Chapter 128

Joanna remained silent, her silence a potent statement. She stared at the man before her, awaiting the drug's effects. Sephia had assured her the drug was potent—its effects would manifest within two to three minutes. "I haven't seen its effects firsthand," Joanna thought, "but I can't help feeling a flicker of anticipation."

From the moment she first saw Hayden, Joanna had been captivated. She'd never encountered anyone so handsome. His refined demeanor, his commanding presence—everything about him was mesmerizing. She thought, Just his presence alone has stolen my heart. Despite her attempts to draw closer, Hayden consistently rejected her advances. Extensive inquiries revealed he'd worn a rosary bracelet since childhood, a symbol of his aloofness and aversion to women. Reassured, she'd decided to approach him slowly, certain he would eventually relent.

Who would have thought two months would pass, and he still hadn't touched her? Her first attempt to drug him had failed. "This time," she thought, her pulse quickening, "Hayden will finally be mine." The seconds ticked by, yet the man before her remained utterly unchanged.

"You..." Joanna began, her voice wavering, her gaze shifting nervously.

Hayden twirled his wineglass, regarding her with amusement. "What? Are you waiting for me to do something?" Her heart leaped into her throat. She looked at him in disbelief, wanting to speak, but her throat tightened. Hayden drank his wine.

"Did you really think such a trivial trick could fool me, Joanna? Are you underestimating me, or overestimating yourself?" His words cut like a blade, his derision unmistakable.

"How did you..." Joanna's voice trailed off as warmth spread through her body. An unbearable heat consumed her. After a brief panic, she clutched her wineglass, staring at it in disbelief. "Could it be... could it be the..." Murmuring a few words, she looked up at Hayden. "No way! Your drink was clearly... the wrong one!" she whispered. There's an untouched bottle in the closet. How could I possibly make a mistake? Hayden's sharp gaze, filled with mocking disdain, fell upon her. "You lured me upstairs, conveniently left wine here, and thought I wouldn't notice?" Joanna opened her mouth to respond, but the intense heat stole her voice. A desperate emptiness consumed her thoughts.

Hayden looked down at her arrogantly. "Last time at the office, you were the one who put the drug in my..." Only Joanna possessed the drug; Yvonne had been an accidental victim. "...codec."

Unfortunately, Joanna was now unconscious from the drug's effects. "Hot... help me..." she muttered, crawling toward Hayden helplessly, her instincts overriding reason. "Help me... please..."

Hayden stared at her, showing no intention of helping. Yasir burst into the room, stopping short in shock. "What the hell is this? A crawling ghost!"

Hayden's tone remained dismissive as he turned to Yasir. "Did you bring the man?"

Yasir hesitated, then nodded quickly, gesturing to the bodyguards. "Yes, he's here." The guards brought a man into the room and threw him onto the bed.

Joanna struggled to regain consciousness, glaring weakly at Hayden. "What are you doing?" she asked, her voice broken.

Hayden's response was chilling. "Enjoy the trap you set for me." With that, he left, the door slamming shut.

Yasir wiped sweat from his brow, still dazed. "Are we really just going to leave them like that?" he asked uncertainly, glancing back nervously.

Hayden shot him a cold glance. "Why don't you go in and take his place?"

Yasir flinched, waving his hands. "No, no, no... That has nothing to do with me, right? I mean, wasn't Joanna someone you were fond of? Are you really okay with another man touching her!" Yasir was reeling from Hayden's earlier message. After all the rumors about how smitten Hayden is with his new flame, this is unexpected.

Hayden turned away, his expression unreadable, and commanded Curly, "Lock the door." Yasir, stunned, muttered, "What a jerk," but complied.

Inside the room, Joanna had somehow crawled onto the bed, her body entwined with the man they'd brought in. The room echoed with their desperate movements. Behind the curtains, Ethan closed his eyes in disgust. Mr. Parker really gave me the worst assignment this time, he thought, his irritation barely contained.

Half an hour later, Sophia stormed into the ballroom, tears streaming down her face. "My daughter is missing!" she cried, dragging a group upstairs to search. Yosef tried to stop her but failed, reluctantly following. Lucy and I exchanged amused glances and followed, eager to see the unfolding drama.

"How could a perfectly fine adult just vanish? I bet it's another one of Sophia and Joanna's ridiculous ploys," Lucy snorted.

I chuckled, already envisioning the scene. Lucy squinted curiously. "You're awfully calm. Earlier, you were running all over looking for Hayden. Don't tell me you've fallen for him again!"

I rolled my eyes. "What's going on in that head of yours? Look at Sophia—she's pulling out all the stops, even bringing reporters. What do you think she's up to?"

Lucy's face showed realization. "Oh... You're saying this is some sort of setup? Like she's planning to catch someone in the..."

I smirked. "Exactly. And with all eyes on Joanna and Hayden, they'll have no choice but to deal with the fallout."

I laughed. "Why not! With everyone watching, Joanna and Hayden were caught together. Shouldn't he take responsibility?"

"That's true. Wow, this is really surprising," Lucy exclaimed. I've never heard of this kind of thing. She suddenly remembered something and grabbed me. "Wait a minute! They're going to catch your husband cheating, and you don't even react?"

"Should I react to that?" The question caught me off guard. Lucy was speechless.

While we spoke, the group stopped before Room 503. The manager, clearly in on Sophia's plan, gestured at the door. "This is Ms. Charlotte's room."

"Open it now! I need to see my daughter!" Sophia barked impatiently, her voice trembling with feigned concern. Once this door opens, Hayden will have no choice but to make me his mother-in-law, and in Elysiumville, I'll be untouchable!