Escape the Billionaire's Grasp

Chapter 70--Shattered Illusions

Sebastian's gaze darkened slightly.

Natalie rushed into the bathroom, quickly changing into clean clothes. With a sigh of relief, she thought she could finally relax. But when she looked up, her eyes fell upon the shredded dress and her underwear discarded in the sink. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as memories of what had just transpired in the bathroom came flooding back, making her feel she couldn't stay there another second.

Awkwardly, she stepped out of the bathroom and murmured, "Um... thank you for today."

Her voice was tinged with unease, lacking confidence. After all, they had just argued not long ago, yet here he was, helping her despite everything. Natalie realised that Sebastian's temper had softened significantly from what it used to be; he didn't seem to hold grudges anymore.

However, he let out a cold chuckle. "Expressing gatitude after interrogating me?"

Natalie had no response to that. So, her earlier thought was just an illusion—Sebastian was still the same sharp-tongued person.

"Who drugged you?" Sebastian asked coldly.

"Wesley Morrison."

His expression changed instantly. "When did he meet you?"

"Last week. I was filming an advert for one of their products. He harassed me for two days, and I ended up telling him off. He must have held a grudge. He was at the party tonight too, but I had no idea the drink would be tampered with." Natalie recalled the evening. When she ran into Wesley at the party, she thought it was merely a coincidence. Wesley had casually called over a waiter and randomly picked two glasses from the tray.

But what appeared to be a spontaneous act had been meticulously planned. The waiter was his plant, the glasses pre-arranged. He had even used the name of the director, Jonathan Hughes, to lure her in, making it seem as though refusing the drink would be an insult to Jonathan. The man was insidious.

Sebastian's eyes grew darker. No wonder something felt off the last time Wesley mentioned Natalie.

"He wasn't targeting you, was he?" Natalie asked, concerned.

"That's something only he can answer," Sebastian replied, his voice low as he took a sip of water, his grip on the glass tight enough to whiten his knuckles.

Silence filled the room as Natalie sensed the tension. Being alone with Sebastian in the same room was undeniably awkward.

"I should get going," she said, standing up.

"You'd better not go out just yet. The reporters outside haven't dispersed. Wait until they're gone." Sebastian's tone was calm but firm.

"Reporters?" Natalie's face paled.

Sebastian had already pieced together what likely happened. He speculated that after she escaped, Wesley, unwilling to let it go, had deliberately tipped off the reporters, intending for them to corner her. In her earlier state, being photographed would have caused a scandal of epic proportions, with the media embellishing the story as they saw fit.

Wesley clearly wanted to ruin her. Sebastian resolved that Wesley wouldn't get away with this. "I'll handle it," he said.

Natalie had no choice but to sit back down. In his haste, Sebastian had not spent much time selecting the room. It was an ordinary double room, with nothing but a bed, a bathroom, and a small table with two chairs by the window.

She sat in one of the chairs, turning slightly to avoid Sebastian's gaze, but her eyes inadvertently landed on the dishevelled bed. Some memories still lingered. Despite being drugged, she vaguely recalled parts of what had happened.