Chapter 115
Chapter 118
Alexander
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As the man stepped forward into the dim light, I recognized Anthony’s familiar face. Relief washed over me–our backup had arrived. 1
Leo loosened his grip on Tyler slightly, shooting Anthony an annoyed look. “You’re late p>
Anthony adjusted his tie, looking between us and the clearly distressed bartender. “You didn’t give any signal. Looks like there’s a struggle happening here p>
Tyler’s eyes widened as he glanced between the three of us. His professional composure had completely crumbled, replaced by genuine fear. “What the fuck is happening here? I need to go back to work! ”
Anthony moved toward Tyler with practiced confidence, his demeanor shifting into something more authoritative. “Carlos Rodriguez, NYPD.” The lie rolled off his tongue smoothly as he flashed what looked like a badge too quickly for Tyler to inspect. “I suggest you answer their questions p>
Tyler’s face paled. “Police? What the p>
“Listen carefully,” Anthony continued, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “You can answer our questions here or come outside with me, and we can discuss this more… officially. Your choice. But trust me, you don’t want to know how cops get answers when paperwork isn’t involved p>
I watched silently, impressed by Anthony’s performance. The man deserved an Oscar.
Tyler struggled against Leo’s grip, panic evident in his eyes. “I don’t know anything! You can’t interrogate me like this p>
Leo’s patience snapped. His fist connected with Tyler’s stomach, causing the bartender to double over with a pained groan.
“Tell us who told you to put the drug in the drink,” Leo demanded, yanking Tyler back upright by his collar.
Tyler coughed, gasping for air. His eyes watered as he tried to catch his breath, and he looked up at us with a mix of fear and defiance.
“You can’t do this,” he wheezed. “You can’t just… beat information out of me. That’s assault p>
I exchanged glances with Leo, who seemed unimpressed by Tyler’s sudden legal expertise.
“Oh, now you’re a lawyer too?” Leo’s fist connected with Tyler’s stomach again, harder this time.
Tyler doubled over, a strangled sound escaping his lips. When he straightened, there was panic in his
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eyes.
“I don’t know anything! I swear p>
Anthony stepped forward. “We have security footage from Thompson’s event showing you slipping something into Mr. Knight’s drink. That’s a felony–drugging someone without their consent. You’re looking at serious jail time p>
Tyler’s face drained of color. “Wait, please… I didn’t know what it was, I swear p>
“Start talking,” I said, my voice dangerously quiet.
Tyler’s eyes darted between us, clearly calculating his odds. They weren’t good.
“Okay, okay,” he finally conceded, shoulders slumping in defeat. “Some woman contacted me through I m about a week before Thompson’s event p>
I raised an eyebrow. “I m? Really p>
“I swear to God,” Tyler insisted, his voice cracking. “She messaged me out of nowhere and said she had a job offer. Good money, easy work p>
Leo tightened his grip on Tyler’s collar. “And you just went along with it p>
“It was ten grand, man!” Tyler’s eyes were wide. “Do you know what kind of shithole apartment I live in? Ten grand is six months‘ rent p>
I exchanged a quick glance with Leo. We’d seen Tyler’s apartment. He wasn’t lying about the shithole
part.
“Continue,” I ordered.
Tyler licked his lips nervously. “She sent an address. Told me to meet her there before the event. I figured it was just some rich bitch wanting special treatment for her boyfriend or something. You know how these society types are p>
Anthony crossed his arms. “And p>
“And I went. She gave me this… stuff. Told me to mix it into Alexander Knight’s drink. That’s it. I didn’t even know what it was p>
“And you didn’t think to ask?” Leo growled.
Tyler’s face flushed. “She paid me ten grand in cash upfront! I wasn’t about to start asking questions!
I stepped closer, forcing Tyler to look up at me. “Who was she p>
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“I don’t know, Mr. Knight! Some woman p>
My patience was wearing thin. “What did she look like? Age? Height? Hair color? Give me something useful p>
Tyler swallowed hard. “Mid–twenties, I guess? Pretty. Expensive clothes. That’s all I remember, I
swear p>
“Where did you meet her?” I pressed.
