Chapter 340
No.1
Asleep at last.
He lifted her from the tub, wrapping the towel securely around her before carrying her out of the bathroom.
Morning light streamed through the windows. Isabella’s eyes fluttered open. She stared at the ornate ceiling above. This wasn't her room. But the familiarity was unnerving.
This place… It was the same suite from five years ago.
The memory slammed into her. The drug. Last night.
She turned her head. A man lay beside her.
Nathaniel Blackwood.
He was still asleep, his features softened in the gentle dawn light. A perfect, tranquil painting.
She felt no urge to admire him. Isabella threw the covers back. Her eyes narrowed. She was down to her underwear.
A quick glance at him. He wore a dark robe. The fabric gaped open, revealing the hard planes of his chest.
No.2
What…
What happened here?
She glared at him, her voice a low, furious hiss. “What did you do to me last night?!”
His eyes opened. He found her anxious, furious gaze fixed on him. A lazy, teasing smile touched his lips. “What do you think happened?”
That tone. That infuriating, knowing tone.
Isabella’s mind reeled. Did they…? Did he discover her secrets?
No. Stop. That wasn’t the point.
The evidence was right in front of her.
“Nathaniel, how dare you take advantage of me!”
“Me? Take advantage of you?”
No.3
He sat up, throwing his ruined shirt toward her. He pointed to the fresh scratch marks on his chest. “Look at this. Who assaulted whom here?”
She stared at the torn fabric. The marks on his skin did look… recent.
Wait. Did she… attack him under the drug’s influence?
“Well… We’re both adults. I was drugged. Let’s just… pretend this never happened.”
She scrambled out of bed and bolted for the bathroom.
Nathaniel remained seated, his expression freezing. “Pretend it never happened?” he muttered, a dark displeasure in his voice.
The thought made her stomach churn. She had been with Nathaniel Blackwood. Westchester’s most formidable bachelor.
“If you require compensation for your… losses, I’ll pay you one million. Not a penny more.”
Nathaniel went completely still. One million? She was offering him money?
Thank god nothing actually happened last night. Her reaction was already this extreme. He could only imagine the fallout if it had.
No.4
He pressed further, his voice dropping. “You’re a grown woman. Can’t you tell if something truly occurred?”
The implication sank in. Her brow furrowed in sudden, dawning comprehension.
Nathaniel made a valid point. Isabella couldn't detect any pain or discomfort throughout her body. In fact, she felt completely normal.
The more she assessed herself, the more Isabella realized nothing felt off. That could only mean one thing…
“So nothing happened between us?” she asked, still dazed. “You truly didn’t take advantage of me?”
“Rest assured, I’m not so desperate as to exploit someone in that state,” Nathaniel replied, his tone slightly sharp as he moved toward the bathroom.
As he passed by, Isabella’s gaze remained fixed on his retreating figure, disbelief swirling within her.
Could Nathaniel be telling the truth? Had he really done nothing to her last night?
This was the same man who had proposed marriage the moment they met. Was it possible he showed such restraint when the opportunity arose?
A strange sense of gratitude washed over her.
No.5
Nathaniel emerged from the bathroom already dressed in fresh attire.
He handed her a bag from the nearby locker. “Your clothes are in here.”
“Thank you.” Isabella accepted it and made her way to the bathroom.
As she passed him, she paused. “Did I… do anything unusual last night?”
Nathaniel’s mind flashed to the previous night’s events. “What do you think?”
His suggestive tone made her cheeks flush instantly.
She had torn his clothes off! Was that not outrageous enough?
“Ahem! Just… forget I asked. There’s no need to remember any of it!”
Nathaniel eyed her curiously. “Why?”
Why? How could he even ask that?
No.6
Isabella’s temper flared. “Nathaniel, what are you playing at? Do you want me to end our agreement?”
Incredible. She still had the nerve to threaten him.
Nathaniel found her endearing with her disheveled hair and unusually expressive face—so different from her usual icy demeanor.
Knowing she had a long day ahead, he decided not to tease her further. “Don’t worry. I’ve already forgotten everything about last night.” He would keep those memories private, locked away as something precious.
Isabella huffed and stormed into the bathroom.
The space had been thoroughly cleaned, erasing all traces of the previous night’s chaos. Yet, it couldn’t erase the hazy images lingering in her mind…
When her eyes fell on the bathtub, the memory of her tearing off her clothes while Nathaniel restrained her resurfaced vividly.
Her heart raced uncontrollably. Last night had been utterly unbelievable!
Embarrassment flooded her, but so did fury at how close she had come to disaster. She wanted Lawrence Chamberlain dead!
Down in the lobby, Dominic received a message on his phone and promptly arrested Lawrence.
No.7
Lawrence dropped to his knees. Though terrified of Dominic, he persisted with his lie. “I’ve been wronged! Manager Genevieve investigated this! The footage clearly shows Ms. Isabella invited me and requested… special services!”
As he spoke, Dominic stepped forward and handed a tablet to Nathaniel. “Sir, the video evidence suggests Ms. Isabella was the one who summoned him. Multiple witnesses confirm it.”
The video indeed showed Beatrice Holloway relaying a message to Lawrence, instructing him to visit Isabella’s room. It also showed Isabella opening the door voluntarily to let him in.
Nathaniel set the tablet aside and fixed a cold, penetrating gaze on Lawrence.