Chapter 536: He Is Conscious

Before Stella's lips could meet Nathaniel's, a forceful push sent her sprawling. The man lying on the bed opened his eyes.

“Nathaniel…” Stella’s expression shifted instantly. Didn't Nicholas mention that Nathaniel would be drugged, rendering him helpless?

She was about to leave when Nathaniel swiftly seized her wrist, his grip tight. “Who sent you? What is your purpose?” he demanded.

Stella couldn't have kidnapped Nathaniel alone.

“Nathaniel, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Didn’t you call me after having too much to drink?” she argued. Exposing Nicholas now meant certain death.

Nathaniel was forcing himself to remain conscious. Drugged at the banquet, he clung to wakefulness through sheer willpower. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Seeing Stella's unwillingness to tell the truth, he swiftly gripped her throat.

“Speak! Or I'll kill you!”

Stella stiffened, her breathing labored. “Help… M-me…”

Nathaniel's grip tightened, silencing her instantly. “I know there are people outside. Do you think they'll rescue you faster, or will you die by my hand?”

Terrified by Nathaniel's ferocity, Stella ceased struggling.

Nathaniel's grip loosened slightly. “Speak.”

“Nicholas orchestrated this. He asked me to spend the night with you and film it to show Cecilia. He even arranged for the media to arrive at dawn.”

Nathaniel was stunned by Nicholas's underhanded tactics. Nicholas, however, understood Cecilia well. Seeing Nathaniel in bed with Stella would end their relationship instantly.

“Is he also responsible for the photo in yesterday’s news?”

“Yes… He told me to take it.”

“How did you manage to take the photo?”

Nathaniel had had Mason investigate; the photo was genuine.

“It was taken with Nicholas,” Stella confessed. Nicholas and Nathaniel were identical; no doctored photo was needed.

“Did he release you from the psychiatric hospital?” Nathaniel asked.

Stella recoiled. Zachary and Nathaniel (pre-amnesia) had committed her. Hadn't he lost his memory? Had it returned?

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Is there anything else I don't know?”

“No.” Stella’s voice was choked with tears. “Nathaniel, I was forced. Please don’t kill me. I won’t do it again.”

Nathaniel had no wish to kill her. He bound Stella to the bed with sheets and gagged her. People were watching outside, unseen and unreachable. Communication was cut, leaving Stella only with a camera. Nathaniel could only wait for dawn and the media.

As time passed, his anger intensified, his body slick with sweat. He doused himself with cold water, but the fire within raged.

Stella, noticing his erratic behavior, made a sound. Nathaniel, however, remained lucid. Stella doubted he could last until dawn.

Meanwhile, Cecilia and Mason reviewed street surveillance footage, searching for Nathaniel. His car disappeared from view, untraceable. Mason frowned, ordering access to the banquet footage, investigating who might have taken Nathaniel. He quickly identified several past adversaries, including Ethan. An idea struck him. “Mrs. Rainsworth, I need a favor…”