Into Eve

Breaking News!

"Chairman Austin Dawson of Dawson Group is dead!"

That was the headline that jolted the citizens of S Country awake that morning.

Austin Dawson-founder and chairman of Dawson Group was no ordinary businessman. His company was one of the top ten pillars of S Country's economy. In just six years, Dawson Group had climbed from number ten to number six on the list of national corporate giants.

In the center of the city in a luxurious apartment, a young woman stood under a hot shower, humming softly. Her long auburn hair clung to her petite frame, swaying gently with each motion.

Then she heard the news.

Freeze.

That was her first reaction.

Then she bolted out of the bathroom, water dripping down her half-washed body. She didn't even towel off. Instead, she yanked her wardrobe open, grabbed the nearest clothes without looking, threw them on haphazardly, and ran out to her car.

One hand gripping the steering wheel, she used the other to dial a number from memory. It rang three times before someone picked up.

"Mr. Long! What is this nonsense on the news? Saying my grandfather is dead? Who would spread such a vile rumor?"

Her voice was sharp with disbelief and fury.

"I want you to find out who's behind this and sue them. Do you hear me? Sue them all! How dare they wish death on my grandfather?!"

The young woman was Evelyn Dawson–granddaughter of Chairman Austin Dawson and president of Dawson Groups.

A brief pause came on the line. Then, in a somber voice, Mr. Long replied:

"

Ms. President... I'm sorry.

The news... is true.

The chairman is indeed dead."

Evelyn's car suddenly screeched to a halt in the middle of the road-so loud that even Mr. Long heard it through the phone.

"Ms. President! Are you okay?" he asked, alarmed. But Evelyn couldn't hear him. Not really. The words were echoing in her head, drowning out everything else.

"What do you mean, Mr. Long?" she asked, her voice trembling. Confusion clouded her thoughts. Surely, she had misunderstood him.

She had known Mr. Long for years-her grandfather's most loyal assistant. He wasn't the type to joke, let alone about something this... devastating.

"Ms. President," Mr. Long said again, more gently this time. His voice was heavy, laced with sorrow. "The Chairman... he's gone. He's dead."

"No," Evelyn breathed. Her hands tightened around the steering wheel. "No. That's not true. You're lying."

Her mind reeled.

Last night, her grandfather had told her he was going out for a quick drink with a shareholder. Just a short meeting, he'd said. He promised to return within a few hours. Evelyn had even promised to call him later to make sure he got home safe.

But she had fallen asleep–exhausted from an entire day of back-to-back meetings and deadlines.

When she woke up in the middle of the night, she had seen his message:

"I'm back. All good. Sleep well."

He had texted her. He had returned safely. So how could he be dead now?

Her grandfather had no health conditions-at least, none she knew of. He was strong, active, and always took care of himself. Nothing made sense.

"It's true, Ms. President," Mr. Long said softly. "The doctor said he suffered a sudden increase in blood pressure and collapsed. There was no one around to help... and he... he didn't make it."

There was silence on Evelyn's end. Then-

Click.

She ended the call.

Without another thought, she restarted the engine, spun the car around, and sped off toward A City Hospital.

-

The moment Evelyn arrived at the hospital, she pushed through the glass doors and rushed to the front desk, breathless and panicked.

"Chairman Austin Dawson," she said urgently. "What room is he in?"

"Please hold on," the receptionist said, typing quickly into the computer. "Room 407, fourth floor-"

But Evelyn didn't wait to hear the rest. She was already racing toward the elevators.

They were slow-too slow.

With her heart pounding in her chest, she turned and sprinted up the stairs. By the time she reached the fourth floor, her breath came in sharp gasps, but she didn't stop. She charged down the hallway, scanning the numbers until-

407.

She froze.

Just ahead, the door to Room 407 was open, and a group of nurses and a doctor were already wheeling a covered body out on a gurney.

"Wait!" Evelyn cried out, pushing her way through them. "That's my grandfather!"

"Ma'am, you're not allowed here," one of the nurses said firmly, trying to block her.