She pressed her brows together in pain, her expression taut with effort. The fact that she was still holding on at all spoke volumes about her sheer force of will.
Foreman''s eyes flickered with a subtle, unreadable light.
After all these years moving through the world, what hadn''t Foreman seen? He could read Ste''s condition at a nce—he''d seen it before, too many times to count.
She''d been drugged.
And not just a mild dose-the effects were hitting her fast and hard. Ste''s consciousness seemed to be slipping, her gaze growing unfocused.
Whatever she''d been given, it was strong.
It wouldn''t be long before Ste lost control entirely, maybe even threw herself at him.
For some reason, Foreman''s heart started pounding in his chest, the beat echoing in his ears.
What if... what if he didn''t call for help? Would Ste finally be his?
The thought took root in his mind, dark and insistent—a seed sprouting into something poisonous.
He took a step toward her, but whatever conscience he had left held him back, warning him not to take advantage of someone so vulnerable.
Ste didn''t feel anything for him—not that way. If he really crossed that line, she''d never forgive him. She''d be devastated.
But... this time was different. She was the one who would initiate if anything happened, it would be her choice, not his.
He was only helping her, right?
Part of Foreman wanted nothing more than to have Ste for himself. But another part feared that if he went through with it, he''d lose even the friendship they had.
His inner battle was interrupted by Ste''s strained voice.
"Foreman, did Joshua say when he''d be here? I... I don''t think I can hold out much longer."
A sheen of sweat had broken out across her forehead. She wobbled to her feet, swaying unsteadily. "I''m-I''m going to try a cold shower."
Foreman''s fists clenched at his sides.
Joshua.
Even now, the first person she thought of was Joshua.
Jealousy crashed over him in a hot, suffocating wave, threatening to drown him.
Of course He was always so
cautious, always hesitating-andet
that''s exactly how, Joshua Gardner had managed to slip in and steal the Chance. s
Maybe he shouldn''t overthink it. Maybe he should just take Ste for himself.
And if she got pregnant from this night? No one would ever be able to take her away from him.
The idea sent Foreman''s breathing in harsh, uneven bursts. His eyes darkened, a red haze creeping in at the edges.
Hadn''t Ste and Haynes O''Brien ended up together because of one reckless night and a child?
Maybe he had a chance, too. Maybe he could marry Ste, just like Haynes had.
And if she didn''t get pregnant, he could always pay off a doctor, make her think she was.
The decision formed quickly. Foreman''s voice softened, careful and gentle. "Okay. Let me help you to the bathroom."
Downstairs, Joshua had just caught sight of Haynes when the speakers at the party suddenly sted a series of breathless, unnistakably intimate sounds. s<fn677f> For more chapters visit find?novel</fn677f>
At the exact same moment, the giant LCD screen in the ballroom lit up with an explicit, scandalous video.
Joshua''s eyes widened in shock. He immediately reached over and covered Keen O''Brien''s eyes and ears.
Haynes had only just managed to
get away from Queenie Burton and was heading off to look for Ste when he saw Joshua burrying toward him with keen in tow s
They had barely stepped forward when Haynes, too, caught sight of the lewd footage ying for all to see.
For a few seconds, the entire room was silent-everyone frozen, staring in disbelief.
And then, chaos erupted. Gasps, shouts, and frantic whispers buzzed through the hall.
"Oh my God, what''s happening? Who would dare show something like that at tonight''s party?"
"Who the hell put that on at Aurora Williams''s birthday? Is someone trying to humiliate her?"
"Wait, that person on the screen... don''t they look familiar? Looks like one of Aurora''s friends..."
"Shit, isn''t that Simone Lerman? From the Lerman family?"