[This chapter is the continuation of the story from Jinhai's perspective]
All Jinhai could hear was Coffee's barking. The bullet was silent as it flew through the air. He only knew it hit its mark when the bullet exited through the front of Evelyn's body. Her eyes went wide for a second before she began to collapse.
"Evelyn!" Jinhai screamed her name. He caught her before she could hit the ground. He turned her so that he could shield her from any other bullets if there were any.
Fear shot through his veins like ice. Through his peripheral vision, he could see the swarm of his trained bodyguards as they surrounded them. Some took off in pursuit of the shooter.
"Get the car!" Jinhai barked at the guards. He needed to get her to a hospital and fast.
He put one hand on the front of her body to put pressure on the wound to keep it from bleeding. He used his body to stop the bleeding from her back. He gave instructions for someone to call ahead to prepare for their arrival.
The driver sped and broke every traffic law, nearly causing several accidents. The driver was less afraid of tickets and fines, than of Jinhai's wrath. Sirens blared in pursuit but the driver didn't stop until they reached the emergency bay. Once there Jinhai carried her out of the car and onto the waiting stretcher.
He ran with the nurses as far as he could before one of them stopped him. He watched as she was wheeled into the operating room. He could only stare at the doors as he stood frozen to the spot.
He didn't know how long he stood there. The thought of loosing her was unbearable.
"Sir," Assistant Xin appeared by his side. Jinhai didn't hear him. Assistant Xin had to try for several more minutes before Jinhai came out of his daze.
"What?" Jinhai's tone was curt and Assistant Xin didn't take offense.
"We got the guy," he reported. "Good," Jinhai replied. He didn't move, his eyes still glued to the doors.
"We should notify CEO Wei," Xin said. After a moment Jinhai took his phone out of his pocket. He quickly located the number and dialed.
"What happened?" Deming's voice came through. No doubt, Deming was aware something had happened this morning due to the police that had followed them.
"Evelyn was shot," Jinhai said. Jinhai heard a crash on the other end of the line.
"What!?" Deming yelled. "They're operating on her now," Jinhai said.
"Where?" Deming asked. "Beijing University Hospital," Jinhai replied.
"I'll be right there. Sun! Cancel my appointments for today and get the car ready. We're going to Beijing-" that was all Jinhai heard before the line went dead. Jinhai shoved his phone back into his pocket.
"I've cancelled all your appointments for today," Assistant Xin reported. He handed Jinhai some breakfast but Jinhai refused. He went to sit down in one of the chairs and put his face in his hands.
Assistant Xin could do nothing but stand there as he watched his boss with sympathy. He said nothing and just waited for whatever instructions he would receive.
Not long after, Deming, Assistant Sun and Ben arrived. It was just around then that a nurse came out to inform the family.
"The doctor is working on her left lower shoulder now. The bullet was through and through and missed any major organs. The only thing is she lost a lot of blood," the nurse said. "We need to do a transfusion," she said.
"I'll donate to her," Jinhai said. Everyone turned to him.
"Um," the nurse looked uncomfortable. Deming looked at him with curiosity but didn't protest.
"We have the same blood type. Same properties. She donated to me many years ago," Jinhai said. He was annoyed with having to explain it but he tapered his temper.
"Come with me," the nurse relented. Jinhai went with her and they quickly drew his blood. Assistant Xin stood with him. Afterward, Jinhai felt a little light headed due to his anxiety and the blood loss.
Assistant Xin walked behind him as Jinhai walked slowly back to the waiting area. Zain, Phoenix, and Chloe were there as well. Zain quickly walked forward and helped Jinhai into a chair.
He thrust food into Jinhai's hand and stood over him until he ate his breakfast and had some apple juice.
When he was strong enough he stood off to the side and whispered to his assistant and Zain.
"Who sent him?" Jinhai demanded. "Chengs," Zain responded in an icy cold voice.
Jinhai could feel his blood boil and he had to close his eyes to refrain from going after them.
"This is bad," Zain said. "What does that mean?" Assistant Xin asked.
"It means that she knows something," Jinhai said. 'Shit!' he thought. Zain was right and it was bad. The fact that they would go so far as to try to silence her was really bad. She knew something, but what she knew he didn't.
He felt only marginally better because he knew that her current injuries weren't life threatening. But it was too close. He would never allow for another opportunity.
"Xin, I want at least six trained guards with her at all times. Two females," Jinhai said. Assistant Xin immediately began looking for the appropriate bodyguards.
"What are we going to do?" Zain asked Jinhai. "We can't do anything until she wakes up," Jinhai answered.
Phoenix walked up to them. "What happened this morning?" She was looking at Jinhai. He turned to face her. Her eyes shone with a fierce intensity. Anyone could tell she was angry as hell.
Jinhai took a breath and relayed that they were out for a walk this morning when the shot had ran out. He left out the part about him staying over. He wasn't sure if Evelyn had told anyone about them.
Phoenix's expression darkened as she listened to him. "Where's the shooter?" she asked.
Jinhai raised an eyebrow. Phoenix said nothing as she nodded sharply and returned to the others.
Before the day was over the shooter would be at the bottom of the ocean, but there was no need to traumatize Phoenix with that information.
Zain looked over at Jinhai and refused to look at Phoenix. "Are you okay?" Zain asked him.
