Chapter 159
Chapter 159
Edana looked at her glass being filled with tequila and truly wanted to lose her temper, but she couldn’t. If she showed any abnormality, they would suspect there was something wrong with Audrey’s liquor, and Serena’s plan would fail.
Edana was in a pickle, standing there frozen with the glass in her hand.
“There’s nothing wrong with the liquor you just poured for me, right?” Audrey feigned surprise, though her gaze toward Edana was full of provocation.
Edana exchanged a glance with Serena, and the two quickly devised a plan. “How could that be? I just didn’t expect you to be so casual.”
Edana forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, clinked glasses with Audrey, and tilted her head to drink the liquor.
Audrey waited leisurely. After Edana finished the entire glass, she picked up her own. However, she took only one sip before spitting it out. “This liquor tastes different from before.” She directly placed the glass on the turntable and spun it to Paul’s front.
This truly shocked Edana and Serena.
“Don’t drink it.” Serena quickly pressed Paul’s arm, a flash of panic crossing her eyes.
Paul stared at her, firmly pulling his hand from Serena’s grasp, and drank the wine with a devilish, unrestrained smile. The wine indeed tasted wrong, but he couldn’t say so.
If business partners found out that Stride Commerce had brought internal strife to a gathering with external collaborators, the consequences would be
disastrous.
Paul smacked his lips after drinking and said with a smile, “Ms. Henderson might not be used to tequila. Waiter, bring a bottle of Johnnie Walker.” He called the waiter, skillfully defusing the tense situation.
The Johnnie Walker arrived quickly and was placed alone in front of Audrey. She took a sip, nodded with a smile, and said, “Whiskey suits my taste better.” She poured herself a large glass and finished it in one gulp, as a toast to Edana.
Halfway through the banquet, Paul stood up. “Sorry, gotta go to the restroom. Now, if you excuse me for a second.”
“Me too.” Edana ignored Serena’s warning gaze and got up to follow.
Paul showed no outward abnormality, but he felt a fire burning in his body, especially in his groin. He went to the deck to cool off with the wind, and Edana chased after him, hugging him from behind. “Paul, I feel uncomfortable.” She said.
Paul frowned and struggled to pry her hands away. “You’re crossing the line.”
“Paul, you and my cousin have already broken up. What’s wrong with me liking you?” Edana asked.
“Your put aphrodisiacs in Audrey’s glass.” Paul pushed her away forcefully, gasping for breath. “Do you know how would I do if something happened to Audrey?”
tant today’s occasion is? What
Edana’s face turned red. Whether due to sadness or the drug’s effect, she said with tears, “Why do you care about an orphan from out of town? Do you
like her?”
Paul didn’t bother arguing with her and turned to leave. His body was in discomfort, and he had to find a place to calm down.
Edana roughly pulled at her collar. Under the influence of the drug, her feelings for Paul became increasingly uncontrollable. She followed from a distance but suddenly felt a pain in the back of her neck and fainted.
In the private room, Serena was extremely uneasy but didn’t want to leave Audrey alone, fearing she might share secrets with Baldwin.
Baldwin and Audrey were chatting about health preservation when his phone suddenly ragg. He answered it, and his slightly drunk demeanor vanished instantly. “Are you sure? Okay, I’m coming up.”
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09:20 Fri, 6 Jun
Chapter 159
He picked up a newly replaced wet handkerchief to wipe his face and said seriously, “I need to go to the upper floor”
Baldwin hinted at Miguel, and they walked out together. Serena was just about to go look for Edana, saw them to the door, and then headed in another
direction.
Audrey was left alone in the room. She picked up a glass, finished the clear water in one gulp, and stood up. She left the private room and walked toward
the deck.
As she passed a corner, a dark figure suddenly approached her. The next second, she was grabbed around the waist and pulled into a blind spot of the
surveillance.
“How much did you drink?” Yann’s angry voice sounded above her head.
Audrey looked up at his eyes, stood on tiptoe, and bit his lower lip, then said, “I didn’t drink much.”
Yann held her swaying body and tried to kiss her back, but his lips were blocked by her fingers. He hadn’t planned to attend today’s cocktail party, but when he heard Calvin say Audrey was investigating Baldwin and had booked a meal here, he came.
Audrey could at most drink three glasses of tequila, and she would get dizzy after just one glass of red wine, possibly due to an alcohol allergy.
Yann had drunk red wine today, and the slightly tipsy breath on her face quickly made her feel dizzy. Her hands began to restlessly touch his waist, and she leaned affectionately into his arms.
Yann held back, lifting her chin to ask, “Didn’t I satisfy you this morning?”
“What?” Audrey was slightly drunk and even slipped her hand into his belt, only to be quickly grabbed by Yann.
His voice was so hoarse it made her scalp tingle. “Stop it,” she murmured.
“Fine.” Audrey withdrew her hand and turned to leave, but a strong force suddenly pulled her back against Yann’s firm chest, and they shared a passionate kiss.
Upstairs in the private room, Baldwin walked to the door of the VIP room, took out his phone to contact someone, and soon a man in a white shirt emerged.
His name was Nash Grant, a minor leader in the Construction Bureau and Baldwin’s sister’s husband. Although he didn’t have decision–making power over the government–led project, he had a voice.
Several major projects had advanced smoothly thanks to the strong support of Darkshell International.
Many people wanted to befriend Yann, but he always declined politely. This time, he rarely attended the banquet, so Nash took the opportunity to contact Baldwin. He said, “Mr. Winifred went to the restroom. Wait here for a moment, and I’ll introduce you later.”
Baldwin handed Nash a cigarette and asked, “Has Mr. Winifred hinted at which company should get the East District project of the Ironhaven Medical Center?”
Nash took the cigarette, thought for a moment, and said, “He didn’t specify, but he awarded the consultation build Hawdia Group.”
Baldwin and Miguel exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other’s eyes.
They waited and chatted by the restroom door, but after more than ten minutes, Yann still hadn’t come out.
“Is Mr. Winifred too drunk?” Baldwin asked.
ontract to the third branch of
“I have to take a look.” Miguel walked into the restroom. There was no one at the urinals or in the stalls. He rushed out and said, “No one’s inside.”
“What? How? I saw him go in.” Nash looked confused. He hurried into the restroom, followed by Baldwin and Miguel, and they confirmed the restroom was empty.
09:20 Fri, 6 Jun
Chapter 159
“Could Mr. Winifred have gone back to his room?” Baldwin guessed.
“We’ve been standing at the door–we couldn’t have missed him,” Nash said.
Miguel said, “Let me go back to his room.”
As the three hurried out of the restroom, they saw two men ascending the stairs at the end of the corridor. Calvin pointed to Yann’s face from behind, and Yann raised his hand to touch his slightly broken lips with tenderness.
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