She''d thought Shawn had finallye to his senses, that he was ready to cooperate for real.


    She never expected he''d be so shamelesspletely unrepentant.


    Shawn nced at Ste and noticed the flush creeping up her cheeks. Realizing the drug was taking effect, he dropped the act entirely.


    His grin turned sly. "Ms. Cameron, you''re a natural beauty-impossible to forget. Ever since I saw youst, I haven''t been able to get you out of my mind. Don''t worry, darling. By the time I''m through, you''ll be begging for more."


    Ste hurled the contract in his face, scrambling to stand, but a strange wave of heat surged through her body.


    She''d been drugged.


    But how? She hadn''t eaten or drunk anything since stepping into this room.


    A chill of fear ran down her spine.


    But there was no time to dwell on it.


    She reacted in an instant, reaching for her phone to call for help.


    The call had barely gone through when Shawn lunged, snatching the phone from


    her grip and hurling it to the floor with a vicious crack.


    "Don''t bother, Ms. Cameron. There''s no way out of this room."


    A glint of cold fury shimmered in Ste''s eyes. "Shawn, touch me and I swear I''ll


    kill you."


    Shawn just chuckled. "Maybe save that energy for the bedroom, sweetheart."


    He clearly wasn''t taking her threat seriously.


    Ste''s pupils narrowed.


    athe


    Shawn gave a theatrical sigh. "You''re the heiress to the Williams Group-most men wouldn''t dare even try But after tonight, I''ll take responsibilitye to your house, ask your father for your hand-the whole nine yards. It''ll all be perfectly respectable, won''t it?"  s


    Ste let out a short, bitterugh. "You think you''re good enough toe ask for my hand?"


    He leaned in, undeterred. "Everyone''s already talking about you and that pretty-boy bodyguard of yours The Pearce family and the Williams family are a perfect match. I''m a much better fit for you than some nobody, don''t you think?"  s


    His gaze swept over her, hungry and appraising. You''ve been ruining your reputation by hanging around with that bodyguard Not many men would still want you now. I sure your father and brother would rather see you with me than him"  s


    Ste closed her eyes for a moment, steadying herself. "Why am I feeling like this? How did you do it?"


    No point hiding it now. Shawn smirked. "I got my hands on a new drug. Odorless, tasteless—you only need to breathe it in. Takes five minutes to kick in."


    Apany like the Williams Group never signed a contract without reading every page-dozens of them. Ste had spent extra time reviewing the documents, making sure there were no hidden changes.


    It all made sense now.


    She drew a deep, shuddering breath, forcing her tone to remain calm. "Who put you up to this? What did they offer you? I''ll pay you ten times whatever they promised."


    Shawn''s eyes gleamed with a mocking light. "Ms. Cameron, you''re stunning-and worth a fortune. If I marry you, what more could I possibly want?"


    He leaned closer, his voice dropping. "Don''t bother stalling. No one''sing to save you. The drug works slow, but it''s strong. Give it a few more minutes, and you''ll be begging for my touch."


    He turned to his secretary. "Is everything ready?"<fn3840> This update is avable on F?ndNovel</fn3840>


    The woman pulled a tiny camera from her purse. "All set, Mr. Pearce."


    Ste''s breathing grew ragged.


    She understood what would happen. Shawn would use the recording to threaten her-force her to marry him, or keep her silent.


    If she fought back and tried to ruin Shawn, the video would be released. Her reputation would be destroyed, and she''d lose everything.