The drug's effects on Richard hadn't worn off; however, a slight coolness swept over him in the water, calming him. Richard looked at Tiffany, who glared at him with a fierce expression. He felt a little guilty. Initially, seeing her gloating, he'd pulled her back playfully, but he'd overestimated his self-control. Even drugged, he remained calm around other women because he felt complete disgust and rejection. No woman had ever gotten close. However, he regretted his actions the moment he dragged Tiffany back; he'd underestimated her fatal attraction. Internally, he was at war with himself; his usually strong self-control faltered. His only thought was to possess her.

Richard's eyes burned as he stared at Tiffany's slightly swollen lips, recalling her sweet scent. Seeing her fierce expression, however, he said seriously, "To be fair, you can kiss me back."

Tiffany was speechless, only glaring before angrily climbing the steps. (It could be said she'd just detoxified him!) Richard, the damn man, was so handsome. Even in a flirtatious posture, his noble aura remained. He possessed a divine, untouchable presence with an ineffable demonic air; the combination was captivating and seductive.

What could Tiffany do? She forgave him. Fortunately, her waist-length dress, with its layers of gauze, provided sufficient coverage even when drenched. Her most curious thing was Richard's incredible strength. To say she merely thought him skilled would be an understatement.

After hesitating, she softly asked, "Mr. Hampton, may I ask a question?"

Unexpectedly, Richard replied, "If I say no, will this end the conversation?"

Tiffany's face darkened. Her expression accused him: "I helped detoxify you, and you turned hostile instantly!" (Search Find_Novel.net on Google for early access to chapters.)

Richard went along with it, a faint smile in his dark eyes. The little girl is cute, even when angry, he thought.

"How did I get to the tree?" Tiffany asked, suspecting hallucination.

Richard openly admitted, "As you can see—" As he spoke, two towels nearby flew into Tiffany's hands.

Tiffany blinked, her eyes shining. She felt she was looking at a shining superhero; I get to hold onto Richard! she thought, amazed. However, she reflected on her own secrets: her poison immunity, James's alchemy teachings, and the life-extending pills she could refine. This calmed her slightly, though her eyes still shone when looking at him. Richard is unfathomable. He's incredibly powerful; befriending him would be beneficial, but he'd be a formidable opponent, she mused. She blinked and tried to curry favor: "Richard, you don't hold a grudge, do you? I didn't offend you, right?"

Richard smiled meaningfully. "Of course not. But…aren't you going to remove your mask and wipe your face?" He remembered her tightly clutching it when she fell into the water. She's afraid of blowing her cover, he thought.

Tiffany immediately slipped away. As long as I run fast enough, I won't fall off the horse, she thought, running barefoot, detouring to avoid other guests.

Jane was shocked. "Miss, where…where did you go?"

"It's a long story," Tiffany replied. They quickly got into the car. "Let's go home."

After returning to Luna Villa, showering, and changing, Tiffany collapsed onto the bed, only to receive a call from Evan, complaining about her missing his birthday cake. Tiffany was good at coaxing him and did so easily.

After hanging up, she yawned, but then heard a sound outside her door. She saw Jeremy, in casual clothes and a cap, leaving. "It's so late. Where are you going?" she asked.

"Something came up," he replied, his usual cold, emotionless self. He always had hidden secrets. Tiffany simply said, "Be careful."

"Yeah," he responded, continuing forward. Then, Tiffany added, "If you ever need anything, tell me."

Jeremy stopped and nodded before disappearing. Tiffany, now awake, checked her phone and unintentionally saw news about Mia Lee, who'd been sent back to her family after a failed attempt to seduce Richard. Photos showed Mia's fear and sadness. Another article stated Conner Lee had made a will, leaving everything to his son, Jason. Mia received nothing and was sent overseas to avoid the scandal. Tiffany yawned, put away her phone, and went to sleep.

Late at night, someone else couldn't sleep. Sandra, seeing Mia's dismissal, realized future collaboration would be difficult. What an idiot! she cursed, feeling Mia had overestimated herself. Did Mia think she could take down Richard so easily? Sandra mocked, forgetting she'd given Mia the idea. Moreover, she'd drugged Kenneth and still failed to win him. Her relationship with Kenneth had soured, and Jordan was angry about her leaving him at the race track. Her mother's debt added to her troubles.

After much consideration, Sandra developed a sinister plan.

The passage has been cleaned up for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Some stylistic choices were maintained (e.g., the use of italics for internal thoughts), but excessive exclamation points and informal language were reduced for better flow and readability. The oddly inserted text regarding Find_Novel.net was removed as it seems out of place. Inappropriate words were replaced with more appropriate alternatives.