Chapter 322

At the Benton family's villa, Eleanor breezed through the front door, her cheeks still tinged with color from the night's events.

Jeff and Hilda shared a knowing look from their spot on the sofa, a hint of amusement flickering between them.

Did this mean things were good again with Nolan?

Eleanor avoided their gazes, keeping her voice light."Hey, Dad. Hi, Mom. I'm going to call it a night. You should get some sleep too."

Not waiting for a reply, she slipped upstairs.

The familiar comfort of her room welcomed her.She washed up and settled under the covers, letting her mind drift.

But then, a figure suddenly flashed in her mind-Besty.

She remembered how, at the end of the banquet,Nolan had whisked her away, and she hadn't seen Besty. A wave of worry nudged her upright. Reaching for her phone, she dialed Besty's number.

The line rang and rang-no answer, just the steady drone of an unanswered call.

A tight knot formed in Eleanor's chest.

Besty never missed her calls.

Something felt off.

She tried again, her nerves fraying,but still nothing.

Elsewhere, in Room 9, Besty's phone vibrated again and again, the calls going unanswered in the silence.

By morning, Besty finally stirred, groggy and dazed,her head throbbing with the start of a nasty headache.

On instinct, Besty reached for her phone,only for her hand to land on something warm and solid.

Her fingers pressed into a man's bare chest.

The shock jolted her fully awake. She scrambled to flick on the lamp beside the bed.

Soft light spilled across the room, chasing away the shadows.

Ryland's face came into view-unmistakable and much too close.

Wide-eyed,Besty glanced down,horror creeping in as she saw the state she was in. Her skin was marked with kisses, and not a stitch of clothing covered her.

Memories from last night started piecing together-the swirling dizziness, that impossible heat, her own reckless abandon as she threw herself at someone.

A scream tore from her throat.

She planted both feet against Ryland's side and kicked him right off the bed.

He crashed onto the carpet, the sudden impact dragging him out of sleep.

He sat up, dazed, and locked eyes with Besty's furious glare.

As he registered his own state, Ryland snatched up the blanket and tried, unsuccessfully, to wrap it around himself.

Besty,shaking with fury, jabbed a finger at him. "You absolute creep! How dare you touch me?"

Before Ryland could get a word in, she lunged, fists flying.

He took a couple of blows before grabbing her wrists. "Will you just calm down for one second? I swear, I didn't plan this! You-if you remember-kind of launched yourself at me last night. I was hardly in control of anything. Who do you think is the victim here?"

That stopped her cold. Color rushed into Besty's cheeks as fragments of her memory returned.

Had she really been the one to start things?

The ache in her head only grew worse.

Wrenching free from his grasp, she turned away,gathering her clothes in a hurry.

As she pulled on her last shoe, Besty shot Ryland a glare. "If you breathe a word of this to anyone,l swear-"

Words failed her, and she stomped her foot before storming out, slamming the door beind her.

Ryland sat there in stunned silence. Was that it?Seduced and then ditched?

Ryland stared at the slammed door, a dry, almost disbelieving laugh slipping out.

Pieces of last night's chaos flickered back-his thoughts swimming,heat crawling under his skin, and that odd, lingering scent. His eyes swept the room until they stopped on a vase of lilies set on the nightstand.

Moving closer, he bent down and inhaled.

The same sweet, intoxicating scent clung to the petals,unmistakable and heavy.

A setup. The realization clicked into place like a lock snapping shut.

Any hint of amusement vanished from his face,replaced by a hard, cold resolve.

He dressed in record time, threw open the door,and marched out, determined to uncover whoever had orchestrated this mess.