"Not yet," Jinhai replied. Zain said nothing as they waited with the rest of Evelyn's family for her to get out of surgery.
Deming contacted Mingxi to stay with the animals and for John to do light work around the office. He also contacted Lady An to relay what had happened and sent a car for her.
It was close to noon when everyone except Deming, Jinhai, and Zain went to get lunch. Deming held back all his questions until now. They all stepped outside into his car.
"Was it the Cheng's?" Deming asked. "Yes," Jinhai replied looking him straight in the eyes. Deming's face remained passive except for his eyes. His eyes took on a murderous look and Jinhai had no doubt he was contemplating murder.
"Where is the shooter?" he asked in a tone similar to one in which someone would ask about the weather.
"You'll take me to him," Deming said in a tone that neither implied a question nor a demand. Jinhai nodded. Jinhai wanted last dibs on the shooter but he would relinquish that to Deming. But he would take the first swing.
"Was she involved?" Jinhai asked. Jinhai saw the understanding dawn on the older man's face.
"She didn't talk to me about it. But she assured me that she would not implicate herself," Deming answered. "That doesn't tell me anything," Jinhai replied.
"It's obvious that she knows something," Zain said. "She may not actually be aware that she knows it," Deming replied.
Back when Shawn's father ran the CGC, the company began to take a decline due to his spendthrift ways, as well as the the numerous amount of bad investments. If Evelyn had not been involvement with Shawn, neither Li Corp nor Wei's World Organization would have stepped in to assist. They would have bought Cheng's Global Corporation and liquidated it among their two groups.
Jinhai knew that Deming wanted to do that now. He wanted to destroy the Cheng's. Neither men went to the extremes because they were not sure that Evelyn would not be caught in the cross fires.
They all agreed to wait until Evelyn woke up before they made anymore decisions.
When everyone arrived back to the room the doctors came out. They were told that Evelyn made it through surgery and would need a little time to come out of the anesthesia.
Jinhai felt the relief course through him when he finally saw Evelyn again. Her face was serene as she slept. Her fingers were interlocked and on her stomach. He took a seat next to her bed and placed a hand over hers.
His newly hired guards were outside of her room. They were several guards that Deming had hired as well.
The sky was beginning to darken as he rested his head down on the bed. He couldn't believe how close he was to losing her this morning. He would never allow the opportunity to happen ever again.
Phoenix was in the room as well. She was on the other side of Evelyn gazing down with tears in her eyes. It was in this moment that there was no doubt that it was Evelyn that kept everyone together.
Jinhai remembered all the times that he sat by her just like this when she lay in the hospital bed. She may not have known it, but he was there every single time.
He was there when she was younger and she was sick. No one one was able to get him to leave her side until she was well again. He would get her water and provide whatever help she needed.
When she was in the hospital during her first miscarriage he had hid from her. But during the nights when she was alone, he sat with her. She had been heavily sedated so she had no idea. But he remembered. He would sit beside her and he had placed his hand on hers. He had comforted her when her nightmares first began. He whispered comforting things and brushed the hair tenderly from her face.
He had hoped that her husband had taken care of her when they had gone home. That was all he could do for her then and he had done it in silence. But now, she was his. She was his to love and to care for.
The universe had a sick sense of humor. Now that she was with him, he almost lost her. His grip on her hand tightened.
He felt his eyes burn with the threat of tears. But he bit them back. "Was it Shawn?" Phoenix asked. He shook his head.
"No," he answered. "Her father-in-law?" she asked. He nodded, he hadn't taken his eyes off of Evelyn's face. He lifted his head to meet Phoenix's eyes.
Her fists were clenched around her sides. "You don't seem surprised," he noted. Jinhai's curiosity piqued.
"No, I'm not," she said in a low voice. He eyed her curiously. "Why aren't you surprised?" Jinhai asked.
She eyed him and contemplated her response. "She's not one of them anymore. She no longer has to protect them," she answered.
"What do you know?" Jinhai asked her. "What she's told me. She should be the one to tell you," she nodded toward Evelyn.
"Jinhai, they will kill her to keep their secret. But she would also never reveal those secrets," Phoenix said. His brows furrowed together.
"Was she involved?" Jinhai asked. Phoenix shook her head but her forehead creased. "I don't think she was," she answered. But Jinhai noticed how nervous she looked and that worried him.
He turned back to her and willed her to open her eyes and to tell him what she knew. For the first time in his life he felt fear. Fear of losing the woman he loved. Fear of the unknown.
Phoenix walked around the bed and placed a hand on his shoulder. She gave a gentle squeeze. He breathed in deeply.
They were never particularly close but their love for Evelyn always bonded them together. Neither was jealous of each other's time with Evelyn. Jinhai was always grateful that Phoenix was there for Evelyn when he wasn't. It was what made her endearing to him. He was also aware of his brother's feelings for her. He hoped they worked through their misunderstandings soon.
Beneath his fingers he felt Evelyn's fingers twitch. His attention shot to her face. Her face remained serene.
"I think she's coming out of it," he said as he anxiously stood up and his hands gripped her shoulders. Phoenix left the room to find everyone else.
"Evelyn, wake up," Jinhai said to her over and over again. It was like she heard him, she began to open her eyes. It was with great relief when her eyes finally turned on him.