Chapter 363 The Devil Behind the Door
Ethan’s face was twisted with fury.
His teeth clenched as his hands tightened around Samantha’s throat.
"Samantha, don’t even think about ruining my plans."
His voice was low and dangerous.
"And don’t you dare use this to threaten me."
Samantha understood immediately.
He really meant to kill her.
The realization sent pure terror through her.
She struggled desperately, clawing at his hands as she fought for air, but Ethan’s grip only tightened.
Then the door flew open.
"Ethan!"
Isabella stood there, her face draining of colour.
She rushed forward.
"What are you doing? Let her go!"
Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot.
He was too far gone to care about appearances.
"She’s carrying my child," he snapped. "She knows I leaked the company’s confidential strategy, and she’s threatening to expose me."
His breathing was heavy.
"If Grandpa finds out, he’ll destroy me."
The situation was even more serious because Ethan had secretly obtained and leaked highly confidential company information.
If that became public, there would be no easy way out.
Isabella’s expression changed dramatically.
She hadn’t realized the situation was this dangerous.
Her gaze moved to Samantha, who was already struggling to stay conscious.
For several seconds, Isabella said nothing.
Then her expression hardened.
"She can’t be allowed to leave."
She glanced at Samantha’s stomach.
"But first, we need to remove the problem she’s carrying."
Ethan froze.
"What are you saying?"
Isabella motioned toward him.
"Let her go."
Ethan hesitated before releasing Samantha.
She collapsed onto the floor, immediately coughing and gasping for air.
Her whole body shook as she struggled to breathe.
Isabella looked down at her without a trace of sympathy.
"In the past, Ryan protected you."
Her voice was cold.
"Because of him, I didn’t dare make trouble for you or risk provoking the second branch of the family."
She smiled faintly.
"But things are different now."
Her eyes became icy.
"Who do you think you are, walking into our home and threatening my son?"
Samantha’s face went white.
Isabella took out her phone.
"Come over."
She spoke quietly.
"Don’t alert anyone. Bring everything you need."
Samantha’s heart stopped.
She tried to stand.
Her legs were too weak.
"What are you going to do?"
Isabella looked at her.
"You’ve decided to use that child as leverage."
She paused.
"So I’ll solve the problem for you."
Samantha’s eyes widened in horror.
The Knight family...
They weren’t going to negotiate.
They were going to silence her.
She tried to crawl toward the door.
"No! Please!"
Someone grabbed her from behind.
A hand clamped over her mouth.
Samantha screamed into the palm, but the sound was muffled.
Within minutes, two people arrived through the back entrance—a man and a woman carrying medical equipment.
Isabella looked at them.
"Take care of it quickly."
Her expression was chillingly indifferent.
"Don’t leave anything behind."
Samantha’s eyes filled with terror.
She shook her head violently.
She begged.
She struggled.
But no one listened.
Ethan stood several feet away, watching in silence.
He knew exactly what kind of woman his mother was.
If Ryan hadn’t spent years keeping the different branches of the family from openly turning on one another, Samantha would have been crushed long ago.
People like them lived by a different set of rules.
Power protected power.
And once someone became a threat, compassion disappeared.
Samantha was restrained and dragged away.
Her cries were muffled, and her desperate attempts to escape were useless.
The nightmare she had feared became reality.
The pregnancy that had been her only protection was forcibly terminated.
The entire procedure was carried out against her will, leaving her physically and emotionally devastated.
Ethan never looked away.
He even poured himself a glass of red wine while he waited.
There was no guilt in his eyes.
Only relief.
Samantha had threatened to drag him into hell with her.
Now she couldn’t.
When everything was finally over, Samantha lay trembling on the floor.
Her clothes were dishevelled.
Her face was drained of colour.
Cold sweat covered her skin, and her eyes were vacant with shock.
The one thing she’d been relying on had been taken from her.
The pregnancy was gone.
So was the leverage.
And with it disappeared the legal protection that had delayed her imprisonment.
Samantha stared blankly ahead.
She couldn’t even process what had happened.
Isabella crouched beside her.
"No one will ever know what happened here."
She gave Samantha a cold smile.
