Chapter 49: Who's Responsible

Zenia's POV

I rode in the back of the ambulance and listened to my sister groan from the excruciating pain. All I was thinking about was the baby inside of her and how much it would devastate her if something terrible was to happen.

Jasmine had adapted to the pregnancy and the motherhood she was about to face. Two days ago, she had called me and told me she was extremely grateful to have me as a sister and everything was going smoothly with her pregnancy, and how much she could picture me being a bad ass aunt to her child. I smiled at that thought.

The ambulance came to a halt and the doors flung open.

Jasmine was carried through an emergency entrance and I tailed quickly right behind her. I was stopped by other doctors and medical staff when I followed them into a room.

"You'll have to wait out here, ma'am. No one is allowed in this room."

I was pushed outside the room before the doors locked in my face.

I paced the floor back and forth until my frantic mother came running up to me.

"Zen! Zen! What happened? How is she?" she asked, frightened.

"Someone broke into the apartment. I don't know her situation yet," I answered as the tears rolled down my face.

Mom pulled me in for a hug. "I'm so glad you called me. I should've come home earlier. I should've been there."

I returned her embrace.

"Have you called Hollen Boy?"

"I did, but I wasn't getting through to him, so I left messages. He must be asleep," I answered.

I looked down at the phone in my hands. 2:54 a.m.

I held my forehead from the headache coming on. I was worried about my sister and the baby. I wouldn't like it if something bad happens to them. I let out a loud scream in frustration and Mom forced me sit down in a chair.

"Breathe, Zen. Breathe," she said to calm me down.

In another minute, two police officers came up to us.

"I'm Detective St. Clair, and this is my partner Detective Charles." They both flashed their badges which they seemed to be proud of. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened at the apartment with your sister."

I nodded my head in approval.

"We'd like you to recall every detail you can remember," Detective Charles said.

I exhaled heavily.

"It's okay. Go on and tell them." Mom gestured as she rubbed my back to comfort me.

"Jasmine was dropped off by her baby's father at the apartment. We sat down on the couch and looked at television while we ate popcorn. At around close to midnight, I began feeling sleepy, so I told her I was going to bed. She remained seated and watched her favorite show, The Parkers.

"Somewhere through the night, I heard her screaming and yelling out my name. I got out of bed and put on the room light in the living room-- where I heard her calling from. I saw a figure standing over her and she was holding onto her stomach. I grabbed a knife in the kitchen but the guy ran away."

"Can you describe the person?" the other detective asked.

"He was dressed in black and had a hoodie on, so I couldn't see his face clearly, but
I followed him outside and saw him get into a black car."

"Can you identify the car?"

"A black car. I couldn't get a look at the license plate. He drove out too quickly."

"Do you know of anyone who'd want to hurt your sister?"

I nodded before answering. "Bradley Pittsburg."

"Bradley Pittsburg?"

"Yes sir."

"Is that the baby's father?"

"No. Evan Hollen is the baby's father."

"CEO of Hollen Tower?"

"Correct."

"You said that he dropped off Jasmine at the apartment. Do you know where they were before he dropped her off?"

"Jasmine was staying with him for a while."

"They were living together?"

"Yes. Sort of."

"So why did he drop her back?"

"I think they had a misunderstanding."

I didn't want to throw Evan out to those two wolves, but it was the truth. If they didn't hear it from me, they'd be hearing it from Jasmine.

Evan came running down the hall towards us.

"I got your messages. What's going on here? Where's Jasmine?" he asked with a worried look on his face, and he was panting.

"Are you Evan Hollen?" Detective St. Clair asked, turning towards him.

"Yes."

"Do you by any chance own a black car?"

"Yes," Evan answered again. He looked between the two detectives. "Wait wait wait! What's going on here? Am I a suspect?"

"Everyone is a suspect," Detective Charles answered and stepped closer to Evan. "Can you tell us why you and Jasmine Blackman were arguing before you dropped her off?"

Evan flashed me a look and I sunk into the seat.

"Jasmine and I are no longer in a relationship but we have a child on the way. We were discussing co -parenting methods, and Jasmine thought it was best for her to return back home. She was staying with me for a while."

"Why was she staying with you if the both of you aren't together?"

"Because she wanted an abortion and I wouldn't let her get one. She only wanted an abortion because she thought I would want nothing to do with the baby, so I had to prove her wrong."

"This doesn't make any sense to me," Detective St. Clair said.

"What, are you slow?"

"It's quite strange how you dropped Jasmine off and, a few hours later, she was attacked by someone who broke into her apartment. You had a fight before dropping her off over the baby. The same baby who's already fighting for his or her life in the ER."

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Evan's POV

I raked my finger through my hair as I looked at the two detectives, unbelievably. I would never hurt Jasmine, or any woman for that matter. I had never laid hands to hurt any woman in all my life on this earth.

"I know where you two are heading with this, but I didn't do anything to Jasmine and my child. That's my child! My child!" I yelled to sink that fact into them.

"He didn't do it," Zenia said to defend me.

"You said you didn't see any face or the license plate on his car, so how you know it wasn't him?"

"And I also told you about Bradley Pittsburg, but y'all seem to be more interested in Evan Hollen. Bradley has a history of violence with him. He's a disgruntled ex-boyfriend of Jasmine's, and he's very capable of doing something like this. He abused her before, physically and verbally."

"We'll look into it," Stupid detective one number said.

I felt my blood coming to a boil, and my veins began to pop.

"Excuse me," another voice interrupted.

A doctor came over to us and my heart began to race.

"Susan Blackman, Zenia Blackman?"

"Yes," they answered in sync.

"And I'm Evan Hollen, the baby's father," I introduced.

"I'm Doctor Julien. I have some good news and bad news on Jasmine's condition."