Michael woke the following day with a splitting headache. The throbbing in his skull was relentless, like someone had been pounding a hammer against his temples all night. He groaned, sat up slowly, and squinted as sunlight streamed through the suite's curtains.

"What the hell happened?" he muttered, rubbing his forehead. The room felt unfamiliar and disorienting. He was still fully clothed, his wrinkled clothes evidence of having slept in them. Confusion swirled as he turned to his side. Sandra lay beside him, also fully clothed, her chest rising and falling in deep sleep. Michael frowned. He had no memory of the previous night or why they were both still dressed.

He gently shook her shoulder. "Sandra, wake up."

She didn't stir.

His irritation growing, he shook her harder. "Sandra!"

She groaned, her face scrunching in discomfort as she slowly opened her eyes. "What what time is it?" she mumbled groggily.

Michael ignored her question, his mind racing. "How did we end up like this? What the hell happened last night?"

Sandra blinked in confusion, slowly sitting up. "I I don't know. I have the worst headache," she said, pressing her hand to her forehead.

Standing, Michael scanned the room. Something was amiss. His eyes fell on a small hidden camera he'd planted in the corner before Sandra's arrival. He quickly retrieved it, plugged it into his phone, and played the footage, his heart pounding.

Fast-forwarding, he saw himself sitting on the bed, drinking wine while waiting for Sandra. His movements seemed slow; he yawned repeatedly before dozing off, passing out within minutes of drinking. Rewinding, he saw Sandra pour something into his wine before his arrival. His blood boiled.

Without hesitation, he roughly shook Sandra awake, his voice a low growl. "Sandra, wake up. Now."

She groaned, shielding her eyes. "What's your problem?" she snapped, clearly irritated.

"My problem?" Michael's voice was sharp. "You drugged me, didn't you?" He grabbed her purse.

Sandra's eyes widened, but she quickly masked her shock. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. I just watched the video," he snarled, producing a vial from her purse. "You put this in the wine. I saw you do it."

"What video? What video are you talking about?" she asked, frowning.

"It doesn't matter. Answer my question! Why did you put something in my drink?"

Sandra hesitated, the cold fury in his eyes making her falter. She swallowed hard, attempting a believable story. "It it wasn't what you think. I didn't mean any harm. It was supposed to be an aphrodisiac, not a sedative! I just—I don't know what went wrong."

Michael laughed humorlessly. "An aphrodisiac? That's the best you've got? You didn't even drink from it, and you left after I passed out."

Sandra looked incredulous. "Did you really set up a video recorder in here?"

"That's not important," Michael retorted. "What's important is why you drugged me. What were you planning?"

She flinched. "Look, I wasn't planning anything. I just thought—"

"Cut the crap and tell me exactly what your plan was, or I'm going to kill you," Michael threatened.

Sandra's eyes flashed. "Kill me? Why don't you try? Was I the only one with a plan? What about you? You planted a camera! Were you going to blackmail me with a sex tape?"

"You should not mess with me," Michael warned. "You think you deserve answers, and I don't? I drugged you, so what? Why did you put a camera here without my knowledge?"

Seeing she'd turned the tables, she exhaled. "Fine. You want the truth? I drugged you, but I wasn't planning anything. I just I didn't want to sleep with you. And I didn't want to miss my meeting with Rayna," she lied.

Michael's glare didn't waver. "What? And you thought drugging me was the best solution?"

Sandra brushed her hair back. "You were pressuring me, and I didn't know what else to do! You threatened to cut me off; I didn't have a choice! It was easier than saying no. I don't trust you."

Michael scoffed. "Well, now I don't trust you either."

A tense silence fell. Then Sandra's frown deepened. "Wait. Did you really have a camera in here? Is that how you know everything?"

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

A memory surfaced, her headache forgotten. "I was with Rayna last night, and then Evelyn showed up. I felt drowsy, but I don't remember coming back to the room," she said, mixing truth and lies.

"Evelyn showed up?" Michael asked, his expression hardening.

"Yeah. I don't remember the details. Did your camera catch that?"

Michael scrolled through the footage, rewinding to Sandra's arrival. His stomach dropped as the video showed Evelyn bringing Sandra into the room, laying her beside him, and taking photos before leaving. Sandra paled. "What the hell?"

"Did you tell Evelyn about this suite?" Michael asked, his voice tight.

"No!" Sandra said frantically. "I don't remember telling her anything. I was with Rayna when Evelyn showed up, and after that, it's a blur."

"Damn it," Michael swore. "We need to get those pictures back, or we're screwed."

"How are we supposed to get them from Evelyn?"

Michael paced, lost in thought. "I think we will let her keep the pictures," he finally said.

Sandra frowned. "We can't do that!"

"Getting the photos back would be difficult, but discrediting them could be easier."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it: who will she show them to? Your parents and Derek. We'll say Evelyn invited us both separately to talk. I got here first; she gave me a drink, and I passed out. Then she knocked you out too, brought you here, and took pictures to make it look like something happened."

Sandra's eyes lit up. "That could work."

Michael nodded. "You'll tell your parents that story, and I'll tell my aunt and Derek."

Sandra winced. "I'm not sure my parents will believe me."

Michael's gaze hardened. "You have to make them believe you. Confront Evelyn about the pictures and record the conversation. We only need her admitting she took them."

Sandra nodded. "That's a good idea, but the suite is registered under your name."

Michael smirked. "Don't worry. With the right tip, the receptionist can change the booking name."

Sandra breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. Let's do this."

They locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them. They would handle their trust issues later. For now, they had a common enemy.