Immediately after dropping Bree off, Ayden's car sped toward the office.
"Ryan," Ayden said coldly, his voice razor-sharp. "Send a message to every media house whose paparazzi showed up at the hotel this morning. Tell them if a single article is published about the incident, I'll shut their entire company down."
"Yes, Boss," Ryan replied instantly.
Silence filled the car for a while. Ryan kept glancing at Ayden through the rearview mirror, clearly struggling to speak. Ayden noticed.
"Ryan," Ayden said, his voice calm but firm. "Do you have something to say?"
Their eyes locked in the mirror.
"Boss, should I… look into the lady from last night?" Ryan asked hesitantly.
"No." Ayden's expression hardened. "Have you caught the one who drugged the drinks?"
"Yes, Boss. It was the bartender from last night. He's already at the warehouse."
"I'll deal with him after work," Ayden said, resting his head back and closing his eyes.
Bree & Avery's Apartment
Bree and Avery sat across from each other on the couch, the silence between them heavy. Both were waiting for the other to speak.
"Bree."
"Avery."
They said each other's names at the same time, then both gave an awkward smile.
"You know what, just talk first," Avery said, rubbing her hands nervously.
"No, Avery. You should go first… I think mine is more complicated," Bree replied, her voice shaking slightly.
"Are you okay, Bree?" Avery asked, concern flooding her voice.
"I'm fine. Just talk."
"Okay… Well," Avery sighed, "last night, after I left you at the club because of that handsome guy I saw… I kind of bragged about having a high alcohol tolerance."
Bree raised a brow.
"To cut the long story short," Avery rushed, "I approached him, we started drinking, and I wanted to impress him, so I drank faster. I ended up puking on him and blacking out. He took me to his house, but nothing happened. I promise. I woke up in a guest room. Bree… I'm so, so sorry for leaving you alone last night. It was all my idea to go to that club."
Bree gave a sad smile. "You don't have to apologize, Avery. We can't change what happened. I lost something… something precious last night."
Her voice cracked as tears finally fell freely.
"What do you mean?" Avery whispered, quickly moving to sit beside her.
"I… I… lost my innocence," Bree said, choking on her words. "To a man I don't even know."
Avery's face crumbled.
"Oh my God. Bree… what have I done? Please forgive me. It's all my fault. I should never have left you. I—"
"Stop it, Avery." Bree gripped her hand. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't drug us. You just wanted us to have fun. Please stop blaming yourself."
"But why would anyone drug you? You did nothing wrong!" Avery cried, pulling Bree into a tight hug.
They stayed like that for a long time, tears flowing silently. Bree eventually cried herself to sleep in Avery's arms.
Avery gently laid her on the couch and covered her with a blanket, then quietly went to take a bath.
Later That Day
When Avery stepped out of the bathroom, she dressed and crawled into bed, forgetting she hadn't eaten all day.
By the time she woke up, it was already 2:00 PM.
She changed into fresh clothes and decided to go grocery shopping.
When she returned, Bree was still asleep on the couch. Avery quietly moved past her and headed to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Bree stirred awake with a slight headache. She massaged her temples, then stood up and walked toward the bedroom—empty. She checked the bathroom—still empty. Just as she returned to the living room, the door opened.
Avery walked in, holding bags of groceries.
"You're up," Avery said, smiling. "I went out to buy a few things so I can make lunch. We haven't eaten all day. Go take a bath, then come join me."
"Avery," Bree called softly, making her pause.
"Yes?"
"You need to stop acting this way toward me. It's making me uncomfortable. Stop feeling guilty—it wasn't your fault. You didn't know what would happen. You just wanted us to enjoy the night. You never could've imagined it would turn out like this."
Bree gave a bitter smile.
"Besides, someday I was going to lose it anyway. It just happened sooner… and in the wrong way. But that doesn't change who I am."
Avery stared at her, moved to tears.
"I love you, Bree. Now go take your bath and come eat," she said, pushing Bree toward the hallway.
Bree laughed through her tears as she walked to the room, and Avery went into the kitchen
Blake Corporation
Ayden sat in his office chair, eyes closed.
He didn't understand what was wrong with him. What happened last night was supposed to be a mistake—just one unfortunate event. He had hoped never to see her again.
But another part of him couldn't stop thinking about her.
Why?
Why did this girl keep invading his mind?
He had tried to focus on other things, but nothing worked.
What the hell has that woman done to me? he thought, frustrated, as a knock came on the door.
"Come in," he said.
Ryan walked in.
"Boss, aren't you leaving now?" he asked.
"What time is it?" Ayden asked, rubbing his forehead.
IS THIS MAN SERIOUS RIGHT NOW? HE HAS A WALL CLOCK, A WRISTWATCH, A COMPUTER, AND TWO PHONES, YET HE'S ASKING ME THE TIME! Ryan screamed internally, nearly losing it.
"I asked you a question, Ryan," Ayden said, eyes narrowing.
"Sorry, Boss. It's 7:35 PM," Ryan replied quickly after checking his watch.
"Let's go."
Ayden picked up his phones and walked toward the door. Ryan opened it for him, and they headed to his private elevator.
The doors closed, and the elevator descended to the underground parking lot. His guards were already waiting.
Ayden entered his car. Ryan didn't follow—he had already done his part.
He knew exactly where Ayden was going.
At the Warehouse
Ayden's car stopped outside an abandoned warehouse. He stepped out, followed by his guards from the convoy.
He walked ahead, his guards trailing behind.
From inside the warehouse came the sound of muffled screams.
He walked until he reached a large door, the source of the noise. Without flinching, he opened it.
A gruesome scene greeted him.
A man, hanging upside down, covered in blood, his body twitching from the pain.
"Please… have mercy. I only did what I was told. Please, don't kill me!" the man begged.
"You should have thought about that before accepting the job," Ayden said coldly.
He took off his suit jacket and handed it to a guard. He calmly rolled up his sleeves, one by one.
Then, he stepped forward and delivered two brutal punches to the man's ribs. Bones cracked audibly from the force.
"I'll ask this once," Ayden said, eyes deadly. "Who sent you?"
The man whimpered. "Please promise you won't kill me if I talk…"
"I don't make promises," Ayden said flatly, accepting a pistol from one of his guards.
"It… It was… your father," the man stuttered, trembling.
"I knew it," Ayden muttered.
"Well then," he said, raising the gun. "I'll make it easy for you, since you cooperated."
He pulled the trigger.
The shot rang out, ending the man's life instantly.
"Send his body to my father," Ayden ordered, handing the gun back to the guard.
He grabbed his jacket, put it back on, and walked out without another word.