Chapter 257
Alexander
1 exchanged glances with Leo. Charles Caldwell was a force in investment banking, with tentacles reaching into every major financial institution in New York. If Selena had refused his daughter, her career at Thornfield might have mysteriously stalled.
Still, that was no excuse.
“Walk me through exactly what happened,” I demanded.
Selena took a deep breath. “Vanessa contacted me about two weeks before the Morrison event. She flew me to New York and put me up at the Plaza. She gave me cash, ten thousand dollars, and this little vial of clear liquid. She said all I had to do was find someone to slip it in your drink during the party.”
‘And you just happened to know a bartender who’d do it?”
Selena shook her head. “I created a fake I*******m account and found someone who regularly posted about working high–end events. The bartender was easy to convince once I mentioned the money.”
“Tyler Phillips,” Leo supplied.
“I don’t remember his name,” Selena said quickly. “It was just business.”
“Just business,” I echoed, disgust evident in my voice. “Drugging someone is ‘just business‘ to you?”
Her eyes flashed defensively. “She swore it wasn’t dangerous! Just something to make you more… amenable. Like a strong drink, but faster.”
“And you believed her.”
“I didn’t think she’d actually hurt you,” Selena insisted. “She seemed genuinely infatuated. Said you’d been leading her on for months.”
I barked out a laugh. “I’ve been actively avoiding her for months. There’s a difference.”
“Well, she didn’t present it that way.” Selena crossed her arms. “She said you two had this intense connection, but you were afraid to commit because of your playboy reputation.”
Leo snorted. “Did she mention she’s delusional?”
I held up a hand, silencing him. “So you met with the bartender, paid him, and then what?”
“I attended the party,” Selena admitted. “Stayed just long enough to make sure he did it. I saw you take the drink, and then I left immediately after. Vanessa said she’d take it from there.‘
“Did she tell you what was in the vial?”
Selena shook her head. “I didn’t ask. I assumed it was some kind of… I don’t know, party drug? Something to make you more-”
“You drugged me,” I cut in, my patience evaporating. “Do you understand what could have happened? I could
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have died I could have been assaulted. My company could have suffered irreparable damage”
** didn’t know!“ Tears welled in het eyes. “I swear, Alexander. Vanessa said it was harmless!”
“And after?” Leo pressed. “What happened next?”
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Selena wiped her eyes with trembling fingers. “Nothing. I flew back to London the next day. Vanessa texted me that night, saying you’d left the party early and that her plan hadn’t worked. I deleted the [*******m account and tried to forget the whole thing.”
Something cold settled in my stomach. Vanessa had been at the Knight Industries building that morning–the same day I was drugged. She’d made a scene with Madison and dumped water on her. And then I’d been drugged that night. And we’d…
My thoughts screeched to a halt. If Vanessa’s plan had worked as intended, it would have been her in my penthouse that night, not Madison. The implications made my blood run cold.
“So Vanessa Caldwell drugged me to get me into bed?” I asked, my voice dangerously calm.
Selena nodded, looking relieved that I seemed to understand. “That was the plan. She said you two had chemistry but needed a little… push.”
“A push,” I repeated flatly. “She calls drugging someone ‘a push‘?”
“Look, I didn’t ask for details.” Selena ran a hand through her hair, messing up her perfect waves. “She just said it would lower your inhibitions and make you more receptive to her advances.”
“And what were her plans after that?”
Selena shrugged. “I don’t know. She didn’t share her grand scheme with me.”
“What about now?” I pressed, studying her face for any sign of deception. “What are you two planning next since your little drugging attempt failed?”
“Nothing! I haven’t spoken to her since that night.”
“Really?” I crossed my arms. “The stock crash at Knight Industries happened pretty conveniently after your failed attempt. You expect me to believe that’s a coincidence?”
“I had nothing to do with that,” she insisted. “After the drug thing failed, I washed my hands of the whole situation Vanessa was furious that it didn’t work, but I told her I was done.”
“Furious, how?”
“She called me the next morning, screaming that you’d left the event early and her plan was ruined.” Selena sighed. “I told her it wasn’t my problem anymore. That was the last I heard from her.”
I glanced at Leo, who gave me a subtle nod. We were thinking the same thing; Vanessa’s timeline matched what we knew. I’d left the event early, returned to my penthouse, and texted Madison instead of Dr. Peterson.
“Your phone,” I said suddenly, holding out my hand. “Let me see it.”
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Chapter 257
+25 BONUS
“What? No!” Selena clutched her purse tighter. “You can’t just demand-
Leo moved swiftly, snatching the purse from her grip before she could react. He handed it to me with a smirk.
“This is outrageous!” Selena protested, reaching for her bag. “That’s my personal property!”
1 ignored her, digging through the designer purse until I found her phone. “Password,” I demanded.
“Go to hell,” she spat.
Leo stepped closer, his presence looming over her. “The password, Selena. Now.”
She glared at us both before reluctantly muttering, “0519.”
I punched in the numbers, and the phone unlocked. I quickly navigated to her messages, searching for Vanessa’s name. There it was: a thread of texts between Selena and Vanessa Caldwell.
I scrolled through their conversation, my eyes narrowing as I scanned the exchanges. Most of it was innocuous, just typical chatter about shopping, mutual acquaintances, and London weather. There was nothing explicitly incriminating after the drug incident, just a few terse exchanges where Vanessa clearly seemed upset that the plan hadn’t worked.
I checked her social media apps next, looking for suspicious contacts or messages. Nothing stood out—just the typical I*******m posts of someone trying to project a perfect life. Her email was similarly unremarkable, filled with work correspondence and newsletters.
“Satisfied?” she asked with forced bravado.
I handed the phone back to Leo, who did his own quick scan before returning it to Selena.
“For now,” I said, straightening my jacket. “But make no mistake. We are watching you.”
Selena clutched her phone to her chest like a shield. “I’ve told you everything I know. It was a mistake, okay? A stupid mistake.”
“A mistake that could have had serious consequences,” I replied coldly. “Do you know what happens when CEOS of major corporations are drugged at public events? Stock prices plummet. Thousands of jobs are put at risk. Lives are ruined.”
“I didn’t think-”
“Clearly,” I cut her off. “And that’s your problem, Selena. You didn’t think.”
Chapter 258
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
