Yet now Sylvie claimed that she was cured. Sylvie argued, “We can let him try. It won’t take a lot of time.”

Aria said nothing. Instead, she approached Evan and sized him up. She was fiddling with a knife, swirling it around like it was a toy.

…

A long while later, she pulled her gaze away. Tartly, she said, “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, for Ms. Stanton’s sake. Resurrect the Iron Dragon, and I’ll be in your debt. Fail, and I’ll kill you!”

Evan felt cold steel scrape across his throat. The swirling knife touched his skin, and the chill spread through his body. He stepped back without thinking.

Worried, Sylvie asked, “Are you sure you can do this?”

“I’ll give it a shot,” Evan replied. “But I need the place to be completely quiet.”

Everyone thought he just wanted to chase everyone out.

William was looking at Evan as if he was already dead. “Don’t push your luck, lad! Do you have any idea what will happen to you if you fail?”

He was desecrating the Iron Dragon’s remains.

William thought, ‘He’s done for!’

Sylvie did her best to give Evan what he wanted. Everyone would leave the room, and they would clear out the whole floor as well.

A bodyguard huddled closer to Sylvie. “Ms. Stanton, the people who hurt Mr. Norwood are on this floor as well.”

Sylvie’s face fell. A frosty mask took over. “Where are they? Take me to them.” She wanted to get back at the women for Evan. After she found out his whole story, fury took over her mind.

Evan saved her life, but those women saw him as nothing more than a toy, a replacement. They played with him like a pet they got on Christmas and abandoned him when they felt like it.

She thought, ‘Do those morons really think they’re proper heiresses? Since you love to trample all over someone else’s dignity, perhaps you should have a taste of your own medicine!’