"And even if you tell someone, who do you think they’ll believe?"
Her hand struck Samantha across the face.
"You should have known this day would come."
Samantha’s head turned with the force of the blow.
She didn’t respond.
There was no fight left in her.
Ethan frowned as he looked at her.
"What a headache."
He glanced toward the back entrance.
"I still don’t know how she managed to get inside."
He let out a breath.
"Thank God she came in from this side. If she’d made it to the front courtyard, someone would’ve noticed."
He looked at his mother.
"What do we do with her now?"
Isabella didn’t hesitate.
"Get rid of her."
Ethan looked at her.
"Where?"
"Anywhere."
Her expression was merciless.
"She’s already disgraced herself. No one is going to care what happens to her."
Samantha slowly raised her head.
"No..."
Her voice was barely audible.
Isabella stared at her.
"You threatened to expose my son for leaking confidential company information."
She smiled coldly.
"You brought this on yourself."
Samantha tried to move.
Her arms shook beneath her as she attempted to push herself away.
"No... please..."
She tried to crawl toward the door.
Isabella turned to the people she’d called.
"Take her away quietly."
She paused.
"Don’t let anyone in the front courtyard know she’s here."
"And make sure she doesn’t talk."
Samantha’s eyes widened.
She finally understood.
They weren’t planning to let her leave freely.
She had walked into the Knight family’s estate looking for protection.
Instead, she’d walked straight into a trap.
Ethan glanced down at the mat where Samantha had been lying.
"Throw that away, too."
He turned his back.
As far as he was concerned, the problem had been solved.
From this moment forward, nothing would stand between him and the position he’d been working toward.
Nothing.
*****
Meanwhile, the situation at Kingswell Group had developed exactly as Ethan had hoped.
Even Nicholas had voted at the board meeting in favour of removing his own son, Ryan, from his position.
With the company thrown into turmoil, Nicholas had reluctantly agreed to take responsibility for the mess caused by Ryan’s decisions.
Whether deliberately or not, Nicholas had effectively moved to the other side.
That meant Ethan’s victory was almost guaranteed.
After all, as long as the father was still alive and still held power, it was difficult for any son to escape his shadow.
And perhaps, deep down, Nicholas resented Ryan more than anyone realized.
Ryan had always been too capable.
Too independent.
Too dominant.
Now he was finally being forced down.
Ethan couldn’t help but find the entire situation amusing.
But he wasn’t careless.
"Samantha’s disappearance needs to be handled properly."
He rubbed his chin.
He’d panicked when she’d threatened him and acted too quickly.
Looking back, he knew he’d taken a risk.
He should have waited.
He certainly shouldn’t have dealt with Samantha at the old family estate.
Fortunately, he’d acted quickly enough to prevent her from creating a scandal.
Now there was only one thing left to do.
Make sure she disappeared completely.
******
At the hospital, however, things were much calmer.
Ariel’s condition had improved considerably.
Although the experience had terrified her, the little girl had recovered far faster than Rose expected.
She was unusually mature for her age.
Even after everything she’d been through, Ariel remained remarkably calm.
Sometimes, watching her, Rose couldn’t help thinking of Ryan.
That same composure.
That same ability to observe everything without immediately revealing what she felt.
It left Rose with complicated emotions.
That afternoon, she brought Ariel several children’s books and some activity books to keep her occupied during her recovery.
She sat beside the bed and began cutting an apple into small pieces.
The door opened.
Assuming it was Trevor, Rose didn’t bother looking up.
"Look what your daddy brought you today."
Ariel turned toward the doorway.
Her wide eyes filled with confusion.
Then she smiled faintly.
"Hello, Uncle."
Rose’s knife stopped against the apple.
Her fingers froze.
Something about Ariel’s greeting made her heart skip.
She slowly lifted her head.
And then she saw him.
Ryan was sitting in a wheelchair just inside the doorway.
His injured leg was elevated, his face still pale from the ordeal.
But his dark eyes were fixed directly on her.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Rose’s hand remained frozen around the knife.
Ryan said nothing.
He simply looked at her.
And suddenly, the quiet hospital room felt far too small.