"Hendrick Shaw, what am I to you?"
Hendrick was rendered speechless at my words, irritation and frustration flashing across his face. Then, he suddenly lifted his leg and lashed out with a vicious kick at my calf.
I crashed backward into the warehouse, but before I could get up, the door had already been shut.
"Just stay there. Once things blow over, I'll let you out."
The darkness surged toward me like a syrupy tide, instantly swallowing me whole. I found it getting increasingly hard to breathe. Every gasp of air seemed to sap away more of my strength.
"Let me out! Please! I'm begging you. Let me out…" I didn't even realize that I was scratching blindly at the floor as I curled up in a corner.
The suffocating sensation pressed down on me further, growing stronger and stronger. I could feel myself slowly sinking…
Suddenly, there was a loud boom outside the door, followed by the sound of someone forcefully breaking open the steel lock.
A man radiating an air of icy composure appeared at the doorway. "Ms. Turner? I'm Mr. Turner's personal assistant, Xavier Kent. Please assist me in withdrawing the investment and getting Starlight back."
I opened my mouth to reply, but the words caught in my throat.
Right before I lost consciousness, Xavier finally realized something was wrong. He swiftly stepped forward to scoop me into his arms.
The next time I opened my eyes, the sterile scent of bleach tickled my nose.
Seeing that I was awake, Xavier immediately pulled out his phone to make a video call. "Mr. Turner, Ms. Turner is awake."
Noah appeared on the screen, his expression terrifyingly dark. "Elle, how are you feeling?"
Shaking my head, I tried to speak, but my throat was so parched that I couldn't make a sound.
"Just get some proper rest." Noah stopped me. "Once I'm finished with the summit, I'll return to the country. After that, it's time to make Hendrick pay for daring to hurt my younger sister!"
After ending the call, Xavier left to handle the divestment matter and retrieve Starlight.
Selena had been parading around with the Starlight necklace, smugly showing it off, when Xavier stopped her and ripped it away in front of everyone.
"Give it back! Hendrick gave that to me!" she shrieked.
"As if an insignificant bug like you is worthy of wearing Starlight." Xavier gazed at her, his eyes filled with contempt. "You're just dirtying it!"
Selena was so angry that her whole body was trembling. With that, she went crying to Hendrick. However, he was too busy with the company's matters to have any time for her at all.
It wasn't until the third day I was hospitalized that Hendrick finally remembered me.
Despite it only being two days since I last saw him, he was noticeably more gaunt, exhaustion lining his once confident features.
"Elle, you're awake! That's great!"
He reached my bedside in a few strides and tried to grab my hand, but I coldly avoided him. His empty hand hovered in mid-air, an awkward expression crossing his face.
"Elle, I know I was wrong and that I'm a bastard, but I really need your help right now! The company's cash flow is about to be disrupted, and those shareholders are demanding that I pay back that 200 million dollars! Could you please beg that mysterious investor to have mercy and not withdraw his investment?"
Leaning back against the headboard, I leveled a frosty gaze on him. "No."
Hendrick froze in surprise, seemingly not expecting that I would reject him so bluntly. He forcefully suppressed his frustration, exclaiming, "Elle, now isn't the time for your impulsiveness! You said it yourself before, right? The company is like our child—"
I cut him off coolly. "From the moment you slapped me for Selena and locked me up in that warehouse, it was over between us."
"You!" Hendrick choked on his anger, his face purpling with rage.
At that moment, his phone buzzed with an incoming call. With irritation seeping from every pore, he answered it.
Immediately, Selena's panicked voice came over the line. "Rick, I have terrible news! All the core team members have tendered their resignations!
"Also, the board of directors is waiting in your office right now. T-They insist on getting an explanation immediately!"
All the color drained from Hendrick's face before he spun on his heel and raced out of the room.
…
The next morning, my room door was pushed open once more.
This time, Hendrick hadn't come alone. Behind him trailed Selena, wearing a pitiful expression.
The second Selena entered the room, she immediately lunged toward my bed, tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Noelle, I was the one who spread those rumors about you online and faked those conversation records! I only framed you because I was afraid of being held accountable for that significant loss. Please don't blame Rick! He knew nothing!
"Could you please beg your sugar daddy–I mean, that mysterious investor of yours? Please call him to save the company!"
Hendrick gazed at Selena, his eyes filled with heartache.
"Elle, Lena simply had a momentary lapse in judgment." Hendrick then turned to look at me and said in a truly nauseating display of self-righteousness, "Since she's being so sincere, can't you be more magnanimous and forgive her?"
I watched their clumsy, awkward pity act with detached coldness. A sneer curled my lips as I asked, "Are you done with your performance? If so, please don't disturb my rest and leave."
Selena's crying abruptly ceased as she shot me a look of disbelief.
Frowning deeply, Hendrick snapped with obvious displeasure. "Noelle Turner! Lena's been very understanding, so why are you still so aggressive?
"Be a little more magnanimous, will you? The company is in danger right now, and with just one phone call from you, everything can be resolved!"
"Magnanimous?" I cut him off from speaking further. "Hendrick Shaw, you're telling me to be magnanimous to someone who spread false rumors about me to frame me?
"You want me to forgive someone who clearly knew the truth, yet still insisted on throwing me under the bus. I almost died!"
With every word out of my mouth, Hendrick paled even further.
"Your lousy performance is utterly wasted on me!" I declared firmly, "I'm definitely not making that call!"
"You!" Rendered speechless at my behavior, Hendrick was so infuriated that his whole body shook. "Noelle, are you truly so heartless that you'd stand by and do nothing as the company goes under?"
Just then, Selena took Hendrick's arm and uttered in a sinister tone, "Rick, forget it. Since Noelle is adamant about not helping us, let's move on to plan B."
A conflicted look entered Hendrick's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by ruthlessness. "Okay."
Their exchange had alarm bells ringing in my head, and I instinctively clambered out of the bed to run.
However, Hendrick darted forward, whipped out a handkerchief from his pocket, and pressed it over my mouth and nose.
"Mmph!" I lashed out with my hands and feet, but I was still too frail to win against him.
Seconds later, my vision went dark as I lost consciousness.
An unknown amount of time passed before I woke up in a daze. I discovered that I was lying on a hotel bed, clad only in a black, skimpy dress that was so translucent that it left nothing to the imagination.
I struggled to sit up, but my entire body felt limp and weak.
At that moment, Hendrick's sycophantic voice drifted in from the living room. "Mr. Zinch, I've heard that you like untouched women.
"I've already taken care of everything; she's waiting for you in bed. I'm certain she meets all your standards."
Selena quickly chimed in as well, "That's right, Mr. Zinch. I even changed her clothes into something that I'm sure you'll love…"
Hendrick added urgently, "Then, about that 200 million dollar investment…"
My heart sank as despair washed over me, chilling me to the bone.
Hendrick had actually drugged me and was using me as a bargaining chip to source funds!
"The investment?" Desmond Zinch cut him off, "We'll see after I inspect the goods."
With that, I heard footsteps drawing closer to the bedroom.
Hendrick hastily followed and simpered, "Rest assured, Mr. Zinch, she's definitely top quality!"
Following that, the door was pushed open before Desmond strode inside. His beady eyes, reminiscent of a snake's, rove over my body lustfully.
Behind him was Hendrick, an obsequious smile on his face. "I'll be honest with you—I've never even held my fiancee's hand. I was just waiting—"
However, when Desmond got a good look at my face, the lecherous leer on his lips vanished instantly. The next moment, an expression of sheer terror took over his countenance.
"M-Ms. Turner!"