“That little café on 8th. The one with the blue awnings. Café Bleu p>
I knew the place. Quiet, tucked away, not many security cameras. Smart.
“And after you drugged me? Did you meet with her again p>
Tyler shook his head vigorously. “No, never. The I m account was deleted right after the event. I tried messaging her again–I figured maybe there’d be more jobs, you know?-but the account was gone. Completely vanished p>
“Show me,” I demanded.
Tyler fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his phone. His hands were shaking so badly that he nearly dropped it. After a few swipes, he held it out to me.
I took the phone, scrolling through his I m DMs. There was a conversation with a user called “I m User” with a gray profile pic. The messages were brief and to the point: meeting details, confirmation, and then nothing.
It seemed too clean, too perfect. Like someone had carefully scripted exactly what to say if caught.
“This is bullshit,” I said, handing the phone to Leo. “You expect me to believe some random woman just happened to contact you out of the blue and pay you to drug me? And conveniently, she’s disappeared without a trace p>
“It’s the truth!” Tyler’s voice rose an octave. “I needed the money, man! My sister’s got medical bills, I’m behind on rent p>
“Save the sob story,” Leo cut in. “We’re not buying it p>
I studied Tyler’s face. The fear in his eyes seemed genuine, but something wasn’t adding up. This felt orchestrated and planned. It was not the work of some bartender looking for quick cash.
“You’re holding something back,” I said. “What aren’t you telling us p>
Tyler’s eyes widened. “Nothing! I swear p>
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Anthony moved closer, his presence intimidating. “Remember what I said about how cops get answers p>
Tyler’s face crumpled. “Please, I’ve told you everything! I got the message, met the woman, did what she asked, and never saw her again! That’s it p>
I signaled to Leo and Anthony to back off slightly. We needed to change tactics.
Tyler was terrified, but terror wouldn’t get us what we needed. People under extreme stress often shut down or lie just to make the pain stop.
Something wasn’t adding up. This random woman approaching a bartender through I m? It was too convenient, too clean. The deleted account, the cash payment, the single meeting. It felt orchestrated like someone had coached Tyler on exactly what to say if caught. But there was also
genuine fear in his eyes.
If this mysterious woman existed, she must have shown her face to Tyler. And if she showed her face, we might be able to identify her.
“Alright, Tyler,” I said, keeping my voice level. “Let’s try something different. I’m going to show you some photos. Tell me if you recognize the woman who approached you p>
Tyler nodded eagerly, clearly relieved we weren’t going to continue with the physical persuasion.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my gallery. I had plenty of photos with various women from events, galas, and more… private encounters.
“Was it her?” I showed him a photo of a model and me at last year’s charity gala. Her red dress had been particularly memorable that night, as had what happened after we left the event.
Tyler squinted at the screen. “No, definitely not her p>
I swiped to another photo of a Brazilian supermodel I’d spent a weekend with in Rio last summer. Her bronze skin glowed against the white sand beach.
“God, she’s gorgeous,” Tyler breathed, momentarily forgetting his predicament. “But no, not her either p>
I continued through several more photos: the venture capitalist from Silicon Valley who’d tried to convince me to invest in her startup over a weekend in Aspen; the French diplomat’s daughter I’d met at a UN reception; and the twin heiresses who’d made that night in Vegas particularly memorable.
Tyler’s response was the same with each photo: admiration followed by denial.
I continued showing photos, each more glamorous than the last. The blonde heiress from that weekend in the Hamptons, laughing as champagne spilled over the side of a yacht. The striking
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brunette CEO I’d met at Davos, whose business proposition had quickly turned into something more interesting in my Swiss chalet.
The Russian ballerina whose flexibility had proven quite advantageous during our brief affair last
winter.
Tyler shook his head. “Not her either p>
Leo sighed impatiently behind me. “This is getting us nowhere p>
I was about to put my phone away when Anthony stepped forward. “Let me try something.” He pulled out his own phone and scrolled through it quickly. “What about her p>
He turned the screen toward Tyler. I glanced over, surprised to see Madison’s face looking back at
Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.