Chapter 57
When we got home, as soon as we walked in the door, Robert rushed over: "How are you doing? What happened yesterday? You weren't hurt, were you?"
Faced with Robert's obvious concern, Oscar took a half-step back.
But Oscar quickly composed himself, his smile perfectly polite and flawless: "Dad, sorry for worrying you. I'm fine, just had too much to drink last night. Don't worry about it. I'm feeling a bit off, so I'll head upstairs first."
Robert quickly said, "Oscar, Mr. Franklin's a snake in a suit. Comes across as harmless as a church mouse, but he's the most calculating one in the bunch. Be very careful dealing with him—and if you're ever out drinking again, make sure you've got backup with you."
Oscar nodded: "I know."
"Also—" Seeing Oscar about to go upstairs, Robert quickly added, "You're an engaged man. When you're out for business, you need to watch yourself."
Oscar's expression darkened, but he just nodded and quickly went upstairs.
I gave Robert a reassuring smile: "Don't worry, he knows how to handle things."
After going upstairs, Oscar was already in the bathroom. Even through the door, I could hear the sound of rushing water.
I opened my phone and saw missed calls from Eugene. Glancing at the closed bathroom door, I walked to the balcony and called him back. He answered quickly: "Emily, I saw your message this morning and asked around right away. There might be some misunderstanding here."
My voice was flat: "Eugene, if you really asked around properly, you'd know it's not a misunderstanding. Things got pretty loud yesterday. If they don't give me an explanation, I'll naturally find someone who can."
Eugene said with a laugh, "Got it, I understand what you mean. So here's the thing—I just got off the phone with Zach from the nightclub. He wants to explain things to you properly. When would be convenient for you? How about we meet at the club?"
I asked directly: "You and Zach are pretty close, right? If we go to his club again, no one's going to lock us up, are they?"
Eugene laughed: "Listen to you! Don't worry, I'll make sure he gives you an explanation. By the way, how's Oscar doing? Is he okay?"
"He's alright, he's fine now," I answered flatly.
"That's good. Thank god you went there yesterday, otherwise... if something had really happened, I wouldn't know how to explain it to you." Eugene said awkwardly.
Thinking about the scene when Oscar pinned me down yesterday, and how he probably misunderstood what would happen next, my face flushed red again. I quickly exchanged a few pleasantries and hung up.
But—
Why was he still showering after I'd been on the phone for so long?
Worried something might be wrong, I walked to the bathroom door and listened carefully. Besides the sound of running water, there seemed to be painful groaning. "Oscar, are you okay? Oscar?"
No one answered. Listening more carefully, the groaning seemed to get more intense.
Was the drug that strong?
What if he passed out in there?
Without thinking, I pushed the door open and rushed in. At first glance, Oscar was lying in the large bathtub full of shower foam, head tilted back, eyes closed, his face showing that abnormal flush again. Water from the showerhead poured over his head, his hands were in the water, and I could only see his shoulders shaking violently.
"Oscar, are you okay?" I rushed forward to check on him, cold water splashing onto me.
Had he been taking a cold bath this whole time? Just out of the hospital, and he might end up back there again.
Without thinking, I reached to pull him out of the tub.
He suddenly opened his eyes. Our eyes met, and I almost cried out in shock as his whole body slid down into the bathtub.
But... after he fell in, he was completely hidden by the foam.
"Oscar? Oscar!"
This bathtub was made for two—way too big.
I didn't care anymore and reached blindly down into the tub.
Through the foam, I grabbed onto some unknown support—thick, hard, and despite the cold water, still warm.
As I pulled up hard, I heard a muffled groan of pain. A pair of hands pressed down hard on mine, and with a forceful pull, my feet slipped, and I fell straight into the bathtub.
The icy water instantly engulfed me. I struggled to get up, but besides the slippery tub walls, his hands were pressing down hard, giving me no chance to stand.
The suffocating feeling terrified me, making me grip even harder—it was the only lifeline I could hold onto.
The hands holding me loosened a bit, then quickly wrapped around my waist. Holding me, he rolled over and bent down desperately, pulling me out of the water.
A cold yet warm lip pressed hard against mine.
With heavy breathing, his tongue tangled with mine, as if sucking sweet nectar.
I opened my eyes, consciousness gradually returning, and realized with shock that my right hand was gripping something moving in a strange position—something that seemed to be getting bigger and kept twitching in my palm...