Ethan's breathing suddenly became heavier. His feet seemed to weigh a thousand pounds each, and with difficulty, he approached the curtain. He reached out and pulled it open.
Behind the curtain, Samantha was wearing the maid's clothes, soaking in the bathtub. Her entire body was submerged in the cold water, yet her skin remained red, as if she were a boiled shrimp.
At this moment, she was uncomfortably burying her face in the water, eyes closed, breathing heavily.
Countless bubbles surfaced on the water.
Ethan's displeased eyebrows tightened. He walked over in three steps and lifted her out of the bathtub, angrily asking, "What are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself?"
The cold water brought a momentary clarity to Samantha's mind. Seeing Ethan, an overwhelming sense of grievance suddenly surged, and tears uncontrollably flowed down.
For some reason, at this moment, she felt very wronged, wanting to cry.
She wasn't like this before.
Ethan, feeling sorry for her, held her tightly in his arms. His thick hands gently patted her back to console her. In a hoarse voice, he said, "I'm here, don't be afraid. I'll protect you."
His comfort not only failed to have any effect, but it also made Samantha cry even harder. Her small fists kept pounding his chest as she complained, "Why did you come so late? It was almost... it was almost a disaster..."
If Albert hadn't discovered that something was amiss and promptly thought of a solution, there might have been irreversible consequences.
Her crying made Ethan's heart ache. Holding her tightly, for a moment, he didn't know how to comfort her.
The impulse that had been suppressed by the cold water's immersion resurged when Samantha was in Ethan's embrace, like a small flame turning into a raging fire.
Her small hands restlessly clung to Ethan's waist.
Ethan's dangerous eyes narrowed, and he bent down to pick up Samantha, striding out of the bathroom.
...
Banquet hall.
Albert, holding a glass of red wine, calmly found the old master of the Steele family and briefly explained the situation.
Upon hearing that someone had plotted against Albert, the old master's face turned red with anger. "I'll send someone to investigate immediately and find out who dared to scheme against my grandson-in-law."
Albert immediately pressed down on the old master's hand. "Grandfather, let's not alert the enemy
for now to avoid them escaping."
The old master looked at Albert and guessed that he must have a plan. He asked, "What are you going to do?"
Albert's lips slightly curled, and a hint of coldness flashed in his deep eyes. In a cold voice, he said, "I'll check the surveillance, and you accompany me. Just the two of us."
If he went alone, first, he didn't know where the surveillance room was. Second, the security wouldn't let him investigate.
To avoid alarming others and ensure the security guards cooperated, bringing the old master along was the best option.
The old master also wanted to know who dared to plot against his grandson-in-law. He nodded in agreement.
Albert, with the support of the old master, arrived at the surveillance room.
To their surprise, the security guard in the surveillance room was sound asleep in front of the screens.
The two exchanged glances.
The old master viciously slammed his cane on the security guard's back. "You scoundrel, is this the place for you to sleep? Get up right now."
But the security guard remained indifferent.
Albert sensed that something was wrong. He pressed down on the old master's hand, who was about to strike again, and whispered, "He shouldn't be asleep!"
After saying that, he bent down and began investigating.
As expected, all the surveillance footage from half an hour ago to two hours ago had been deleted.
Albert analyzed, "It should be someone from the Steele family. An outsider wouldn't be able to come and go freely in the Steele family and know everything about it."
The old master also noticed the strangeness of the situation and said in a deep voice, "Do you remember the appearance of that maid?"
Albert dangerously squinted his eyes. "I remember! Let's not alarm anyone for now. Act as if nothing happened. Tomorrow, I'll personally talk to Ethan and Miss Miller. As for that maid from earlier, I still have a use for her. Hand her over to me, and I won't hurt her."
The old master, understanding the gravity of the situation, nodded. "Fine, if there's any inconvenience, let Ethan handle it. After all, this matter is related to him as well."
Albert agreed without hesitation.
The two sneaked out of the surveillance room as if nothing had happened.
...
Suzy was unwilling to accept the failure of her carefully planned scheme. After leaving the banquet hall, she discreetly searched the entire Steele family estate for Samantha.
Samantha must not have gone far after being drugged, and she was sure she was still within the Steele family. Moreover, the potency of the drug was intense, and only a man could neutralize it. Suzy suspected that Samantha might have found any man available to detoxify herself at this very moment.
Suzy was determined to expose her, humiliate her publicly, and make her lose face.
Inside the banquet hall, the atmosphere was lively. Suzy meticulously searched around the garden terrace.
Calculating the time from when Samantha and Albert left until now, it wasn't long. Considering the time Samantha spent changing clothes with the maid, she couldn't have gone far. Eliminating the route they took when they arrived, the only possibilities were the golf course and the closest building to the garden terrace.
Suzy looked towards the building, considering the likelihood that Samantha was hiding there. Since it was farther from the front yard, it was often unoccupied except for the cleaning staff, making it the most probable location.
With this in mind, Suzy lifted her skirt and stealthily approached.
The first floor had only a hall, kitchen, and restroom. Suzy climbed to the second floor.
As expected, just after reaching the second floor, she heard intermittent sounds coming from the southern side.
Her heart leaped with excitement.
It had to be here.
From the sounds, it seemed that Samantha was seeking someone for detoxification.
With a joyful heart, Suzy followed the sound, stopping at the doorway of the last room.
The door wasn't completely closed, just slightly ajar.
Her nervous hands were sweaty, trembling as she gently pushed the door open.
Two figures entwined tightly came into view.
A man was pressing a woman beneath him, and due to the angle, she couldn't see the man's face clearly.
However, from the figure and physique, it was unmistakably a man.
The woman's voice was familiar; it was her younger sister Samantha.
Suzy's eyes turned red with excitement. Trembling, she silently left the scene after casting a malevolent glance at the absorbed couple.
She needed to bring people over immediately.
She would make everyone aware of Samantha's debauched private life.
She would expose Samantha's true face to Ethan.
Once Samantha was removed, she could become the mistress of the Steele family.
***