Chapter 11

When Emily woke up, she found herself staring at a spotless white ceiling, the faint smell of disinfectant in the air. She strained to move her eyes, scanning the room, and realized she was in a spacious.bright hospital room. It was empty. except for the occasional chirping of birds outside the window breaking the silence.

She tried to recall the events of the previous night. but her memory was a blur. She vaguely remembered feeling feverish, almost burning up,then a cool sensation on her lips. She instinctively moved towards the coolness. eager to immerse herself in that comfort. Thinking about it made her cheeks flush.

Just then, the door to the room opened gently, and a nurse walked in.Seeing Emily awake. she smiled warmly. "You're finally awake. How are you feeling?"

Emily forced a weak smile and asked. "Where am I? What happened to me?"

The nurse patiently explained, "You were brought in last night. After some tests, we found traces of an aphrodisiac in your system. But don't worry, you're fine now. Just rest for a few days."

She added, "And if you need to report this to the police, please let me know."

The nurse had seen many girls who, desperate to win a boyfriend's sympathy, would risk their own well-being.

But someone as stunning and naturally alluring as Emily? That

seemed unlikely.

"Thanks." Emily nodded awkwardly.

The nurse picked up a chart. made a few notes. and turned to leave.

Emily said. "Excuse me, do you know who brought me to the hospital last night?" Emily called out to the nurse.

"Yes. I remember clearly. It was a man with very refined features.but he had a stern expression," the nurse said. blushing slightly. "Although I didn't talk to him much. I could sense his confidence and authority."

Patrick's image immediately came to Emily's mind. She remembered seeing those deep eyes in her hazy state theprevious night.

The nurse said, "He said he found you in front of Whispering Pines Inn and brought you here because you didn't look well."

Emily asked. "Is all of this what he told you?"

The nurse said, "Yes, and he's a very kind man!"

Could it be someone other than Patrick?

Emily's heart tightened, followed by a wave of inexplicable disappointment.

Lying on the white hospital bed, she recalled the events of the previous day.

She did feel dizzy, initially thinking it was just exhaustion. But now,

it seemed far more complicated.

As her memory became clearer. Emily remembered some details before she lost consciousness. She returned to her desk. avoiding Shirley nearby. Later. Xyla from the opposite desk offered her some hot water. Having been out on business and not drinking water.she was indeed thirsty and. out of politeness. accepted the cup without much thought and took a big gulp.

It was after drinking the water that her body started to feel increasingly hot, her legs grew weak. and her consciousness began to fade...

Emily also remembered seeing Shirley's meaningful gaze in her daze.

Could it be that Shirley and Xyla had drugged her?

Emily couldn't accept this. She had just started working there and had no significant conflicts with Xyla, who had been the friendliest to her on her first day. As for Shirley. Emily had never intended to compete with her. She had even considered leaving the Rivera Group and Patrick to avoid conflict. Shirley had always targeted her, but Emily had dismissed it as petty jealousy. She never expected this...

Reality was often harsher than imagined. Emily now understood that in this harsh society, trust was a rare commodity.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

The most important thing now was to uncover the truth. Although Emily had her suspicions, finding evidence was crucial.

Emily got up and faced the window. A breeze blew in. but she felt an unusual chill.

"Emily? Are you feeling better?"

Emily turned around to see Xyla.

"Yeah,much better."

Emily was puzzled. What was Xyla's plan? Emily hadn't even confronted Xyla yet. and here she was.

Xyla said, "Actually, I'm here to apologize."

Xyla put down the fruit she was holding, looking uneasy

"Apologize?" Emily was taken aback by the sudden confession.

"I'm sorry, Emily!" Xyla bowed deeply, her sincerity evident.

Xyla said sincerely, "I've been feeling feverish for a few days, but I didn't report it to the company because I needed the full attendance bonus."

Emily frowned, confused by the explanation.

Xyla explained, "When you suddenly got a fever yesterday,I feared I might have infected you. I thought it was only right to apologize in person. I'm really sorry! My whole family relies on my income, so every dollar counts for me, even if it seems like a small amount to you."

Emily looked at Xyla's earnest eyes, feeling a mix of frustration and

amusement.

She had been drugged, not infected with a virus.

Emily couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.

Emily asked. "What about the child's father?"

Xyla explained. "He passed away before the child was born."

Emily asked, "Did you remarry?"

Xyla blushed deeply and shook her head.

Emily thought of her own mother, who had raised her and her brother alone after their father passed away. Every dollar had to be stretched to cover their needs.

After Xyla left, Emily's thoughts became clearer. If it wasn't Xyla,then it had to be Shirley.

But Shirley's influence was too strong, and she had to be cautious.

To avoid alerting anyone, Emily didn't rush to the police. Instead.she took a long leave from work, citing her need to recover.

Strangely, Patrick didn't question her and quickly approved her leave.

Emily was puzzled but didn't dwell on it. She knew she had to stay sharp and gather evidence while preventing Shirley from destroying any.

Emily decíded to start with the most direct approach. She requested

the surveillance footage from the Canyon Ridge project site. claiming she had lost something. In the fragmented footage, she saw Shirley helping her, already disoriented, into a car.

Shirley was holding her crossbody bag and phone. However.when she tried to get a clearer view. the image became blurry when zoomed in.

Rewinding the footage. Emily saw Shirley stop the car. do something with Emily's phone. and then put it back in the bag.

So it was Shirley. But what had she done with Emily's phone?

Emily suspected Shirley had used her phone to contact Patrick,wanting him to see her in a vulnerable state.

Emily shook her head at the thought. saved the video clips, and headed to Whispering Pines Inn, hoping the hotel's footage would reveal the truth.