CHAPTER 077
JULIAN’S POV
I felt her hands slowly sliding down my chest, going dangerously close to the waistband of my pants. Instinctively, I placed both hands on her shoulders and pushed her back, though gently enough not to startle her.
“Look, lady–whatever it is you think is happening here, you’ve got it all wrong,” I said firmly, locking eyes with her so she’d get the message.
She gave me a sly smirk and took a step forward, undeterred. “Relax. There’s no need to be shy,” she said, her voice smooth and seductive. “I’ll take good care of you.”
I was already backed into the wall, with nowhere else to go without physically shoving her away. I raised my index finger, holding it up between us like a stop sign. “Enough,” I warned, my tone sharper this time.
Finally, she hesitated and stopped coming. She blinked at me, confusion flickering across her face. Then, her expression shifted to annoyance. “Dude, what’s your deal? You were giving me all kinds of signals at the event earlier and now you’re playing hard to get?”
I frowned. Signals? What was she even talking about? I hadn’t interacted with her beyond the basics. “I honestly don’t know what you’re referring to. I never gave you any signals,” I replied calmly but firmly.
Her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “So then, why did you follow me back here?”
she shot back.
e were
I raised a brow at her. “Follow you? I thought coming here for an interview,” I said, trying to stick to the story.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “An interview? In a private room like this?” she asked, gesturing to the secluded space with its minimal lighting and questionable decor.
“Unfortunately, yes. And trust me, I certainly didn’t expect you to try and molest me the moment we got here,” I said flatly.
Her smug expression faltered. She took a half–step back, her eyes narrowing slightly. as if something had just clicked in her mind. “Wait a minute… We just met tonight. I never told you I was a reporter. So how did you know?”
Damn it. I shouldn’t have mentioned the interview. That was a rookie mistake.
“I…uh…I saw you interviewing people on the news once,” I stammered, trying to sound as casual as possible. “Figured y Successfully unlocked Stonight, too.”
But she wasn’t buying it. She shook her head slowly, her suspicion growing. “No, no.
That doesn’t add up. There’s something really off about you.” She backed away further, reaching for her purse on the table behind her. “I’m leaving.”
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CHAPTER 077
So much for keeping our cover intact. It was clear now that she was getting
suspicious and fast. But at least we weren’t in a public area. No one was around. That meant we could proceed with Plan B.
Before she could reach the door, I stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. “And who said you could leave?” I asked coldly.
Her eyes widened as she struggled to pull away. “Let go of me or I’ll call security!” she snapped, panic beginning to creep into her voice.
“In this situation, you’re really not in a position to make threats,” I told her, tightening my grip just enough to stop her from bolting.
Right on cue, Ron and the others walked into the room, quiet and composed.
“No one followed?” I asked without taking my eyes off her.
Ron gave me a curt nod. “We’re clear.”
Her gaze darted between each of them, realization dawning as fear spread across her face. “Who are you people? Are you all with him?” she asked, her voice trembling.
The fear in her eyes told me she finally understood–this wasn’t some drunken flirtation gone wrong.
Jack stepped forward slowly, holding a glass of champagne in his hand. The pale golden liquid shimmered under the dim lights, but I knew better than to be fooled by appearances–he’d already spiked it with something powerful just as planned.
“I’ve seen all your faces,” she warned, her tone trembling but defiant. “If you’re trying to kidnap me, you’re making a huge mistake. I have connections. Powerful ones. I’ll ruin every single one of you.”
I smirked, not even bothering to hide my amusement. “Let me guess… you’re talking about using that tiny payment Adrian Westwood gave you to destroy our lives?” I said, my voice low and mocking.
Her bravado faltered instantly. Her eyes widened, flicking between us in disbelief. I could see it on her face–the way she stiffened, the slight shake in her hands–she was rattled. She hadn’t expected that. She was probably scrambling in her mind,
wondering how we knew about her dirty little deal with Adrian.
Jack stepped closer, raising the glass in her direction with a calm, deliberate hand..
“Drink this,” he said, his voice firm and emotionless.
She stared at the glass like it was a venomous snake. “I’d rather not. Thank you,” she replied coldly, backing away slightly.
Without warning, she swung her right arm, attempting to knock the champagne from Jack’s hand. Her movement was quick, but Jack was quicker–he stepped back just in time, the drink still intact.
That was enough. I moved in, grabbing her flailing arm before she could try anything
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else, holding her steady. Her struggles got more and more intense, but she wasn’t strong enough to break free.
Jack approached again, his face unreadable, and with one hand, he grabbed her jaw and forced her lips apart with his thumb. Then, he poured the champagne into her mouth.
“Swallow,” he said.
She had no choice. With her throat constricting around the liquid, instinct kicked in. She swallowed, coughing slightly afterward but otherwise fine–for now.
I finally let her go, and she stumbled backward, holding her wrists, her breathing. ragged and uneven.
“What did you put in that?” she demanded, her voice sharp with fear. She looked around, hoping for answers, but none of us said a word. We simply watched her.
It wouldn’t take long.
Her eyes darted to her purse. In a frantic rush, she grabbed it, yanked it open, and
out her phone. Her fingers fumbled as she unlocked it and began dialing.
She was going to try it anyway.
None of us moved. We didn’t need to. It was already too late.
Just as she hovered over the call button, her entire body froze for a second. Her phone slipped from her hand, hitting the floor with a soft thud. Then her knees buckled beneath her, and she collapsed.
Silence filled the room for a beat, and then Jack slowly crouched down and picked up her phone.
“She was just about to hit send,” he said, showing the screen. “Close one.”
I nodded, stepping forward. “Doesn’t matter anymore. That call was never going through.”
We all gathered around her, watching her lie motionless on the floor. She was breathing, barely, but she was out cold.
At this point her confession was not that important anymore, her phone was opened and there should be a chat or some kind of transaction that she must have had with Adrian that we could use as part of the proof, this would scare her up a little and she would have no choice but to say the truth.
