"| feel so uncomfortable... so hot..."
Aveline's soft murmurs cfrom behind him.
Russell turned around and saw her restlessly shifting on the sofa.
Her fair skin had taken on a flushed, pink hue, looking temptingly like a ripe peach.
Russell hurried over and patted her face lightly. "Aveline, wake up. Aveline?"
But she grabbed his hand, pressing it against her cheek as if trying to use the coolness to soothe her discomfort.
It wasn't enough; she pulled his hand lower, seeking relief.
Russell's breath caught in his throat, and he quickly pulled his hand away.
She had been drugged!
She wasn't in her right mind, acting purely on instinct. If she woke up and realized something had happened
between them, she would be devastated, and she would never want to see him again! Russell got up and rushed
to the bathroom.
He soaked a towel in cold water and cback, placing it on her forehead.
The cool sensation seemed to calm her down; her movements grew less frantic.
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Taking advantage of the moment, he glanced around the room.
The air conditioning was set to a lower temperature.
On the table, there was an incense burner emitting a sweet, cloying scent.
Russell realized the incense was likely what had triggered Aveline's rapid reaction.
He grabbed the incense burner and tossed it into the sink, turning on the faucet to extinguish the incense.
The windows were sealed shut; ventilation wasn't an option for now.
He took out his phone, only to find there was no signal-it had been jammed!
So, that was it.
Whoever had set this up had planned everything carefully, wanting to trap them in this room together and,
ideally, have something happen between them.
It wouldn't be long before someone barged in to "catch them in the act."
This was a calculated move to ruin the wedding, destroy the relationship between the Skyler and Johnson
famities, and drag Aveline, as Mrs. Tudor, into the scandal.
She and Lucas were a package deal. If she was caught in a scandal, Lucas wouldn't cout of it unscathed
either.
And the recently stabilized Tudor Group would undoubtedly suffer significant damage.
It was a crude tactic, but one that could cause substantial harm.
A chilling glint flashed through Russell's eyes.
"Russ..."
At that moment, Aveline, regaining a bit of consciousness, opened her eyes to see Russell standing a short
distance away.
Her brows knitted tightly as she tried to sit up, and the damp towel fell from her forehead. She caught it with her
hand. "What's going on?"
Russell didn't move closer. He knew
the effects of the drug were already
taking hold, and if he got too close, it
could only make things worse.
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"You were drugged," he explained. "Someone set a trap for us. | suspect they're planning to barge in here soon
to catch us in a compromising position."
He gave her a serious look and added, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this." Aveline's head felt foggy, her
thoughts blurred, but she could still hear his words.
Someone had targeted them...
Her body felt weak, and she didn't have the energy to think about who might be behind all this.
"Can we... get out of here?" she asked.
Russell shook his head. "We can't. The door's been locked from the outside."
Aveline slumped back onto the sofa, trying to calm the burning sensation coursing through her body.
After a moment, she said, "I need to go to the bathroom."
She stood up, her steps unsteady, and headed toward the bathroom.
Russell fought the urge to reach out and help her, but she had barely taken a few steps before her body went
limp, and she began to collapse.
His eyes widened, and he rushed forward to catch her just in time.
She fell into his arms, her weight pressing against him. &