Elena Shen was still in a daze, her mind drifting in the aftermath of the drug's effects. Fortunately, Ethan Jiang held her tightly, keeping her from collapsing.
After soothing her for a long while, Ethan loosened his embrace slightly and his eyes fell on her bruised, bitten lower lip. His gaze was filled with aching tenderness as his knuckles brushed gently along the corner of her mouth.
"Does it hurt?"
Elena hadn't fully regained her clarity.
The drug Grace Su had slipped her was vicious—its effect still lingered in her veins. Although the searing heat and restlessness were far less intense than what she'd felt in the restroom, it still simmered within her. At least now, she could control her movements.
Even so, her voice remained thick with pain and helplessness as she murmured instinctively, "It hurts… I feel awful… and scared."
Ethan gently stroked her back, his palm moving slowly to comfort her. "I'm here. You don't have to be afraid anymore."
He held her for a long time, patiently coaxing her through the residual effects. Then, as the drug surged again, the doctor returned to administer another injection and IV drip.
Thirty minutes later, the attending physicians left the room after giving their detailed instructions. Standing silently outside, Adrian Jiang finally stepped in.
Not long after, Eric Chen arrived with materials and surveillance footage gathered from the banquet hall.
"Mr. Jiang," Eric said, handing over two sets of documents. "We've identified the perpetrator."
One set went to Ethan, who never once left Elena's side. The other, he handed to Adrian.
"It was Grace Su," Eric continued. "Her agent, Bai Yi, acquired the drug through unofficial channels. At the banquet, Grace staged a scene where she 'accidentally' bumped into a server and, in the guise of steadying a glass of juice, slipped the drug in."
Even before the investigation, Ethan had already suspected who was behind it.
This charity banquet had been jointly organized by the Sheng and Li families. Given Elena's background, no one with a shred of sense would dare make such a move in that setting. Unless… they had backup.
And the only person with motive and access was the little starlet Adrian had hand-fed into high society.
The atmosphere in the hospital room turned glacial.
Ethan's gaze remained fixed on Elena—pale and unconscious—her fingers still clutching his sleeve even in brief moments of wakefulness, whispering how much she hurt.
The veins in his hand bulged as he clenched the report, the paper now creased and rumpled from his grip.
He didn't look up, his voice low and bone-chilling as he stared at the printed surveillance stills of Grace Su drugging the drink.
"Adrian Jiang."
Adrian's back tensed involuntarily.
It had been years since his older brother had called him by his full name. No matter how ruthless or domineering Ethan was in business, he had always shown restraint and leniency toward him.
But now, this tone—it pierced through the air like a blade.
The tension was suffocating.
Adrian lifted his head, meeting Ethan's unflinching gaze.
"—Your girlfriend," Ethan said, voice still calm but each syllable razor sharp. "Do you want to deal with her yourself, or should I?"
Adrian's eyes flickered toward Elena.
Then he inhaled deeply, swallowing the bitter fury rising in his chest.
"I'll handle it," he said flatly.
Without another word, he turned and walked out, the evidence folder clutched tightly in hand.
When Elena next awoke, night had already fallen.
The drug had been flushed from her system. The searing torment and feverish discomfort were gone, leaving only a faint dull ache behind.
Outside the hospital room, she could hear Ethan speaking softly with someone. The door wasn't fully closed, and though the voices were low, they carried just enough to let her know he hadn't left.
She blinked, the haze in her mind slowly clearing. Pushing herself up, she noticed the IV line was still in place.
Her gaze dropped to her hand. The needle had just been removed, leaving the injection site slightly numb and swollen under the medical tape.
She reached toward the nightstand and spotted her phone.
She hadn't been able to message Annie Gu earlier, but now that the worst was over, she figured she should check in.
Just as she unlocked the screen, Annie's name flashed with an incoming call.
Surprised, Elena answered quickly.
"Annie?"
There was wind in the background, along with blaring car horns.
Elena frowned and glanced at the dark night outside the window. Before she could ask why Annie was out so late, her best friend's panicked voice, mixed with cold wind, came through the line.
"Elena, I'm doomed—I messed up big time!"
"I… I slept with a duck!"
Elena blinked. "You slept with… what?"
"Ugh! A duck! You know what I mean!" Annie wailed. "Last time I went to 'Night Luxe' and tried hiring a male model, my brother dragged me home and grounded me for three days. This time, I actually slept with one! Winston's going to skin me alive—what am I supposed to do?!"
Elena was stunned silent.
Once she processed the madness of what Annie was saying, she tried to keep calm and asked carefully, "Annie, were you drunk or…"
Or had someone drugged her—like her.
"I think I was just drunk…" Annie muttered, rubbing her forehead. "Though I didn't drink much."
But her thoughts were too occupied with how to survive Winston Gu's wrath to analyze her intoxication.
Elena frowned. "Are you sure… the guy was a model?"
Annie hesitated. "I mean, I think so? I was on the second floor at Yujin Hotel—that whole floor's for private clients. If he wasn't a model, what else could he be?"
She had woken up in the middle of the night and fled the room in panic. Though her memory of the man's face was hazy, she was sure she had never seen him before—not someone from any of the elite families she was familiar with. Which meant… most likely, he was a hired companion.
Trying not to spiral, Annie refocused. "Elena, did my brother ask about me?"
Elena paused. "I don't think so… I only just woke up."
Annie was standing in the chilly night air, trying to steady her nerves. Upon hearing that Elena was okay, she let out a sigh of relief.
But then her phone buzzed.
It was Winston Gu.
Terror gripped her again.
"Elena, I've gotta go—Winston's calling. Please, if he asks, just tell him you haven't seen me, okay? Don't tell him I accidentally slept with a duck or I'm dead meat!"
Before Elena could respond, Annie hurriedly ended the call.
Back in the hospital room, Elena stared at the phone screen, still stuck on the chat interface. She hadn't even closed the messaging app before—
The door swung open.
Ethan Jiang stepped inside.