How Did She End Up Drugged?

Benjamin froze, shock etching lines across his face.

Before he could form a question, Alexander interrupted, his voice tight. "Not now. Just examine Evelyn. I believe she's been drugged. It's potent."

One glance at Alexander's rare agitation was enough. Benjamin moved instantly, rushing to arrange a comprehensive medical evaluation for Evelyn.

Alexander was guided to Benjamin's private office to wait. A crushing sense of helplessness settled over him.

The minutes stretched, each one fraying his nerves further. Pacing the room, restless energy coiled in his muscles. He fought the urge to burst out and find her, held back only by Benjamin's firm instruction.

The image replayed in his mind: Julian forcing her down, her desperate struggle. It fueled a cold, simmering rage in his blood.

This was his failure. He hadn't protected her.

If his intuition hadn't kicked in... The alternative was unthinkable. His stomach churned at the possibility.

The evidence at the scene spoke volumes. Evelyn had fought back fiercely.

Drugged and disoriented, yet she had resisted Julian with every ounce of strength...

The thought made Alexander's breath hitch.

No. He had been too late.

He should have collected her from work personally. This never would have happened.

Regret was a sharp, physical pain. He was so consumed by it that he didn't notice Benjamin re-enter the room.

Sensing the dark cloud around Alexander, Benjamin approached cautiously. "I identified a drug in her system," he reported. "You got her here just in time. She's on an IV. With rest, she'll recover. But..."

His eyes scanned Alexander's rigid posture, the storm behind his calm exterior.

"Alexander, what happened?" Benjamin's tone was urgent. "How did she get drugged?"

Suspicion flickered in his gaze. "You didn't have anything to do with this, did you?"

Alexander's jaw clenched, but his voice was deceptively quiet. "She was taken. I retrieved her and brought her straight to you."

Benjamin's face hardened. "Who would dare?"

Alexander let out a sharp breath, massaging his temples. "The problem has been handled. It was her ex, Julian Blackwood."

Benjamin's frown deepened. He knew fragments of Evelyn's history from Sebastian, but this was more severe than he'd imagined.

"Julian's family operates a minor company," Benjamin stated, his tone analytical. "But this drug... it's highly specialized. Not something easily acquired. Most physicians wouldn't recognize it, let alone trace its origin."

He locked eyes with Alexander, his gaze sharp. "Which suggests Julian likely didn't act alone."

The initial panic for Evelyn's safety receded, replaced by Alexander's cold, calculating focus.

Julian alone lacked the capability. That was a certainty.

The business district where Evelyn worked had excellent security. The convenient streetlight outage that night was no accident. It was orchestrated.

Very few possessed the resources for such a precise operation. One name surfaced immediately in Alexander's mind: Harrison.

Harrison himself wasn't particularly clever, but with Margaret's backing, his ambitions knew no bounds.

Before Alexander could speak, Benjamin voiced his own theory. "Could it be Theodore?"