes you a match for Theodore? Capturing me is meaningless. Just wait! Theodore will take Evelyn from you!"

Her manic laughter filled the air, sharp and grating.

Alexander's expression turned to ice.

His arm tightened around the unconscious Evelyn he held.

He glanced at his assistant, his voice low and dangerous. "Take her back. I want a full interrogation."

"Understood, sir," the assistant replied with a respectful nod.

At the signal, the bodyguards moved swiftly, hoisting Margaret up to escort her away.

Interrogation?

A bolt of pure terror shot through Margaret.

"Alexander!" she shrieked. "How dare you treat me this way! I am your stepmother! What will your father say? And Eleanor! Do you think Eleanor will stand for this?"

In the past, Alexander had tolerated the schemes of Margaret and her son, Harrison, for the sake of a fragile family peace.

He had ignored their petty insults and their constant, underhanded tricks.

But their relentless targeting of Evelyn had crossed a line.

They had finally, decisively, provoked him beyond endurance.

His patience had evaporated.

"Worry less about them," Alexander said, his tone frigid, "and more about how you will explain your actions tonight."

He gave a subtle nod.

His assistant understood immediately, motioning for the bodyguards to remove Margaret without further delay.

Later, at a discreet private hospital, Benjamin Carter burst into the room, his face etched with anxiety over the night's events.

His expression darkened when he saw Alexander approaching, carrying Evelyn.

"Have you lost your mind?" Benjamin's gaze dropped to Alexander's legs. "Parading around like this is incredibly reckless!"

While Benjamin was consumed by panic, Alexander's focus remained entirely on the unconscious woman in his arms.

"Theodore has started targeting Evelyn," Alexander stated, his features grim.

Mentioning the name Theodore Vance sent a wave of cold fury washing over him.

Only then did Benjamin truly notice Evelyn.

Shock registered on his face as he took in her blood-stained clothing.

"What in God's name happened to Evelyn?" Benjamin exclaimed.

The urgency of the situation had forced Alexander to abandon all caution.

What had he just said?

Theodore was responsible for this?

Benjamin's face paled with disbelief. "Theodore did this to her?"

He looked searchingly at Alexander, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Does he know your true identity?"

Alexander didn't answer.

He brushed past Benjamin and strode into the office, still cradling Evelyn.

"There's no time for that now," Alexander said, his voice tight with worry. "Evelyn has been drugged. She needs detoxification immediately. She also has a wound on her hand. I cleaned it roughly, but it's still contaminated. There's a high risk of infection. You need to dress it, now."

Benjamin followed him in, closing the door carefully behind them.

It was clear Alexander only became this verbose when Evelyn was involved.

Ordinarily, he was a man of very few words.

"Understood!" Knowing Alexander's temper was fraying and could snap at any moment, Benjamin quickly gathered the necessary medical supplies to treat Evelyn.