Chapter 53
She was the one who touched him first.
Isabella was the one who made the first move.
It was she, driven by the effects of that drug, who domineeringly used him as an antidote.
Even in that moment of complete surrender, deep in her soul, she actually felt a trembling craving for that familiar scent.
How ridiculous.
She had just slapped this man in the face at the peak of a business battle with a divorce agreement leaving her with nothing, only to turn around and sleep with him in a hotel bed.
This messy situation had become a complete tangled mess.
But Isabella withdrew her gaze, the complexity in her eyes instantly receding like the tide, replaced by an unshakeable absolute clarity.
What'd done was done.
They were both adults, just treat it as a drug-fueled indulgence where both got what they needed.
A fleeting affair wasn't nearly enough to make up for the six years of grievances she'd suffered in The Sinclair Family.
And didn't even dream that she'd obediently crawl back into that gilded cage called Mrs. Sinclair and played the caged canary because of one ridiculous night!
Isabella's life had only just set sail. The gold award she won at the summit yesterday was her true source of confidence.
Men? Just a little spice on her road to success!
Without a moment's hesitation.
Isabella endured the soreness throughout her body and sat up from the bed decisively.
She didn't put on last night's torn black velvet dress. Instead, she walked barefoot to the closet, pulled out one of James's brand-new white shirts, and casually threw it on.
The oversized men's shirt barely covered the top of her thighs, revealing a pair of straight, slender legs, which only enhanced an indescribable sense of cool detachment and restraint.
She bent down and picked up her phone and purse from the floor.
When Isabella reached the suite door, her steps didn't even show the slightest pause.
Trying to trap her again with a night of passion?
What a pipe dream.
On the streets of Tech Harbor in the early morning, the thin fog hadn't completely lifted. A black taxi sped smoothly along the wide road.
Isabella sat in the back seat, rolling down the window a crack, letting the cold morning wind blow against her coldly beautiful face.
She wore only that obviously oversized high-end men's white shirt, wrapped tightly in a long trench coat she'd just bought on a whim from the hotel lobby boutique.
The collar of the white shirt still faintly carried that cedarwood scent that belonged to James.
"Miss, where to?" The driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror.
Isabella's voice was clear as spring water, without a ripple.
"Northstar Architecture Headquarters building."
At that very moment, in the exclusive top-floor suite of the Regal Crest Hotel.
Harsh sunlight pierced through the gaps in the floor-to-ceiling windows, hitting the luxurious velvet bed directly.
James's pitch-black, deep eyes snapped open, his strong arm instinctively reaching to the side.
The empty touch made James's godlike, handsome face instantly freeze.
He suddenly sat up, his gaze cutting through the entire spacious, luxurious bedroom like a blade.
The right side of the bed was empty, the cold corner of the blanket showing that the woman had left long ago.
The black velvet dress torn apart in last night's frenzy still lay on the carpet, but the backup custom white shirt he'd left on the sofa chair back had vanished without a trace.
No explanatory note left behind, no words after their intimacy, not even a phone number.
She left decisively and cleanly, without any hesitation!
James looked at the empty room and laughed in anger, that low, hoarse laugh sounding particularly chilling in the quiet suite.
What a heartless woman!
She completely treated him like an antidote tool to be used and discarded at will?! He, the supreme leader of The Sinclair Group controlling billions in assets, had been reduced to being "used and tossed aside" by his ex-wife!
But along with the anger, James's eyes held more helplessness.
He owed her this. Even if she treated him as a disposable tool, he could only willingly endure it all.
Thinking this, James got out of bed, and the moment he reached for the backup phone on the table, his face instantly turned cold as ice.
Someone actually dared to use that vile, dirty drug on the woman by his side!
And even tried to completely ruin her life?
This was simply asking for death!
As soon as the call connected, his assistant's voice came through.
James's tone remained icy, "What's the situation with the investigation?"
"Report, Mr. Sinclair, the several outsourced building material companies under that bald fat man who tried to make a move on Ms. Tudor officially declared bankruptcy and restructuring at four o'clock this morning."
Chase spoke very quickly, afraid that being a second slow would bring down his wrath.
"The man himself has had both hands crippled and been thrown into a lawless border zone. He probably won't even have the chance to walk upright normally for the rest of his life."
James walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling city as small as ants beneath his feet, the murderous intent in his eyes constantly churning.
"What I'm asking about is the source of the drug."
Chase wiped the cold sweat from his face and quickly reported.
"Already investigated! The temporary server who served the juice last night has confessed to everything. A high-purity hallucinogenic aphrodisiac was mixed into that glass of juice."
"I traced the dark web financial flows of the black market transaction, then locked onto an anonymous overseas account, and finally identified the actual controller of this dirty account."
After saying this, the assistant paused, a trace of coldness in his voice, "Mr. Sinclair, the mastermind behind it all is Sophia from Crownlight Architects."
It was Sophia!
The moment he heard that name, James's already ice-cold black eyes became even more bloodthirsty!
So it was that ungrateful, backstabbing junior!
No wonder she dared to act so brazenly!
This pitiful creature who'd always lived in the shadow of others' genius, out of jealousy and fear of being exposed, had jumped the gun and done something so despicable!
Thinking this, James took a deep breath.
It was so close last night!
If he hadn't been following behind, if he hadn't happened to run into that drugged scene at the VIP elevator entrance.
Isabella might have been dragged into the presidential suite by that disgusting man and violated!
That was a rare treasure that even he, James, felt was being desecrated by looking at too much!
Chase's voice on the other end of the phone dropped even lower, "Not only that, but the tech department also found traces of Charlotte in Sophia's communication records from the past two days."
"Although Charlotte was very careful, using a burner virtual card to make calls, the cell tower location data completely matches. It's very likely these two have been secretly conspiring together!"
Charlotte again!