Chapter 92: Seductive Poison

After polishing off two bottles of wine, they raided the cupboard for two more.

The four of them practically downed one bottle each, and now they were all nearly sloshed.

"I'm out, gotta deal with mall stuff tomorrow," slurred Lyn, her cheeks flushed.

Eliana grabbed her arm. "Too late to go now. Stay here and crash; in this state, if you leave, you guys are asking to get mugged," she reasoned, guiding Lyn upstairs.

Even Eliana herself struggled to walk straight.

Once in the room, Eliana settled Lyn into bed and heard noises downstairs.

She sighed and hurried back down, finding Chase trying to lift Austin, both almost falling over.

"What's going on? You've turned the place upside down," Eliana said, steadying Chase first and then helping him to the sofa.

Already unsteady on her feet, trying to support Chase just made her more unbalanced. They ended up leaning against the couch together.

Eliana's head was pounding, and she groaned softly.

"What's up?" Chase's gentle voice came over, soothing like a cool breeze.

Noticing her discomfort, Chase gently rubbed her temples, his concerned gaze intense.

They were so close Eliana could feel his breath and warmth. She was at a loss for words, her heart racing.

Finally, she managed, "I'm... good."

Chase nodded faintly. Once he knew Eliana was okay, he relaxed and leaned against the couch.

His head tilted back, light streaming down, highlighting the sexy knot of his neck. His warm breath felt like a seductive poison, drawing Eliana in.

Eliana's heart raced. Was it the spiked drinks? How else could she explain this feeling?

She tried to get up but realized Chase had his arm around her waist. His arm was strong and firm, muscles tense under her touch.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push him away.

Eliana leaned closer. "Chase, let go. I gotta go upstairs."

Half-asleep, Chase tightened his hold, their bodies nearly melding together. He turned his head, his lips brushing against Eliana's ear. "I'm not letting go of you."

Eliana felt her heart melt; she knew he was talking nonsense, but she couldn't help but feel happy.

She stole a glance at his handsome face. "You'll probably forget what you said when you wake up."

The next morning, Eliana woke still cuddled in Chase's arms. Somehow, she was now on the couch in a comfortable position.

They both woke up almost at the same time, locking eyes, the atmosphere as intense as raging flames.

Eliana blushed slightly, unsure how to break the awkwardness.

Suddenly, a scream from upstairs snapped her back to reality.

Eliana's head cleared instantly. "Lyn's still upstairs!"

And Austin was nowhere to be found in the living room. Could it be...

Without hesitating, Eliana rushed upstairs and found Austin lying on the floor while Lyn sat on the bed glaring at him angrily.

"What happened?" Eliana hurried in, with Chase following closely behind.

Lyn's face was bright red. "He was lying on top of me all night!"

"All night?" Eliana and Chase exchanged questioning glances with Austin.

Austin rubbed his sore backside and looked at Lyn with a pained expression. "Could you explain that a bit more?"

Lyn stood up, rubbing her chest. "He nearly suffocated me all night; I dreamt I was under a mountain and couldn't breathe."

Austin rubbed his back and teased her, "With a mouth as big as yours, you could breathe just fine."

"Who's got the big mouth? I'm gonna knock you out!"

Lyn was furious, ready to slap him if Eliana hadn't stopped her.

"Aren't you supposed to set up the runway show at the mall today? If you don't leave now, you'll be late," Eliana urged, pulling her downstairs.

Austin and Lyn were like cats and dogs, scratching at each other as soon as they met.

But the event was crucial for Lyn, so she couldn't afford to delay. Despite the lingering resentment in her heart, she put on her high heels and left. "I'll contact you later."

After seeing Lyn off, Eliana breathed a sigh of relief.

"I should head back too."

Austin grabbed his coat and nodded to Eliana before leaving.

Normally, he had a decent tolerance for alcohol. So how did he get so drunk?

Wondering about this, Austin walked toward the elevator.

Lyn was already inside, and the minute she spotted Austin, she immediately hit the close button.

"This woman is so petty..." Austin muttered to himself.

In the elevator, Lyn frantically pressed the close door button when she saw Austin. A minute ago, she was ready to throw a punch. Yet he still dared to share the same elevator with her?

Once outside the apartment, Lyn felt thirsty. She walked into a convenience store, bought a bottle of juice, paid for it, and then answered a call from a staff member saying a couture dress had gone missing from the store.

"That's a runway piece, only one of its kind. Have you looked everywhere?"

Lyn hurried out, but upon getting into her car, realized she forgot her drink.

She reluctantly got out again to retrieve her drink. Just as she reached the door, she saw Austin picking up the juice she had forgotten on the table.

Lyn hurried over, snatched the juice from his hand, and chugged it down in one gulp.

Austin frowned at her, speechless, and she shot him a provocative and triumphant look.

"You're simply being unreasonable!" Austin grumbled.

When he left the apartment, Chase warned him not to bicker with Lyn. He couldn't even get mad, so he just walked away seething.

Lyn smirked, feeling oddly satisfied. "This stinky-mouthed guy really wanted to mooch off my drink. Couldn't he buy his own?"

Feeling unexpectedly content, she was about to leave when the cashier called out, "Miss, you forgot your drink just now."

Lyn froze, turned back, and saw the cashier holding out the juice she had bought earlier.

She had forgotten to take that one, so the bottle in her hand now belonged to... Austin?

That's why Austin had given her that weird look just now.

Lyn groaned in frustration. "Oh man, that was embarrassing!"