Chapter Ninety Evan Sterling’s POV (Present Time)

Letting out strings of expletives, I lowered my gaze to the bullet hole in the sleeve of my suit, unmistakably warm liquid streamed down my arm and started to drop to the polished porcelain floor. My mother didn’t try to stay back, she rushed to my side and jerked off my suit. She was shaking so bad, I was enthralled by the show of emotions on her face.
“Mom?” I called and she raised her terrified gaze to meet mine. “I am fine. It was just a flesh wound,” I said gesturing to the hole in the wall behind me where the bullet now lodged. She released a shaky breath, her lips trembled and she raised shaky hands to bury her face in them, and then her shoulders shook as she cried quietly.
“I’m sorry, Charlotte! It was an accident, Evan—” Anastasia Dallas said.
“Please, Ana put the gun down—” my mother implored as she turned around to face the other woman.
“I can’t let him get away this time. You have no idea what he’d done to us!”
"She may not, but I do … ” I said, holding down a grunt. I pulled the scarf around my neck and tried to wrap it around my arm. Brian lunged forward to quickly help me to wrap it tightly over the wound. “Mary Antoinette told me everything. And how you had to find a doctor here in New York to abort two of her pregnancies. And how he got rid of the doctor and her husband—"
"That wasn't Antony. That was me—" she said. I swallowed. I hadn't been expecting that. Even Brian paused to dart a shocked gaze at the woman. She had always appeared timid, and submissive to Antony. I would never have guessed she was capable of such. "I had to protect my daughter. The last thing she needed was humiliation after all she had gone through. Gaius only tried to help us. He only wanted to scare the doctor, but they fell off that cliff and died. It was an accident—"
"That sounded like he caused them to have that accident, Mrs. Dallas. Gaius killed them," I emphasized, knowing the testimony was paramount.
"He didn't mean to! It was all this bastard’s fault!"
"What did you do to Mary Antoinette’s children?" I asked.
"I gave the first one to the boy's father and had them deported to Mexico. He was a third generation Mexican and even changed his name but that didn’t help him. I wanted them gone and made it happen. The one Antony put in her was a sin. He had to die … "
"What did you do to the baby?" my mother asked in a shaky tone.
"I buried him in our backyard … " she replied with a hardened edge in her voice. It was obvious there were no sentiments where that was concerned.
"Oh, my God … " my mother muttered in dismay. "Why didn't you ask for help, Ana?!"
“This woman is bat shit crazy!” Edward interjected. My mother glared at him.
"Help me … " Antony groaned faintly on the floor.
"I couldn’t let people know. I knew they would talk about us behind our backs. No, thank you! My daughter deserves a life. She deserves better. I thought being with Evan would protect her. But I was wrong. Nobody could protect her from this animal. It's plain I have to do what I couldn't all this time … "
"If you kill him, Mary Antoinette would be all alone. She needs you … " my mother implored.
"She needs a donor. Now she can have his organs—”
"But--" my mother tried to persuade her.
" … And mine," she added, cutting her off.
She then aimed the gun against her chest. The door jerked open and the agents poured in aiming guns at her and asking her to drop her weapon.
"Take care of Mary Antoinette, please, Charlotte," she said to my mother and pulled the trigger. The agents' rushed forward but it was too late. Some went to see if they could help Antony, two others went to handcuff Edward, reading him his rights, then the rest went to Charlotte who was now choking on her own blood.
I managed to bring out Foster's card and dialed his number, letting him know the situation and that he should send paramedics to get Mary Antoinette's parents for possible organ donation.
"You set this up? You called the feds on your own family?" Edward said after my call. His eyes were dark and enraged.
"No, Edward. They were onto you already. They'd been after you for years. But a few minutes ago when you blab, you gave them proof. So much for being gods, huh?"
He jerked forward with pure hatred in his eyes but two of the agents held him back.
"Let him go!" I growled and they stepped back from him. I closed the distance between us, leaning into him he rasped, "You are involved too, you fool, you will get indicted the same as me."
"I have no doubt I would be, Edward … "
"Everything I did, sacrificed, and went through you had to fuck it up! Why? For spite? For some basic bitch who is probably getting banged by random fuckers. You are such a failure, Evan! Even an heir you could not produce. You are a fucking waste. I curse the day I fucked your hag of a mother … "
I leaned closer to him, and with my face just beside his, I said, "Let me correct you on that, Edward. You, are the failure. And I am nothing like you. Damn, it is such a pity, Edward, you tried so hard and still, you couldn't be a decent husband. You were even shittier as a father. But you know what you are never going to get to even attempt? Being the grandfather to the sons, my wife, Dr. Estera Roberts, gave me."
He gasped. I chuckled. "I married her you fool. I was never married to Mary Antoinette. I am not her real husband. It would be pitiful, wouldn't it? If I had truly done so and ended up with your cast-off." I drew back and saw his face blanched. "I even have it on tape, Edward. You like that, don't you? Fucking women on tape? I will send you a copy in jail … " I said and turned away. I heard a gasp and then a thud.
My mother yelled, "Edward!"
When I turned around I saw Edward had slumped. The agents crouched beside him, checking his pulse. One raised his face to hold my gaze, and with a deep frown he said, "We are going to need more ambulances and fast!"
I took a deep calming breath, knowing the first phase was over. My eyes lowered to the man on the floor of my boardroom. The man I had called father most of my life. And I felt nothing. Not pity, not anger … Nothing. The numbness inside me was profound.
I called Foster again and simply said, "we need three ambulances." And ended the call. When I raised my eyes I saw Brian in a corner of the room; he looked pale and was clutching the files to his chest. His eyes were glued to Charlotte bleeding to death on the floor.
This wasn't how we planned the day. But I must confess I didn't expect to go unscathed.