Chapter 49 Sober Up

As soon as Valerie stepped into the private room, she knew tonight was going to be anything but simple.

The table was loaded with red wine and beer. If it weren't for the fact that all her colleagues from the employee area were there, she might have thought Jeremy had set this up to get back at her for turning him down earlier.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself and chose an inconspicuous spot in the corner, hoping to stay under the radar and avoid the drinks.

But things didn't go as planned. Halfway through the meal, Valerie found herself being toasted repeatedly, the sharp liquid making her cough uncontrollably.

Soon, her cheeks were flushed, and the alcohol was getting to her. Unable to handle it anymore, she raised her hand, slightly tipsy, and politely declined another drink, muttering a low "Excuse me" as she staggered out.

Leaning against the wall, feeling dizzy, she fumbled in her bag for her phone and dialed Howard's number.

"Howard..." Valerie's voice, softened by the alcohol, was almost a whisper. She gave a little hiccup. "I've had too much to drink. Can you come get me... please?"

"Send me the address," Howard's urgent voice came through the phone.

Valerie steadied herself, stumbling to the front desk, where she picked up a business card and squinted to read the address.

After hearing the address, Howard's breathing slowed, but his voice still carried a hint of urgency. "Stay where you are. Don't move."

Valerie nodded drowsily, her face now fully flushed. She obediently crouched down, resting her arms on her knees and burying her face in them.

She didn't know how long she had been there, but her legs started to go numb, making it hard to even stand. Just as she was about to change positions to relieve the discomfort, she felt a pair of hands slide under her arms, trying to lift her.

Squinting, Valerie looked up at the person in front of her, mumbling, "Howard... is that you?"

By now, her mind was completely clouded by alcohol, and she couldn't hear the man's response. She was too weak to notice the sinister smile on his face as he picked her up.

"You bitch, acting all high and mighty before," Jeremy muttered angrily, grabbing Valerie's hair and forcing her to look up, his mocking laughter growing louder. "Now you're just a puppet for me to play with!"

At that moment, Howard arrived. He burst through the door to see Valerie in the arms of a stranger, whose hand was moving inappropriately towards her chest.

Clenching his teeth, Howard didn't care who was around. He charged forward, raising his fist and landing a powerful punch on Jeremy's face.

Joseph, who had followed closely behind Howard, widened his eyes and hurriedly took his wheelchair forward. But Howard seemed to have lost all reason, ignoring Joseph's warnings and landing punch after punch on Jeremy's face, each blow drawing gasps from the onlookers.

"Mr. Carter!" Joseph quickly pulled Howard off Jeremy, whispering urgently, "You can't expose yourself!"

These words brought Howard back to his senses. He looked around at the people watching, then quickly grabbed a mask from the front desk and put it on.

He then walked over to Valerie, bent down, and held her tightly in his arms. As he passed Joseph, Howard's voice was low and cold. "Clean this up."

"Got it," Joseph replied.

At the end of the hallway, Jasper was walking out with some friends, laughing and joking. Noticing the commotion at the door, they turned to see someone carrying a woman out in a hurry.

One of Jasper's friends glanced at the time and clicked his tongue, "Getting the girl this early, impressive."

"But it looks like there was a fight. I think there's someone lying on the ground," another friend said, puzzled.

"Look, a group of people just came in and took the guy on the ground away!"

As they chatted, Jasper's smile faded. He squinted, trying to recall the familiar figure he had just seen. It looked a lot like Howard. But wasn't Howard supposed to be unable to walk?

Doubt filled Jasper's mind, and his smile disappeared completely. He pulled out a wad of cash from his wallet and handed it to the man next to him. "Go pay the bill."

"Where are you going?"

Jasper didn't respond, quickly walking out of the establishment. He looked around but didn't see the figure again.

Stopping, he pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and scanned the area with a confused expression. "Did I see it wrong?"

When Valerie woke up again, it was already the next morning. The feeling of a hangover was unbearable; her head felt like it was about to explode, with a dull ache coming in waves.

She shook her head, trying to alleviate the pain, and fumbled for her phone. As soon as she turned it on, she saw numerous messages in the work group chat.

Her heart skipped a beat. Did she cause a scene at the party last night?

Panicking, Valerie quickly opened the group chat and read through the messages, only to find that they weren't about her.

Jeremy from the subsidiary had resigned.

Valerie was in disbelief, but Jeremy was indeed no longer in the group. She was stunned, her mind flashing back to the blurry images from before she passed out.

She patted her head, thinking she must have been hallucinating. Did she really see Howard carrying her and hitting Jeremy yesterday?

Before she could piece it together, the door to her room opened. Valerie turned to see who it was and tilted her head, asking, "Was it you who picked me up last night?"

Howard, sitting in his wheelchair, nodded confidently. "Of course."

His response only deepened Valerie's suspicion. She propped herself up on the bed, staring at him intently. "Then you..."

"Then what?" Howard's face was calm, meeting Valerie's gaze with a smile.

Seeing her full of questions but hesitant to ask, Howard couldn't help but chuckle, ready to come clean. "Actually, I..."

"No need to explain," Valerie interrupted, raising her hand.

She crossed her arms and sat back, shaking her head gently. "If you're not ready to tell me, you don't have to."

She genuinely respected everyone's privacy. All she wanted was to live a simple life with Howard. Everyone had their secrets, and if he wasn't ready to share, she wouldn't push him.