Chapter 323

The moment Ryland stepped out into the hallway, the door across from him flung open.

Brodie came barreling out, hair a mess and eyes wild with panic, like he had just stumbled onto something he was never meant to see.

The instant he spotted Ryland near the doorway,he was taken aback and hurried to leave.

Ryland watched, his brow knitting in confusion. He leaned closer to the open door, curiosity winning out.

Sprawled across the bed was a woman, probably in her fifties, with not a stitch of clothing to be seen.

Right away, Ryland pieced everything together.

Brodie definitely had some unusual tastes.

Still, he wondered if last night's incident had something to do with Brodie.

That idea had Ryland pulling out his phone. He called his assistant and said, "Look into what was in the drink Besty got at the Elepdon Museum banquet last night. Keep this under wraps, alright? I don't want word getting out."

If this kind of thing leaked, Besty's name could end up ruined.

His assistant answered quickly, "Got it. I'll be careful."

When the call ended, Ryland brushed his fingers across his mouth, which still ached.

That woman had been relentless.

She hadn't shown him any mercy.

She used him and kicked him out like he was nothing.

Frustrated but determined, Ryland decided he would make it up to her, no matter how he felt about it.

At the same time, Besty dragged herselfinto the shop,forcing herself to act like nothing was wrong.

When Besty walked inside, the staff immediately clustered around, whispering like they had spotted something scandalous.

One of them grinned and said, "Did my eyes deceive me,or did you actually show up late? That's got to be a record."

Someone else chimed in, "What happened to your neck,Besty?"

Most days, Besty would sweep through the doors first,polished and put together from head to toe.

This morning, though, she strolled in half an hour behind schedule, looking like she had been through a storm.

Everyone noticed. No one could remember her ever turning up like this.

With her cheeks burning, Besty tugged her collar higher and muttered a silent curseat Ryland.

She had dabbed on extra foundation, but the marks still peeked through.

Trying to play it cool, she forced a laugh. "Had a crazy night, ended up hitting the hay late. The spots on my neck? Just some pesky mosquito bites. I'll be fine."

She managed to wriggle free from the staff's questioning stares, but her phone buzzed in her hand before she could take a breath. Eleanor's name flashed on the screen.

"Besty, where were you last night? You never picked up,"Eleanor said.

Besty gripped the phone, scrambling for a reason."Sorry, boss. I had a bit too much to drink at the banquet. Mr. Brooks found me and made sure I got home safe. I must've knocked out the second I hit my bed. My phone died and I didn't even notice."

Relief colored Eleanor's voice. "I'm just glad you're alright. If you're feeling rough, take today off and get some rest. We can handle things here. Just come back tomorrow."

"Thanks, Eleanor," Besty said, her voice softening.

Once the call ended, she planned to give the team their assignments and then head out to recover.

Her whole body still felt sore, and a day off sounded perfect.

Right before she could reach her office door, a voice she knew all too well called out, "Guess who?"

Spinning around, Besty nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of that voice.

Ryland walked up to her grinning, holding up two hefty bags loaded with breakfast.

Suddenly self-conscious,Besty stepped in front of him and hissed, "What are you doing here? Seriously,you need to leave right now!"

Unbothered, Ryland breezed past her and handed the food to a nearby staff member. "Breakfast is on me. Make sure everyone gets some."

The staff exchanged looks, whispering and glancing between the two of them, clearly wondering if something juicy was going on.

Heat crept up Besty's face as she noticed the stares.She grabbed Ryland by the arm and hauled him outside, her voice low but urgent. "Have you lost your mind? What do you think you're doing?"

Flashing her a look of pure innocence, Ryland answered, "Isn't it obvious? I'm just trying to do the right thing here."

She slapped a hand over his mouth, darting her eyes around to make sure nobody overheard. "Listen to me.Last night never happened, alright? Nobody can know.Please,just go home."

Besty didn't stop pushing until they were far away from the shop, only then letting him go.

She took off back toward the store without even a glance over her shoulder.

Ryland watched her retreat, letting out a small sigh and a helpless shrug.

He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out to her, "Don't forget your breakfast!" A split second later, one of the breakfast bags sailed out the door and smnacked him right in the chest.

Ryland stared down at it, stunned. Dealing with a woman like her was definitely not for the faint of heart.