Chapter 43: Tampering the Wine

She slipped the drug into the red wine. Dressed in a seductive, semi-revealing nightgown, Cecilia approached Nathaniel and poured him a glass. "Here you go."

Nathaniel observed her every move, delicately taking the glass. However, he didn't drink it. Instead, he said, without prompting, "You were ten when you returned from the village to Tudela; that was our first encounter."

Cecilia paused, surprised he remembered. She didn't show any surprise, instead pushing the wine toward him again. Unexpectedly, Nathaniel pushed it back. "You drink first!"

Gazing at the tampered wine, Cecilia hesitated only briefly before drinking it down. The liquor was bitter and spicy. She knew that any hesitation would arouse suspicion. Years in the business world had honed Nathaniel's instincts; he would notice the slightest weakness.

She poured another glass for him. "Mr. Rainsworth, it's your turn now."

Nathaniel swirled the wine but didn't drink. He looked at her calmly. "No rush. Let me help you reminisce first."

Reminisce? How could they possibly reminisce about decades of memories in an instant? Cecilia frowned. Despite the air conditioning, sweat beaded on her forehead. She clenched her hand, forcing herself to remain alert. Her amber eyes locked onto his, her breath delicate as silk.

"There will be plenty of time for reminiscing later. Given how late it is, don't you want to do something else?" As she spoke, she presented the glass to him again. She wasn't sure this would work, but she couldn't afford to lose this opportunity.

In Nathaniel's deep, icy-black eyes, Cecilia's reflection evoked a memory from four years ago, when she had been secretly with Calvin.

He suddenly seized her wrist. "Is this how you seduced Calvin as well?"

Cecilia was stunned. Nathaniel's words, cold as ice, cut sharply. "Did he reject you? Is that why you came back to me? What do you take me for?"

Bang! The wine glass slipped from her hand, spilling wine across the floor. Nathaniel roughly shook her off, mocking her before leaving. "You're really filthy!"

Cecilia burned with shame, but the tight grip of her left hand kept her conscious. Nathaniel's words reverberated in her mind, prompting a bitter smile. Filthy? Who could compare to him in that regard? Even without love, they had insisted on their relationship back then. And now, he pretended to be aloof.

Shortly after Nathaniel left, the drug's effects began. Cecilia rushed to the bathroom and turned the cold water on full blast. Standing under the icy spray, she scratched herself harshly, tormented. She didn't stop until her arms bled, yet she couldn't calm herself. She had rushed into things.

In the living room, the telephone rang urgently, but Cecilia couldn't hear it. She was repeatedly washing herself, trying to cool down and regain her composure.

Half an hour later, the mansion's door was forced open. A man in a black uniform, stern-faced and powerfully built, pushed open the bathroom door.