Chapter 35 Russell Spent a Restless Night
Ariana stormed back home, grabbing the HIV post–exposure prophylaxis medication from her bag while screaming hysterically.
Dahlia rushed into the room, only to see Ariana sweeping her cosmetics off the vanity table in a fit of rage.
“My darling, what’s wrong?”
Ariana cried uncontrollably, her makeup smudged and her appearance utterly disheveled. “Mom, how could Zoey do this to me? I was worried about her safety and went to find her. Not only did she dislocate my arm in front of everyone, but she also manipulated Moriah into claiming that I orchestrated the whole situation. She then provoked Moriah into scratching me, and now Moriah–Moriah has AIDS! I have to take this medicine, or I might end up infected!”
Dahlia froze, her mind buzzing.
“That wretched girl! If I’d known this would happen, I’d have taken her out a long time ago!” Livia clasped Ariana’s hands, her heart aching. “Ariana, don’t cry. You won’t get infected. And if you do, that woman will pay for it with her life. Stop crying, my dear–you know your heart can’t take this.”
Ariana wiped her tears, her voice trembling. “Mom, the doctor said my heart is already showing signs of failure. Am I going to die?”
Chapter 15ikaadi
Dahlia’s eyes gleamed with a cold determination. “Of course not. I’ll make sure you survive, no matter what.”
At Paradise Club.
The private room was thick with smoke, and men and women were indulging in risqué acts.
A woman straddled Nelson’s lap, transferring wine from her mouth to his before leaning in for a deep kiss. Slowly, she trailed her lips down his neck, reaching for his belt buckle.
But as her movements continued, Nelson found Zoey’s delicate face surfacing in his mind. His hand gripped the woman’s hair tightly.
Minutes passed, and nothing happened.
The woman looked up at him, her gaze a mix of confusion and disdain.
Nelson, realizing his failure, pushed her away angrily. “Get lost! Can’t even do your job right!”
Fuming, he stood up, adjusted his zipper, and left the room.
The others in the room exchanged puzzled looks and asked the woman, “What’s wrong with Mr. Maddox?”
The woman brushed it off, masking her humiliation with a sneer. “Maybe he’s just in a bad mood.” But inwardly, she mocked him: Impotent and blames me for it?
Nelson sat in his car, lighting a cigarette.
‘What the hell is wrong with me?‘ He replayed the humiliating moment in his head.
Suddenly, he recalled what Dr. Z had said during his last visit- that his kidney function had deteriorated to stage two.
No, this can’t be real. She must’ve botched the treatment!
His expression darkened, and he dialed a number.
“I need you to find Dr. Z.”
The voice on the other end hesitated. “Mr. Maddox, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but unless she surfaces herself, there’s no way to track her down.”
“Even you can’t do it?”
“No. Whoever she hired to set up her firewall is a top–tier professional–likely Hacker H or Hacker X.”
Nelson’s brow furrowed. “Then find one of those two. I want Dr. Z found at all costs.”
“I’ll try, but there’s no guarantee.”
“Money’s not an issue,” Nelson growled before hanging up.
Grinding his teeth, he swore, “Once she fixes me, I’ll make sure she pays.”
The next morning.
Zoey groggily rolled over in bed, rubbing her eyes. She realized
Chapter 34 Russell Spent a Restless Night
she was in Russell’s bedroom, but the man himself was nowhere to be seen.
Sitting up, she noticed she was wearing a different nightgown. Glancing at the sofa, she saw her handbag and retrieved her phone. Russell had left her a message saying he’d gone to the office.
She smirked and typed back, “Did you change my nightgown?”
His reply came quickly. “No.”
“Oh, I thought you did. Have you had breakfast?”
“Yes. Aren’t you going back to sleep?”
Zoey glanced at the torn dress draped over the sofa and asked, “When did my dress get ruined?”
Russell’s lips tightened as he recalled the previous night’s scene. “Probably when the maid was changing you into your nightgown.”
Zoey breathed a sigh of relief, glad she hadn’t embarrassed herself in front of Russell. “I need to visit the Lilah Studio later to get my dress fixed.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Zoey didn’t want to trouble him over something so minor. “I’ll take Alissa instead, don’t worry. By the way, did I say or do anything strange last night?”
Russell’s throat tightened at the memory of the night before. Changing her into the nightgown had been… an ordeal.
Her smooth, porcelain–like skin had left an impression he couldn’t shake off. And then there was her drunken rambling:
“Russell, your abs are so nice to touch! I have some too–want to feel?”
“Oh no, why does it feel like I touched a bun? Ugh, so annoying- wrong spot!”
“Russell, why do you have three legs? So weird!”
He was hard the entire night.
He typed back, “No, you were very quiet.”
Zoey read the message, scratching her head. Leanna said her drunk self is a handful and likes to cling to others. If Russell said she’d been quiet, it was probably a lie. But she decided to let it go and play dumb.
After freshening up, Zoey checked in on Carolyn, who was recovering well. Soon, she’d regain consciousness.
During breakfast, she called Alissa, who arrived half an hour later. Together, they headed to the Lilah Studio.
At the studio.
In the lounge, Lilah and Abigail were deep in conversation.
“So, how did it go last night? Did that woman embarrass herself?” Lilah asked.
Abigail shook her head. “Not only did she not embarrass herself,
Chapter 35 Russell Spent a Healines Night
but she also stole the show.”
She recounted the events of the previous evening, leaving Lilah stunned.
“She exposed Ariana’s ploy and humiliated her? This woman’s no pushover! Abigail, you’ve got your hands full with her.”
Abigail’s eyes narrowed. “Indeed. By the way, Zoey’s one of Galaxy Studio’s designers–on par with Star. I’m worried last night’s events might implicate you.”
Lilah paled. “What? She’s a designer at Galaxy Studio?”
Abigail nodded.
Fear crept into Lilah’s heart. If Zoey suspected anything, there’d surely be repercussions.
Sensing her unease, Abigail reassured her, “Nothing happened at the banquet. I doubt she’ll figure anything out.”
Lilah nodded hesitantly. “I hope so.”
Just then, an assistant rushed over. “Lilah, the woman who had her gown done here yesterday has arrived.”
Lilah froze.
Abigail patted her shoulder. “I’ll come with you. Maybe she’ll go easy on us for my sake.”
When the two reached the lounge, they saw Zoey and Alissa seated on the sofa.
Lilah approached with a forced smile. “Ms. Harmon, you’re
Chapter 35 Russell Spent a Rextious Night
here.”
Zoey pulled her ruined dress from its bag and tossed it at Lilah. “Care to explain this zipper issue?”
Lilah feigned ignorance. “What’s wrong with the zipper?”
Zoey let out a soft chuckle. “If I hadn’t caught it in time last night, my gown would’ve fallen off in public. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
