Chapter 464
Lately, I’ve been replaying that night over and over in my mind.
The juice was handed to me by the waitress. If I wasn’t the intended target, the chances of it landing in my hands were slim. But I hardly knew anyone at the dinner. Bella, Ivy, Bryant. None of them seemed likely. Bella was openly caring towards me, Ivy was her confidant, so drugging me was out of the question. And Bryant, even less likely. That left Summer, the only person I had history with. And I could feel, more or less, the animosity coming from her. Just what she hoped to achieve, I couldn’t figure out.
When I voiced the accusation, Summer froze, then looked at me with feigned confusion, “Me, drug you? What drugs?”
I smiled back, “You drugged me, and you don’t know with what?”
Truth was, I wasn’t sure it was her. Just fishing.
Summer was about to reply when Bella walked over, shooting her a look. “Why didn’t you invite Jane in, young lady?”
Summer turned, flashing Bella a sweet smile and saying, “I… I was just so eager to chat with Ms. Webster.”
Right then, I knew it. It was her. She was the one who drugged me.
Despite her earlier act of innocence, her reaction in front of Bella gave her away. With her not even wanting me to step through the door, if she wasn’t the one who drugged me, she would’ve used this as an opportunity to clear her name. To let Bella know I was framing her, tarnishing her image. But her first instinct was to smooth things over.
For now, I masked my suspicions, smiling warmly at Bella, “Ms. Taylor, shall we try on the dress?”
“Of course, the dress is a must.”
Bella took my hand, ever so friendly, “But first, you must try the cookies I baked.”
“Cookies?”
I was pleasantly surprised, joking, “Tasting Ms. Taylor’s homemade cookies is
09:26
404
definitely worth bragging about on social media.”
“Feel free to brag.” Bella didn’t mind at all.
Her villa had a large front yard adorned with a wall of roses, and the backyard was filled with various fruit trees. It was clear Bella had settled down in Vista
Town for her daughter. Stepping into her house, the aroma of freshly baked cookies greeted us. After tasting a couple, I sincerely complimented, “These are delicious, perfectly sweet, much better than store–bought.”
“Really?”
Bella beamed, “I’ll pack some for you to take home, for your family.”
“No, that’s not necessary…”
“Why so formal with me? I baked plenty.”
“It’s not that…”
I explained, “I don’t really have a family, or rather…”
I paused, thinking, then continued, “I do have family, but my grandmother is sick in a nursing home, and my father… might as well not be there.”
A flicker of sympathy crossed Bella’s eyes as she softly asked, “And your mother?”
“My mother…” I smiled helplessly, replying, “I have no idea where she is, or who she is.”
Meanwhile, in RiverCity, at the Fusion Corp offices.
The assistant knocked and entered, placing a file on Alaric’s desk, “Mr. Alaric, here’s the information on Jane Dream’s founder you requested.”
“Hmm.”
Alaric nodded, flipping through the file, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Jane? She’s attractive, sure, but hardly a national beauty. What’s got Mr. Ferguson so bewitched?”