Chapter 3

I frowned. "Then I still need to take my brother home first..."

"Don't worry, Ms. Dawson," Caleb cut me off. With a wave of his hand, two burly bodyguards stepped forward and grabbed Nico, one on each side.

"Your brother is so badly injured. How could he possibly handle a long trip?

"Mr. Whitaker has been kind enough to arrange for him to stay at a top private hospital outside the city, where he'll be under close supervision. He'll have the best medical team available, and we'll make sure your brother is very well taken care of."

I looked at the stone-faced bodyguards surrounding us, then at Nico, who was weak from his injuries and understood immediately.

Adrian had never intended to let me leave.

Nico struggled and glared at Caleb. "Let her go! If you want something, come after me!"

I put my hand over Nico's and shook my head. People like us knew better than to pick a fight we couldn't win.

I turned to Caleb, my face breaking into an overwhelmingly grateful smile. "I'm incredibly grateful for Mr. Whitaker's generosity. In that case, I'll have to trouble you to take good care of my brother for me, Mr. Foster."

Caleb nodded in satisfaction. "You're a smart woman, Ms. Dawson. This way, please."

That night, I was placed in a luxurious guest room at the hillside estate.

The staff brought me custom designer clothes, and the table was covered with a dinner prepared by a Michelin-starred chef.

But I didn't touch a single bite.

Late that night, when everything was quiet, the door opened. Adrian walked in wearing silk pajamas, one hand tucked into his pocket.

When he saw me sitting at the table, he assumed I'd been waiting for him. A trace of smug satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

"What? Don't like the food? I've already taken care of your brother. A specialist examined him. He's not going to die."

I lowered my head obediently. "Thank you, Mr. Whitaker."

Adrian seemed pleased by my submissive attitude. He reached out, lifted my chin, and forced me to look him in the eyes. "Maybel, I know you feel wronged. Charis has been by my side for many years. I can't let her down. But I remember everything you've done for me.

"From now on, stay here at the estate and be my housekeeper. I'll give you the best life money can buy, except for the title of my wife."

"Yes, Mr. Whitaker." I lowered my eyes, hiding the mockery in them. "I'll know my place and make sure I never cause you any trouble."

Satisfied, Adrian released me and turned to leave. "Get some rest. Don't come out until after Charis and I have had our engagement ceremony. It'll save us from any unnecessary trouble."

I was kept inside the hillside estate for three whole days.

During those three days, I tried climbing over the wall, bribing the security guards, and pretending to be sick.

Nothing worked.

Just as I was getting desperate enough to consider digging a tunnel, Charis strutted in with her personal assistant, Jenna Hollowell.

Charis was wearing a bespoke designer gown, and the enormous diamond ring on her finger gleamed as she moved. She had obviously come to gloat.

Her gaze immediately landed on the canvas bag I'd left on the table, and her eyes instantly filled with resentment.

"Maybel, so you really are playing hard to get." Charis gave a cold laugh. "You think packing your things and putting on this pitiful act like you're ready to leave at any moment will make Adrian feel sorry for you and give you the title of Mrs. Whitaker?"

I rolled my eyes, exhausted. "Ms. Lambert, you're seriously overthinking this. I packed my bag because I genuinely want to leave.

"Could you please do me a favor and tell Mr. Whitaker to let me go? Your position as Mrs. Whitaker is completely secure. I absolutely won't fight you for it."

But Charis took my words as mockery. She walked up to me, lowered her voice, and said through gritted teeth, "Stop pretending you're above all this! You think you can use the fact that you saved him to get a letter of non-prosecution and then have nothing left to worry about?

"I'm telling you, Adrian only loves me! Even if you took a hundred bottles to the head for him, you'd still be nothing but a lowly country bumpkin!"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, you're the important one. So can you let me leave?"

My dismissive response seemed to infuriate her completely. Charis stared at me. Then, without warning, she picked up the cup of tea I'd just poured and took a sip.

The next second, her expression changed drastically. The cup fell from her hand and hit the floor with a crash. Her entire body toppled backward, her breathing turning rapid as red welts quickly spread across her skin.

"Ah!" She clutched her throat in agony and collapsed to the floor.

"Ms. Lambert! Ms. Lambert, what's wrong?" Jenna immediately screamed, her voice shattering the silence of the estate. "Someone help! Maybel poisoned Ms. Lambert!"