Chapter 250
Alexander
“The thing about guns, Selena,” I said conversationally, “is that they’re quite loud. One shot and this place will be swarming with police. London’s finest don’t take kindly to Americans getting shot in Kensington townhouses p>
“I’ll tell them you attacked me,” she countered.
“With what evidence? Your word against mine? The word of a woman holding a gun on two unarmed men in her own home p>
Her eyes narrowed, but I could see uncertainty creeping in. She was smart enough to realize the corner she’d backed herself into.
“Besides,” I continued casually, “everything you’ve said since we walked in has been recorded p>
Her face paled slightly. “You’re lying p>
I tapped the pen clipped to my breast pocket. “Latest tech. Records audio and video. Streams it directly to secure cloud storage.” I gestured to Leo. “He’s wearing one too p>
Leo nodded, touching his pen. “Standard procedure when dealing with potential corporate saboteurs p>
“You can’t just record people without their consent,” Selena protested.
“In the UK? You’re right. But we’re not planning to use this in court.” I smiled coldly. “This is just for our personal insurance. In case something unfortunate happens to us in this room p>
Her hand trembled slightly, the gun wavering. “Get out p>
“Not until we get answers,” Leo said firmly. “Tyler Phillips gave you up, Selena. We have his statement, the money trail, everything p>
“Ten thousand dollars leaves quite a paper trail,” I said. “Even when paid in cash. The bartender was smart enough to deposit it in chunks but not smart enough to realize banks track deposit patterns p>
Leo took a step forward. “We also have the I m messages, the deleted account, your flight records, and the security footage from Café Bleu showing you meeting with Tyler p>
Her eyes widened at the mention of the café. A direct hit.
“You don’t have anything,” she insisted, but her voice cracked.
“Put the gun down, Selena,” I said quietly, “You’re only making this worse for yourself p>
The door to the living room suddenly opened, and a uniformed staff member stepped in. “Ms. Johnson, is everything-” His eyes widened at the sight of the gun.
“It’s fine, Charlie,” Selena said quickly. “Please leave us p>
The man hesitated, clearly torn between following orders and addressing the obvious situation.
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“Ms Johnson-
“I said leave!” she snapped.
The staff member backed out reluctantly, closing the door behind him.
Leo moved with surprising speed, grabbing Selena’s wrist and twisting until she dropped the gun with a cry of pain. It clattered to the floor, and he kicked it away before releasing her.
“That was stupid,” he said calmly.
Selena rubbed her wrist, glaring at us both. “You’ll regret this. Both of you p>
I picked up the gun and checked the chamber. “Loaded. That would have been messy.” I emptied the bullets into my pocket and placed the now–harmless weapon on a side table.
“Now,” I said, sitting down on one of her plush sofas, “let’s try this again. Why did you drug me at the Morrison event p>
Selena remained standing, her composure fractured but not completely broken. “I don’t know what you’re talking about p>
Leo’s hand shot out, connecting with her cheek in a sharp slap that echoed through the room. Her head snapped to the side, and she stumbled back, clutching her face in shock.
“You hit me!” she gasped.
“And I’ll do it again if you keep lying,” Leo said coldly.
I raised an eyebrow at Leo’s methods but didn’t object. Time was running out, and I needed answers.
The door burst open again, this time revealing two security guards. “Ms. Johnson p>
“Stop!” Selena held up her hand, surprising me. “It’s fine. Leave us p>
The guards hesitated, looking between their employer and us with obvious concern.
“Ms. Johnson, are you sure-
“I said leave!” she shouted. “And make sure we’re not disturbed again p>
The guards backed out reluctantly, closing the door once more.
Selena turned back to us, her cheek reddening where Leo had struck her. “You must have something concrete if you came all this way,” she said, her voice quieter now. “What do you want p>
“The truth,” I replied simply. “Why did you drug me p>
She stared at me for a long moment, then sank into the chair across from me. “It wasn’t my idea p>
“I don’t care whose idea it was. You did it p>
Selena’s composure cracked further. She sank deeper into her chair, eyes darting between Leo and me like a
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cornered animal.
“Fine,” she hissed. “Yes, I paid the bartender. But it wasn’t my plan p>
“Then whose was it?” I kept my voice deliberately calm.
“Vanessa Caldwell p>
The name hit me like a bucket of ice water. Vanessa? The same woman who’d dumped water on Madison that morning?
“Bullshit,” Leo snapped.
“It’s true!” Selena’s voice rose an octave. “Vanessa contacted me. Said she needed a favor p>
I leaned forward, studying her face for any sign of deception. “Why would Vanessa Caldwell ask you to drug me?
“Because you’ve been avoiding her for months!” Selena threw her hands up. “That’s what she told me. That you two had history, but you kept ignoring her calls, canceling dates, pretending she didn’t exist p>
I almost laughed. Vanessa and I had shared exactly one drunken kiss at a charity gala three years ago. In her mind, that constituted “history p>
‘So you just agreed? Out of the goodness of your heart p>
Selena’s lips pressed into a thin line. “We were friends in college p>
“What exactly did she want you to do?” I pressed.
Selena sighed, shoulders slumping. “She said she needed to get your attention. That if you were… relaxed… you might finally give her a chance p>
“Relaxed,” I repeated flatly. “That’s what she called it p>
“Her words, not mine.” Selena’s eyes flicked nervously to the gun on the side table. “She said it wasn’t anything dangerous, just something to lower your inhibitions. Make you more… receptive p>
“To what?” Leo’s voice was deadly quiet.
“She said it was just to help you loosen up, see her differently p>
My jaw clenched. “And you believed that p>
“I didn’t ask questions!” Selena’s voice cracked. “She’s Charles Caldwell’s daughter. Do you know what kind of connections her family has in finance? I couldn’t say no p>
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.