Chapter60 The Calculation
The nearby guests who had been watching the scene discreetly scattered, each holding a glass, quickly blending back into the festive atmosphere.
The little confrontation seemed to be nothing more than a harmless interlude.
But for Harrison and Ariana, it was far from that. They were left isolated. As other guests walked past them, their eyes held a subtle mix of scrutiny and contempt. No one approached Harrison to talk.
Harrison's face was grim. This was the first time he had been marginalized like this since becoming CEO.
Ariana, standing next to him, felt those looks like sharp needles, stabbing at her and making her desperately want to disappear. She forced a smile, but it looked worse than a grimace, her nails almost digging into her palms.
"Harrison, I... I need to use the restroom," Ariana couldn't stand it anymore. She made an excuse and practically fled the scene.
Inside the lavish restroom, the cold marble sink reflected Ariana's distressed face. She stared intensely at her reflection. The sweet, innocent facade was gone, leaving only twisted jealousy and resentment.
It's all Miranda's fault!
If it wasn't for her, why would I have been publicly humiliated? Why does she get to be the center of attention at this party while I'm treated like a clown and pointed at?
Ariana was shaking with anger. Just as she was about to splash cold water on her face to calm down, a woman's voice suddenly came from one of the stalls.
"Hello? I'm telling you, you absolutely must not mix up that juice cup."
"I put the new research powder in the juice in that specific cup. It will keep a person in heat all night."
Ariana's movements froze. She instinctively pricked up her ears.
The voice from the stall continued. "What? What did you say? A server just took it? Took it to the back garden with the wine?"
The woman's voice instantly rose in panic. "I told you to watch it! I specially marked that cup. It's different from the others, the base has a diamond-cut design. You need to go find it right now. It'll be a disaster if someone accidentally drinks it!"
After that, the sound of a toilet flushing came from the stall, indicating the woman was about to come out.
Ariana's heart jumped. Without thinking, she grabbed her purse and rushed out, as if a ghost were chasing her.
The moment she was gone, the stall door opened. Celeste emerged, looked at her own face in the mirror, and a hint of triumph touched her lips.
She took out her phone and calmly deleted the recording of her self-staged phone call.
She had been wondering how to get Miranda to drink the poisoned juice without being detected.
Now, a scapegoat had delivered herself. If something happened to Miranda tonight, Grandpa and her cousin would certainly investigate.
But with Ariana, who had just had a public conflict with Miranda and had a clear motive, the investigation would never lead back to her.Celeste reapplied her lipstick and left the restroom in high spirits.
Back at the party, Ariana was still unsettled. Her mind was a jumble. Her heart pounded from the tension of overhearing the secret, mixed with an inexplicable excitement.
Her eyes darted uncontrollably over the servers carrying trays, clearly searching for that unique glass of juice. One thought dominated her mind: It's all Miranda's fault! If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have lost face at such a good networking opportunity!
What if Miranda drank that juice?
It would make her act disgracefully in front of all the guests, like a shameless slut.
Just the thought of it sent a rush of vengeful excitement through Ariana.
Just then, a server walked past her carrying a tray. Under the light, a cup of orange juice on the tray, whose base reflected a brilliant diamond pattern, instantly caught her eye.
That's it.
Ariana didn't hesitate. She immediately stepped forward and stopped the server.
"I'll take this juice."
She picked up the cup and confirmed the unique diamond-cut design on the base. Ariana suppressed the frantic beating of her heart. Holding the 'lethal' juice, she quickly moved to an unoccupied corner of the garden. She didn't rush to find Miranda. Instead, she grabbed a clean, empty glass from a nearby table and poured the drugged juice into it.
Looking at the tempting liquid, a moment of hesitation flashed in Ariana's eyes. She thought of Harrison. They had been divorced from Miranda for so long, yet he still hadn't touched her. Every time she tried to get close, he found an excuse to pull away.
What if... what if I pretend to accidentally drink this juice myself?
Then tonight, Harrison would...
Once the thought surfaced, it wrapped around her heart like a fast-growing vine.
About fifteen minutes later, Ariana reappeared in front of Harrison, holding a normal glass of juice. But her face was unnaturally flushed. Her eyes were glazed, and her steps were unsteady. She looked completely drunk, swaying as she leaned toward Harrison.
"Harrison, I... my head is spinning."
Hidden in the shadows, Celeste watched the scene and nearly cursed out loud. Idiot! An opportunity was handed to her, and she didn't even use it on Miranda. Celeste was hoping to watch a good show and pin all the blame on Ariana afterward.
A cold ruthlessness flashed in Celeste's eyes. It seems I'll have to take matters into my own hands. Anyway, no matter how the investigation turned out, Ariana was the perfect scapegoat.
Meanwhile, Harrison caught Ariana as she fell toward him. He didn't smell any alcohol on her, but the way she was panting and looking at him with seductive, half-closed eyes made his face instantly darken. As a man experienced in the business world, he immediately knew something was wrong.
"Ariana, what's wrong with you?" He gripped her wrist, his voice cold.
Feeling the burning heat of her skin, Harrison's eyes turned completely frigid. She was drugged? Here?
Harrison's face was extremely grim. He didn't want to make a scene. He kept his expression hard and quickly flagged down a server. "Where is the private lounge?"
After confirming the direction, he half-dragged, half-carried the increasingly weak Ariana away from the back garden as quickly as possible.
At the same time, Miranda had just sent off an important business partner and was talking happily with Alice, holding a glass.
She raised the glass and quickly drank the red wine in one gulp.
The crimson liquid slid down her throat, carrying an unusual bitterness.
She frowned slightly, glancing at the empty glass, a flash of doubt crossing her mind.
Did they change to a new wine?