Chapter 2 Shadows of the Night: A Forbidden Encounter and Mysterious Escape

He had a hundred dollar bill in his hand.

What did she think he is, leaving him money after S**?

The man's face darkened, and he strode towards the balcony. The window was indeed open.

The stairs in this building was built higher than other places and the third floor was as high as the average fourth floor. How did she manage to jump down?

Was he really that horrifying? That she'd risk her life to escape?

The wind blew in from the window, sending a chill down the spine, but it couldn't extinguish the evil fire in the man's heart. This woman not only humiliated him with a hundred bucks, but she also jumped out of the window and ran away... Just wait till he catches her!

Estelle sneezed on the taxi, and the driver looked back through the rearview mirror, "Hey young lady, are you alright?"

Beautiful as she was and all soaked, something definitely had happened to her..

Estelle smiled softly, "I'm fine."

The driver chuckled, "You must be a student. Be careful out there on your own."

"Thanks, sir."

Estelle nodded and quickly typed on her phone, "Destroy the surveillance footage of me at the Sapphire Hotel around 7 and 9 o'clock. Make it disappear!"

"Ok!" The person on the other end didn't ask any questions, just simply took the orders.

The thought of the man's harsh words infuriated her. Estelle didn't want to dwell on the useless question of whether or not she should have met Jonathan. She just wanted to make sure he never knew she'd been there.

After getting off at Maple Street, Estelle paid double the fare for wetting the taxi's back seat.

Back at the villa, maid Wilma was startled by Estelle's soaked clothes, "Ma'am, what happened?"

"Minor issue, I'll go up to take a shower." Estelle headed upstairs.

"I'll run the bath for you, ma'am." Wilma didn't dare to ask further and hurried upstairs to prepare.

A few minutes later, Estelle soaked in the warm bathtub, her body gradually relaxed.

Her mind was a mess. She forced herself not to think about what had happened that night and put her head

underwater as well.

After her bath and changing into clean pajamas, Bennett called just as Wilma was blow-drying Estelle's hair.

Estelle was displeased, and she asked Wilma to leave, then went out to the balcony to answer the call.

As soon as it got through, Bennett asked hastily. "Estelle, where are you? Have you met Mr. Lamont?"

There was no emotion that could be detected from her voice, "Dad, you must've been so worried that Mr. Lamont and I can't get along, so you decided to spike the drink, huh?"

Bennett paused, "What do you mean, spike the drink? I didn't!"

"Didn't?" Estelle smirked, "Then why did you tell me to meet at 7, even though you made the arrangement with Jonathan's a*sistant to meet at 9?"

There was silence on the other side. Estelle's heart sank, and she prepared to hang up.

"Estelle" A sudden voice came through, Bennett sounding quilty. "I was wrong I wanted you to meet Mr Lamont earlier, hoping that you two spending some time alone would make him less reluctant to this marriage"

He asked worriedly. "What happened, are you alright?"

Estelle could hear a hint of genuine concern in Bennett's voice and asked, "It really wasn't you?"

Bennett replied firmly. "Of course not! I may be desperate, but I would never stoop so low as to plot against my own daughter!"

Estelle said nothing

Bennett carefully asked, "Estelle, are you alright?"

She replied lightly. "I'm fine, I didn't see Jonathan."

Bennett didn't dig further into this, seemingly sighing in relief, "Anyway, I failed you in this, and I won't make you see him again. If you don't want to live in the villa on the hill, I'll pick you up right now and take you home."

Estelle's voice softened a bit, "I've been living here for over two years, and I don't mind staying for a few more months. Dad, don't worry, I kinda like it here."

The villa was a private property of Jonathan's. She had moved in as soon as they got married and she had been living there for almost three years.

Bennett sighed in relief, "Alright, then stay for a while longer, once the three years are up. I'll personally pick up my baby girl back home. Oh, by the way..."

He paused, saying. "This Saturday is your mom's birthday. Why don't you come home? She feels bad about the things she said last time you were home, and she's just too stubborn to apologize."

Estelle nodded, "I have a cla*s on Saturday morning, I'll go back after the cla*s."

"Alright, if you have any problems, give me a call."

After hanging up, Estelle made another call, "Paula, please prepare the latest spring necklace and earrings set for me. I'll pick them up in a couple of days."

With the confirmation on the other end, Estelle put down her phone, and her thoughts unintentionally wandered back to the things that happened tonight.

The man's heavy breathing seemed to linger in her ears... her arms resting on the stone railing, her head low, torn between regret and hatred.

At eleven that night, Jonathan left the Sapphire Hotel. His a*sistant followed, whispering, "Mr. Lamont, we found out it was TC Group's Vice President Hale. He planned to drug his companion tonight, but somehow you ended up with the spiked drink. He's terrified, already fled J City for H City."

A fierce look flashed in Jonathan's eyes, "Since he's left, he better never come back!"

The a*sistant lowered his head, "Understood!"

When Jonathan returned to the Lamont family's residence, it was already past midnight. His elder brother and his wife had gone to the L City for an economic seminar, his parents also tagged along. Only leaving his brother's daughter and son at home, who were already asleep.

Jonathan went straight to the third floor, took a shower, and sat down on the rattan chair on the balcony wrapped in his bathrobe, lighting a cigarette from the coffee table.

The flickering ember shone under the moonlight, his slightly damp hair hanging over his forehead, the dim light. casting a shadow on his handsome face.

He thought of that girl tonight. Sensing her vulnerability, he kissed her for so long.

He didn't make a further move until she responded, and she grabbed his arm, calling his name in fear.

He was not himself at that time due to the heat from being drugged, so now when thinking about it, he couldnt be sure whether she called out his name or not

Jonathan took out the hundred bucks, a new version, soaked through with water.

Who carries that much cash around?

Why did she show up in his room?

Who was she?

Jonathan was suddenly curious.

Picking up his cell phone, Jonathan made a call, "Find the woman who jumped from the third floor tonight!"

"Got it!" Assistant Millard only took orders, he nerver say more than he should.

The next day, after finishing cla*s in the morning, Estelle received a call from her advisor, asking her to organize the materials for the scholarship application and bring them to the office.

After Estelle had prepared these materials, before she could go, she received another message from her advisor, "Estelle, there was something urgent that I need to take care of in the meeting room on the ninth floor. you can bring the materials there."

After replying her advisor, Estelle headed towards the office building.

Outside the office building, a black Bentley was parked on the green lawn. Just as Estelle was about to walk past, she saw a tall, handsome figure stepping out of the car.

Estelle's heart raced as she saw the man's profile and turned away subconsciously.

Jonathan might not recognize her since they didn't turn on the lights last night, but she was the one that didn't know how to face him...

Estelle only continued walking after the car left and the man turned into the office area.

But then, as she turned the corner, she saw the man standing there on the phone again. Estelle stopped and pretended to look at her own phone.

When she looked up, Jonathan had already walked away. Estelle took a deep breath, puzzled as to why Jonathan was here.

She entered the office building, and the man was just getting on the elevator. Estelle slowed down her pace, waiting for the elevator doors to close before walking up.

Her hand had just reached the elevator button when the already closed doors opened again.

Estelle looked up, caught off guard, directly meeting the questioning, cold gaze of the man.