He Hated My Love. Until It Wasn’t His

Evelina’s POV

The casino was closed for their party. A space built to hold five thousand guests now held maybe two hundred—laughing, drinking, dancing.

The lights spun overhead, dizzying.

A hand slid to my waist. “Miss,” a man’s voice murmured near my ear, “you here alone? Need some company?”

I turned to find a short, chubby man leering at me.

“Get the hell away from me.”

He grinned, unfazed. “Come on, don’t tell me you’re not feeling the vibe. It’s a bachelor party. Things get… wild. You know what I mean?” He winked.

I shoved his arm. “I’d rather die alone than spend a night with you, Mr. Asshole.”

He pushed back—just hard enough to send me stumbling into the crowd.

“Bitch,” he muttered as he disappeared into the crowd.

My drink had shattered, the wine soaking through my dress.

Perfect. Just perfect.

I pushed myself up. People stood all around me—but no one offered a hand.

I made my way through the blur of bodies, heading to the bathroom.

By the time I came out, I spotted Kaelen near the hallway. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

Our eyes met instantly.

“Evelina,” he said, “your grandfather called. Said he couldn’t reach your phone.”

Right. I’d turned on Do Not Disturb days ago.

“I’ll call him back,” I murmured, brushing past him.

He caught my arm. “Why is he calling now? I thought things were… strained between you two. Did something happen to the Frosts?”

I pulled my arm free. “My birthday’s in a few days. Not really a surprise.”

Kaelen blinked. Like he’d only just remembered. “Oh. Right… I forgot.”

I looked up at him, voice steady. “Understandable. You’ve got a wedding to plan.”

Then I walked off. I’d had enough drama for one night. I needed a hot shower and a soft bed—preferably one that would make me forget I ever showed up to this party.

…

But apparently, fate had one more trick.

Just as I was nearing the exit, the doors burst open.

A group of masked men stormed in—every one of them armed with either handguns or machine guns.

Screams erupted. Glass shattered. Chaos.

They must have found out the casino was closed for a private event. Fewer people, less resistance. The perfect night for a robbery.

The robbers herded us into the ballroom, cornered like cattle. Four men with rifles blocked every exit. The rest disappeared deeper into the building.

From the doorway, a tall, broad man chuckled, low and sharp. “I hear Kaelen Draycott’s fiancée and little sister are both here tonight. Since Mr. Draycott’s too much of a coward to show… maybe we give him a reason to come running?”

He stepped forward. “Where are the pretty ladies?”

Lilith stood, composed. “I’m his fiancée. Please—just leave everyone else alone. These are my friends.”

“Good girl.” He smirked. “Now… where’s the little sister?”

I rose slowly. “Here.”

His grin widened. “Perfect. Time to put on a show for Mr. Draycott.”

They dragged Lilith and me into the casino’s bar—the one with the stage usually reserved for strippers and singers. But tonight, we were the ones on display.

Our arms were tied behind our backs. No chairs. They just shoved us forward, and we hit the ground hard.

A sharp pain shot through my ankle. Great. Could this night get any worse?

I sucked in a few shaky breaths. Focus. Calm down.

The burly masked man returned, holding a phone. “Mr. Draycott,” he said smoothly, “glad we finally reached you. I think you’ll be interested in our offer. We’ve got your little sister and your lovely fiancée here. All we want is… let’s say two billion. One at a time. In cash.”

He chuckled. “Don’t lie—we know there’s over twenty billion in the vault. Just bring us a little taste.”

He paused, then nodded. “Our guy’s out back. We’ll wait.”

Time dragged. Minutes stretched like hours. Finally, the phone rang.

“Mr. Draycott,” the man said, grinning wide, “got the first drop. Now tell me… which one do you want to save first?”

He looked between Lilith and me, eyes gleaming.

Then he laughed. “Ah. True love.”

He turned the phone aside. “Fiancée, you’re free to go.”

I’d expected it.

Still, when I heard it, something inside me cracked. At the edge of death, Kaelen chose her.

…

Once Lilith was gone, the phone stayed silent. Kaelen didn’t call back. Didn’t send the second half of the ransom.

The man began to pace, growing impatient. “What’s your name?”

My voice came out rough. “Evelina.”

“Full name,” he snapped. “Evelina Draycott?”

“No,” I said quietly. “Evelina Frost.”

He froze. “You’re not his sister?”

“The Draycotts was only a friend of my family.”

“Fuck!” He stormed toward me, furious. “So I’ve been wasting time on the wrong girl?”

He raised his gun and shoved it at my face. “Call him. Tell him to bring the rest. Or I’ll kill you right now.”

He shoved the phone into my bound hands. I almost laughed.

Like Kaelen would answer now.

But he did.

His voice was cold, clipped. Detached.

I hesitated. “Hey. It’s me. They’re asking when you’ll be back with the other billion.”

Silence. Then the line went dead.

I handed the phone back. “He hung up.”

The man’s grin returned, even sharper. “He really hates you, huh?”