Austin’s pupils shrank as he abruptly shot to his feet. “Where are you?” Holding his phone, he strode out of the conference room, his usual composed demeanor shattered; his steps were hurried, almost frantic. It was completely out of character for him. Everyone in the room exchanged puzzled glances. “What the hell just happened?”

In the private room at the karaoke joint, Todd struggled to push himself up from the floor. His body swayed as he staggered toward Suzanne. “You little bitch, I’m gonna kill you…” He refused to believe it. She was just a woman drugged out of her mind. There was no way she could fight back.

Suzanne’s heart pounded wildly, but she forced herself to stay calm. Her expression was tense, filled with wariness. “Todd, stay the hell away from me.” She kept retreating, trying to put distance between them. The call was still connected. Austin heard everything—every single word. His blood turned ice-cold as an overwhelming wave of fury consumed him. His voice was low and lethal. “Suzanne, hold on. I’m coming.”

In the next second, the phone was snatched away. Todd furiously hurled it to the ground, shattering it into pieces. His eyes burned with rage as he glared at Suzanne. “You really had the guts to make a call?” He lunged forward, grabbing a fistful of her hair and dragging her toward the bed. “I swear to God I’ll make you suffer tonight!” Pain shot through her scalp as she gritted her teeth, fighting off the strange heat coursing through her body. Her gaze flicked to the glass ashtray on the bed. She let his force fling her onto the mattress. In the next instant, she grabbed the ashtray and smashed it down on Todd’s head—hard.

Todd crumpled to the floor, groaning as he writhed in pain. “You fucking—” But this time, he didn’t get back up. His body went limp, and he blacked out.

Suzanne lay there, drenched in cold sweat. She was completely drained. Her vision blurred, and the entire room spun around her. No. She had to get out of here—now. She dug her nails into the inside of her thigh, the sharp sting forcing a moment of clarity. Using that brief window, she pushed herself up. But when she caught sight of the skimpy lingerie she had been dressed in, rage boiled inside her. Her eyes darted to the discarded dress shirt on the floor—the one Todd had tossed aside. Holding back her disgust, she grabbed it and threw it on, buttoning it up as fast as she could.

Without a second thought, she rushed toward the door. But her body was sluggish, with every step heavier than the last. Her head spun violently. She had burned through most of her strength by the time she stumbled into the hallway. She clung to the wall, barely keeping herself upright as she staggered toward the elevators. The heat inside her burned like a fire, and her mind was slipping farther away. She bit down on her lip, using the pain to keep herself grounded.

A staff member noticed her struggling and quickly stepped up to help. The woman frowned, concerned. “Miss, do you need help?” Suzanne barely registered the words. Her vision was fading fast, the feverish sensation consuming her.

Before she could even respond, a familiar voice rang out. Seline had just come downstairs when she spotted Suzanne. Her expression darkened. How the hell had Suzanne gotten out? She was supposed to be unconscious! And Todd—where the hell was Todd? Mandy had personally arranged for him!

Suzanne’s heart clenched. Panic surged through her as she weakly reached out to the staff member. “Take me…” But before she could finish, Seline quickly stepped forward with a warm, reassuring smile. She gently pulled Suzanne into her arms before turning to the staff member. “It’s okay. My sister just had a little too much to drink.” She smoothly pushed the woman aside and let Suzanne lean against her. “I’ve got her.”

The staff member hesitated for a moment, but seeing that they were both young women who shared a slight resemblance, she didn’t think much of it. She nodded. “Alright. Just let me know if you need anything.” Seline kept up her sweet act, responding softly, “Thank you so much.”

Seline let out a relieved breath only when the staff disappeared down the hall. She glared down at Suzanne, gritting her teeth. Useless piece of shit! Even drugged, this bitch had somehow managed to get away. And Todd? He was worthless. He couldn’t even handle a drugged woman.

She started dragging Suzanne back, but Suzanne fought back, weakly shoving her away. Her voice was hoarse, but her words were sharp. “Seline! How the hell do you have the audacity to do this?” Had he not been drugged, Seline wouldn’t have had the guts to even try this. But right now, Seline’s gaze swept over Suzanne’s flushed face and her trembling limbs. She smirked. The drug was doing its job. There was no way Suzanne could fight back now. She had spent a fortune getting her hands on that stuff specifically for tonight.