This wasn''t the first time something like this had happened. In the past, they would usually just sit in the room and talk, and Leonard Lerman would nevery a hand on her.
But now...
The thought of Leonard''s recent strange behavior made Aurora''s heart tighten.
The probability of him doing something to her was not low.
The Lerman family was in a precarious position, and Leonard''s own status as its head was unstable.
If he and his sister decided to make a desperate move, dragging her down with them to secure the Williams family''s support and save themselves...
Then she would be in grave danger.
At this thought, Aurora unconsciously tightened her grip on her purse.
She always carried a small arsenal of self-defense tools: pepper spray, a stun gun, and a few other items.
Leonard was skilled inbat, but one of his arms was a prosthetic.
If she fought back with everything she had, he wouldn''t seed so easily, would he?
With that in mind, Aurora subtly began to scan her surroundings, already searching for anything she could use as a weapon.
Leonard didn''t seem to notice her unease. He pulled out his phone, intending to have someone open the door, only to find he had no signal.
The cell service here was being jammed.
Leonard''s lips thinned into a hard line. "Aurora," he said, his voice taut, "check your phone. Do you have a signal?"
Snapping back to the present, Aurora took out her own phone and nced at the screen. No bars.
"Nothing."
No cell service. It was clear that Simone Lerman had nned this thoroughly, leaving her no chance to call for help.
In the past, even when Simone locked them in a room, she never jammed their phones.
But this time was different.
Simone wasn''t smart enough to think of this on her own. Someone had to be pulling the strings.
The most likely candidate...
Was Leonard.
At that thought, Aurora shot a discreet, assessing nce at him.
In that single nce, her pupils constricted.
Leonard''s breathing had suddenly be ragged and heavy, and light burned in
deep-set eyes, like twin mes.
Even a fool could see it now. Leonard had been drugged.
A surge of fury and regret washed over Aurora. She had been too trusting. She had let them y her for a fool.
Leonard had already sensed the change in his body, but his willpower was immense. He wasn''t at the breaking point yet.
"Aurora..." He started to say something, but then he saw the cold, defensive look in her eyes.
In an instant, he knew exactly what she was thinking.
A sardonic smirk touched his lips before his expression smoothed into a nk mask.
He turned and walked toward the bathroom.
A few secondster, Aurora heard the click of the lock, followed by the sound of running water.
She was taken aback.
She had expected him to lunge at her.
But he hadn''t. He had gone to the bathroom instead.
While Leonard was upied, Aurora tried the door again and attempted to make a call, both to no avail.
She walked to the window and
pulled back the curtains, only to be met with a dizzying view. She had almost forgotten the presidential Suite was on the top floor
Jumping was out of the question.
This was a Lerman Group hotel. If the door couldn''t be opened from the outside, her chances of leaving were slim to none.
Defeated, Aurora returned to the
living area. She clutched her
self-defense weapons tightly
chose a spot on the sofa
Rear
heavy tablemp.
fo
She sat there, leaning back against the cushions, her entire body coiled with
tension, not daring to rx for a second.
But Leonard remained in the bathroom for the entire night.