Chapter 114

[Evelyn’s POV]

I shouldn't be doing this. Something is telling me that I shouldn’t be going down here.

I’d looked around the hallway in search of anyone else who could potentially explain where this particular door led to. But it was obviously just me.

With careful steps, I descended down the long winding staircase, not having a single idea as to where it was taking me. There were so many signals firing off in my head, telling me to turn back. But my curiosity had gotten the better of me.

I was even trying to convince myself that I needed to stop moving while I still had the chance to turn back. But no.

Every step came with a price. It became colder and damper, causing my skin to crawl with building uneasiness. The worry inside my stomach grew sharper. The further I went in, the darker it became. The walls were lined with old stones, making the place feel closed off and cold to the bone.

I couldn’t begin to imagine where this stairwell was leading me.

Whatever it is, it’s meant to be kept in the cold, grim darkness.

I reached the bottom landing and squinted my eyes in search of some kind of a light switch. This place had to have some kind of electricity running through it, right?

Nope.

There wasn’t a single switch to be found—just a significant number of ancient-looking torches that hung off the walls. My new mission was to find something I could light one of the torches with so I could, at least get a better look at my surroundings.

On a small wooden table nearby, I spotted a box of matches. I carefully struck the tip of the match and lifted it to the edge of the torch. The very moment it lit, the whole first part of the room came into clear view.

I was not prepared for what I saw...

There were several narrow tables lining the first part of the area. Against my better judgment, my feet dragged me over to one of them for a better look. Glancing down, I saw several dozens of various blades and tools.

I made the mistake of glancing up to see larger weapons mounted on the wall. Swords. Axes. Knives. Tools that came in various unpleasant shapes and forms, none of which I knew what they were for.

I lifted a trembling hand up to my mouth to cover the terrified cry that nearly tore from my throat.

What the fuck kind of a place was?

The more I let my eyes roam, the more my regret grew. Not only were there weapons, I glanced up even further to find chains and cuffs hanging from the rafters on the ceiling.

“Oh my God,” I whispered.

I was standing in a goddamn torture chamber.

I couldn’t wrap my mind around the whole situation. It all felt far too surreal to me. Kingston Hall was always, in my mind, such a beautiful and refined place. Why on earth would such an awful room be necessary?

Then again, for a brief second, I’d forgotten who I was married to. Alexander Kingston—the self-proclaimed War God of the region. It was a title that didn’t come easy or without bloodshed.

But exactly how much bloodshed were we talking about here?

How many people had seen the inside of these terrible walls? Or worse, how many never made it out of here?

For what it was worth, the place didn’t appear to be well-kept. Most of the unsightly equipment was covered in dust and the cobwebs were so thick, I couldn’t see through them.

It was clear that the section I was standing in hadn’t been used for quite some time. Part of me really wanted to believe that Alexander never used this place. For someone as tactical and level-headed, maybe he didn't see the need to resort to such medieval practices.

But then why was the door open?

Obviously, someone had been through here. Doing what? I had no idea.

My entire body flinched when a sudden sound echoed off the stone walls. It sounded almost inhuman. I turned my head to glance down the long, dismal hallway to find nothing but complete darkness.

My mind was quick to play tricks on me at the possible thought of watching something utterly monstrous crawl out from the deep depths of the shadows.

The terrible sound rang out again, this time it had me stumbling back. I made a run for it.

I took in a sharp breath and dashed back toward the winding staircase. All I wanted was to get the hell out of there. I tried taking two steps at a time, but all that ended up happening was me tripping over my own feet.

I flinched at the pinching pain that bit into my hands as I picked myself off the dusty floor. My heart was racing but a flicker of hope sparked in my chest when I saw the doorway at the top. My lungs were burning from the heaving but I’d finally made it out.

I practically threw myself out of the doorway and sagged against the nearest wall for support.

As I struggled to regain my breathing, I tried to get my thoughts in order. I had no idea what I was meant to do with this information.

Not only was I just exposed to the fact that there’s a goddamn underground torture chamber in the house. But apparently, there was someone currently in it!

A cold wave rushed over me, causing me to slip into an uncharted state of shock.

[Third-Person’s POV]

Alexander had called Oliver to his office as soon as he entered it. He needed to speak to someone about his growing concerns. As soon as the Beta entered the room, Alexander went off on his tangent.

He’d told Oliver every piece of new information he’d been told about Evelyn’s brother and the accident that caused him to fall into his current coma.

He watched Oliver’s calm expression gradually melt into that of pure, unbridled concern. It reached a point in Alexander’s explanation that the poor guy needed to sit down. His head was pounding with worry and the remote possibility that everything Alexander was telling him was true.

Oh God.

By the end of it all, both of them were hunched over in their chairs with their faces buried in their hands.

After a long pause. Oliver was the one who broke the silence. He lifted his head up and spoke.

“From what you’ve told me, it sounds entirely plausible that Edward’s case is intertwined with yours. Granted, there is still a lot of fact-checking that needs to happen but it definitely something that needs to be looked into.”

Alexander nodded his head. “I want you and a small group to go through every piece of news that came out about that god-forsaken accident. Thankfully, there weren’t that many other casualties that resulted from the whole ordeal. But we need to make sure if Edward’s case is or isn’t a part of it all.”

“Sir, what if it’s true?” Oliver questioned.

He rubbed a hand roughly over his face. “I don’t know. I feel horribly responsible in some way.”

Oliver gently shook his head. “But, surely, Evelyn wouldn’t see it that way. After all, it was Michael who planned everything. If she’s planning on blaming anyone, then it should be him.”

Regardless of the blame, it still meant that Alexander had to break the news to Evelyn about her brother’s situation.

Suddenly, the door to his office was thrown open while a disheveled and petrified-looking Evelyn mindlessly walked.

Alexander’s heart dropped at the sight of her. “Evelyn!”