Chapter 495 The One–Hour bUltimatum /b

    That jagged scar across Matteo’s face seemed even more menacing bthan /bbusual/bb. /bNammt feared for he bmother’s /bsafety, but what truly made her uneasy was the thought of the ring in Evelyn’s possession i exposed as a fake. If that happened, she’d lose thest bit of leverage she had

    Meanwhile, Henry’s men had already delivered Evelyn to the Foster Group. If he bwanted /bthe ring from her bhe /bcouldn’t return to the Foster family estate.

    Inside his office, Henry stared down at Evelyn, who was being held to the floor “bIf /byou hand bover /bbthe /bbring /bwillingly, nothing will happen to you. But if you choose to defy me, you already know bwhat /bbthe /bconsequences will be.”

    Evelyn hadn’t expected Henry to be the one behind this. Her mouth and nose were both btightly /bgagged, making it impossible for her to speak.

    “My patience is limited,” Henry said coolly. “I don’t care where you’ve hidden it–bring it to me nowb. /bbIf /bbyou /bdon’t, I’ll take one of your fingers.”

    At his signal, a bodyguard pressed Evelyn’s roughened hands onto the desk. Another raised a cleaver high above her.

    “Mmm! Mmm–mmm!” Evelyn whimpered frantically.

    Only then did Henry reach forward and rip the tape from her mouth.

    Terrified he might actually kill her, she blurted, “The ring–it’s at my house! I’ll… I’ll get it for you right nowb! /bPlease, don’t cut off my finger!”

    Back when she’d been Mrs. Rivers, Evelyn had always prided herself on her looks. Even after the bRivers /bfamily fell and she was reduced to working menial jobs under Nathaniel, she still couldn’t bear the thought of losing any part of herself.

    “Good. You have one hour,” Henry ordered. “I want that ring on my desk when time’s up.”

    “Yes, yes!” she agreed quickly.

    A bodyguard gripped her arms to ensure she wouldn’t try anything, while Evelyn’s only thought was to retrieve the ring and save herself. Everything else could wait.

    Seeing she was being cooperative, Henry waved them out.

    The bodyguard escorted her back to the Hartwell residence.

    Naomi, who had been fearing the worst, was surprised to see her mother return unharmed. Suspicion immediately reced her worry. “You’re back already?“”

    “What, you’re not happy to see me? Evelyn shot back, flustered. “Quick, give me the ring! I have to hand it over to the Fosters, or they’ll take one of my fingers!”

    “Henry?” Naomi was taken aback/She hadn’t imagined he’d be the one to act. Then bshe /bughed.

    So much for Henry’s aloof attitude–he wanted the ring, just not badly enou

    pay for it.

    “You’re not going anywhere,” Naomi told her. “And that ring is absolutely not going bto /bHenry

    bChapter /bb495 /bThe One Hour Ultimaturo

    bAt /bthat, bEvelyn’s /btemper red. “What’s more bimportant/b, that bfake /bbring /bor byour /bmother mind beve bknow /bbwhat /bkind of man Henry is? Killing us would be bas /bbeasy /bfor film as stepping on an an Idon’t car about wealth, I just want to keep my fingers!”

    She stormed into her room to fetch the ring, but the drawer where she’d left it was bempty /b

    “Where is it? Where’s the ring?” she demanded, her face draining of color.

    If she didn’t have it, Henry would make good on his threat.

    It didn’t take long for her to realize her daughter must have hidden it.

    Grabbing Naomi’s clothes, she shouted, “You ungrateful child! Are you even my daughter? Do byou /bhave biany /i/bidea what Henry will do to me without that ring? He gave me one hour! Who took care of you bwhen /bbyou /bwere pregnant? And this is how you repay me? Give it back!”

    Half her life had been spent worrying over Naomi’s future, and now she saw nothing but betrayal

    “This ring is ourst bargaining chip,” Naomi said tly. “You know it’s a fake. If Henry finds that out, we’ll not only lose everything but also bring disaster down on ourselves.”

    “I don’t care! Or do you really n to just stand there and watch your own mother lose a fingerb?/b”

    Evelyn would rather tell Henry the truth than face muttion.

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