Chapter 131
Lexi leaned against the wall and released a long breath.
She hadn’t imagined it.
Lauren had definitely been in that room with Dominic.
But why?
And why had Dominic hidden it from her?
Lexi tried to make sense of it.
Dominic had always been the brother who stood up for her.
The man who seemed incapable of tolerating injustice.
How could someone like him secretly meet with a woman as calculating as Lauren?
The more she thought about it, the worse her headache became.
Then a cool voice sounded beside her.
“Lexi p>
She looked up.
Logan stood there.
“Weren’t you the one who invited me to dinner p>
His gaze dropped to her.
“Why are you sitting here p>
Lexi quickly straightened.
“Logan p>
“You’re here p>
She forced herself to smile.
“Come inside p>
Logan was dressed casually in jeans and a baseball cap pulled low over his face.
The brim hid most of his expression.
He nodded and followed her inside.
Then he stopped.
His expression darkened.
“Lisa p>
“Why are you here p>
He removed his cap, revealing a lean face that looked unusually pale.
He had expected dinner with Lexi alone.
He hadn’t expected to walk straight into one of Lisa’s schemes.
What angered him even more was that Lexi had apparently agreed to help her.
“Don’t blame Lexi p>
Lisa jumped to her feet.
“This was my idea p>
“You’re the one who keeps finding excuses not to see me p>
“What was I supposed to do p>
Her voice was bright and fearless.
Like fizzy bubbles bursting in a glass of soda.
Refreshing.
But Logan wasn’t amused.
“Even if this was Lisa’s idea, you still went along with it p>
He looked directly at Lexi.
“Do you have no judgment of your own p>
“Why let her drag you into this p>
His voice was icy.
Lexi took a slow breath.
“Logan, Lisa really does care about you p>
“Give her one chance p>
“And even if you’re angry, at least stay and finish dinner before you leave p>
Her voice was soft.
Almost pleading.
It wrapped around Logan’s irritation like silk.
He gave her a cold look.
Then, without another word, sat down in the chair Lisa had prepared for him.
He picked up one of the bottles.
Poured himself a full glass.
Then pushed it toward Lexi.
“Drink this p>
“I’ll forgive both of you for deceiving me p>
Lisa’s eyes widened.
She knew exactly how strong that mixture was.
Lexi’s tolerance for alcohol wasn’t good enough for this.
One glass could easily leave her unconscious.
“Logan, Lexi can’t handle alcohol p>
Lisa quickly grabbed the glass.
“I’ll drink it for her p>
She desperately signaled Lexi with her eyes.
Logan might have a terrible temper, but he’d helped Lisa before.
She couldn’t let him think she was completely ungrateful.
“I’ll drink it p>
Lexi’s voice was steady.
She took the glass from Lisa.
Held her breath.
And swallowed every drop.
The liquor burned its way down her throat.
Bitter.
Spicy.
Sour.
Sweet.
Every possible sensation seemed to explode through her body at once.
It felt like the whole range of human emotions had flashed through her mind in a single second.
Lexi fought to keep her expression composed.
She could feel her temples pounding.
Her stomach churned violently.
She turned the empty glass upside down.
“Is that enough now p>
She wanted Logan to see for himself.
Not a drop remained.
“All right p>
Logan looked away from her flushed face.
“Lisa, tell the server to bring the food p>
He hadn’t actually expected Lexi to drink it.
He’d only wanted to scare her a little.
But she had accepted the challenge without hesitation.
Her decisiveness left a faint trace of guilt in his chest.
Lexi set the glass down.
And immediately felt the room spin.
The floor seemed to tilt beneath her feet.
Her vision blurred.
The alcohol had hit her all at once.
Lexi couldn’t hold it in anymore.
She yanked open the door and hurried into the bathroom, dropping to her knees as she vomited.
The sound echoed through the empty restroom.
Afterward, she rinsed her mouth several times and splashed cold water over her face, desperately trying to clear her head.
It didn’t work.
Her cheeks were still flushed, and her eyes were hazy.
Lisa’s little cocktail concoction had been far stronger than Lexi had expected.
She shut off the faucet and lifted her head.
She was about to leave when she caught sight of someone behind her in the mirror.
A man dressed entirely in black stood several feet away.
He was covered from head to toe, with only his eyes visible.
Cold.
Predatory.
His reflection made him look almost unreal.
Lexi’s heart jumped.
She opened her mouth to scream.
The man moved first.
He lunged forward and clamped a hand over her mouth.
A sharp chemical smell filled her senses.
Ether.
Lexi struggled desperately, but the alcohol had already weakened her.
After only a few seconds, her body went limp.
The man caught her weight and let out a low chuckle.
He pulled off his cap and placed it over Lexi’s face, shielding her features.
He was just about to drag her out of the restroom when a cold voice stopped him.
“Put her down p>
The man froze.
Sebastian stood in the doorway.
His expression was dark enough to freeze blood.
Behind him stood Connor, equally cold and alert.
The attacker immediately realized he had been caught.
He shoved Lexi toward Sebastian.
Sebastian instinctively reached out to catch her.
That split second was enough.
The man bolted.
“Help p>
“He’s attacking me p>
His shouts drew the attention of the other customers.
Doors opened.
People stepped into the hallway to see what was happening.
The sudden crowd blocked Connor’s path.
Sebastian looked toward the fleeing man.
“Don’t bother chasing him p>
He bent down and lifted Lexi into his arms.
“He won’t get far p>
Connor nodded.
He pulled out his phone and contacted his men.
“Track him p>
He didn’t need to give any further instructions.
Anyone Sebastian wanted found would eventually be found.
Sebastian looked down at Lexi.
Her eyes were barely open, her vision unfocused.
“It’s all right p>
His voice softened.
“You’re safe now p>
The tension keeping Lexi conscious finally snapped.
Drunk, drugged, and exhausted, she couldn’t fight anymore.
Her eyes closed.
And she slipped into unconsciousness.
When Lexi woke, sunlight was streaming through glass walls.
A gentle breeze moved the curtains.
She blinked slowly.
She was lying in Sebastian’s bedroom inside his glass conservatory.
Sebastian sat beside the bed wearing dark-blue lounge clothes, casually flipping through a financial magazine.
Everything around them was black and white.
The furniture.
The bedding.
Even the smallest details.
It suited Sebastian perfectly.
Cold.
Controlled.
Elegant.
Lexi stared at him suspiciously.
“This is my bedroom p>
Sebastian didn’t look up.
“You’re safe here p>
His tone was calm.
“You were drinking without telling me p>