Chapter 212: The Night of the One-Night Stand
Byron was surprised.
He thought Jeremy and the others had left by coincidence.
He didn't expect it was Samuel's deliberate arrangement.
But he had only carefully glanced at Samuel twice , how did Samuel notice he had something to say?
What a perceptive person!
The last person this perceptive was Amelia.
However, Amelia really did go to the bathroom by chance. Only York and Jeremy were deliberately sent away by Samuel to get wine from the cellar.
But they would be back soon.
Byron hesitated no more and spoke up, "Mr. Crawford, there's something I've been wanting to ask you for a long time."
Samuel picked up the conversation, "You want to talk about what happened at Crystal Springs Resort, right?"
Byron's eyes widened in surprise again.
"You guessed it?"
"When Rosevale Manor's firewall was attacked, I suspected it was someone from Shadow Operations Division. Both you and Amelia are from Shadow Operations Division, but Amelia seems to have no memory of what happened at Crystal Springs Resort. If you hadn't asked me today, I was going to ask you - what's going on? Did she lose her memory?"
Samuel had tested her several times, but Amelia showed no awareness.
Given how cautious she was, she shouldn't have had no reaction to his probing.
The only explanation was that Amelia had lost her memory.
Sure enough, Byron nodded, "Amelia did lose her memory."
"Why? How did she lose it?"
"I did it."
Seeing Samuel suddenly look at him coldly, he couldn't help but quickly explain, "She was in a lot of pain during that time, almost in a state of madness. After getting her consent, I found a hypnotist for her."
Only then did Samuel's expression return to normal.
He thought Byron had hurt her.
Turns out he just found a hypnotist.
Many hypnotists on the market knew a bit of psychology and then used the title to scam people.
But there really were people who could actually hypnotize, just that such talented people were extremely rare.
But thinking about how Amelia had "gone mad" because of him, Samuel's expression quickly darkened again.
"I wronged her," he said.
Byron shook his head, "You were part of it, or rather, just the trigger. The root cause was Finn. I assume you know who Finn is?"
Samuel didn't deny it.
"A friend told me about her and Finn."
Byron said, "She was already mentally unstable at the time. Our Shadow Operations Division had a traitor who, taking advantage of her poor condition, drugged her with an aphrodisiac, trying to destroy her."
He said bitterly, "If Amelia had been in normal condition, she definitely would have noticed when that person drugged her. But her state was really bad. Fortunately, that person was you, and fortunately, you and Amelia got together. Now I don't have to worry about Amelia remembering that incident."
Samuel nodded slightly.
"I'm also very glad that the woman at that time was her."
Before, he could accept that the woman wasn't Amelia, but now he completely couldn't accept it.
He couldn't accept that he had touched any woman other than Amelia.
So he really was grateful, yet felt so ashamed - to have had sex with her under those circumstances.
Byron observed Samuel's expression.
Seeing no smugness in his eyes, only heartache and shame, his heart finally settled completely.
Samuel was indeed a gentleman, just as Jeremy had said.
He remembered the original purpose of asking these questions and looked up at Samuel.
"Why were you there that day? I later caught the traitor who drugged her and interrogated her. She couldn't withstand the interrogation and confessed everything. She said she had arranged for several beggars to rape Amelia. But somehow, it ended up being you."
Samuel's eyes flashed cold again.
"Is that traitor still alive?"
"Dead. I killed her myself. She didn't die easily - I tortured her for half a month before she died."
Samuel said, "You should have kept her alive for me. Only half a month of torture is far from enough."
Two seconds later, he added, "I was also drugged with an aphrodisiac at that time."
Byron looked at him in shock.
Samuel then told him about what happened.
"You probably know something about my background - at that time, I was still what they called the illegitimate son."
"But I was better than Zachary in every way, so my dad started grooming me too, giving me a very important project."
"After giving me the project, I did an excellent job. That day was the contract signing - we chose to sign the final agreement at Crystal Springs Resort."
"My dad came that day, and of course, Zachary came too."
"He already knew my identity and had always been wary of me. Because of the project, he planned to frame me and make me embarrass myself in public."
"Fortunately, I felt something was wrong and found an excuse to leave."
"But I was in bad shape, my mind was foggy."
Samuel stumbled into Amelia's private hot spring by mistake.
In the end, he and Amelia had sex.
Amelia's dose was lighter, so she woke up earlier than him and left first.
"When I woke up, she was already gone. My subordinate, your brother, told me he saw some people sneaking toward the hot spring where I was. After he chased them away, he came in and found me."
Byron could piece the story together now.
The traitor really had sent some beggars to rape Amelia, but they were a step too late - Samuel got there first.
After Amelia left, those beggars tried to get in but were chased away by Jeremy.
Cold sweat broke out on Byron's back.
If Samuel hadn't also been drugged and hadn't happened to enter Amelia's private hot spring, then those beggars would have raped Amelia.
Although for Amelia at that time, both scenarios were harmful and humiliating.
But if those people had succeeded, never mind whether Amelia would have lived or died, they definitely would have spread the word everywhere.
Unlike Samuel, who acted as if nothing had happened and only investigated quietly.
In short, if it hadn't been Samuel, Amelia would have suffered much greater harm.
Byron had been dwelling on this matter - regardless of the present, Samuel at that time had taken advantage of her vulnerability.
But hearing the truth was like this, and after making this comparison in his mind, he felt this outcome was the best possible.
A blessing in disguise.
Byron took a light breath, feeling more energized than before.
He said, "Amelia asked me to find that hypnotist. She'll remember that memory soon. Do you plan to tell her yourself, or wait for her to remember on her own?"
"I'll tell her tonight."
"That's good."
"Thank you for telling me in advance, Byron."
Byron was slightly surprised.
"I used to think you were the kind of person who was arrogant and proud."
Samuel gave a slight smile.
"I am arrogant and proud, but I have the credentials for it. Otherwise Amelia wouldn't like me either."
Pretty conceited.
But he did have the credentials to be conceited.
However, no matter how satisfied Byron was with Samuel, he still made a threat.
"If you hurt Amelia's heart like Finn did, our group will never let you off."
Samuel looked at him deeply.
"Your words have no威慑力."
"You think I'm just making threats? I'm telling the truth."
"But isn't Finn still living well?"
Byron was stumped.
He explained, "Amelia told me not to hurt him."
Samuel's brow furrowed slightly.
Byron, afraid he'd misunderstand, added, "Not because she couldn't let go, but because she had already moved on."
Samuel's mood brightened again.
Just then Amelia came back.
Seeing the slight smile on Samuel's face, she asked curiously, "What were you talking about? You look so happy. Where are York and Jeremy?"
"They went to get wine." But Samuel didn't say what they had talked about.
He wanted to tell her about that matter privately.
After all, it concerned her reputation.
Women were different from men - they were vulnerable in such matters.
People gave men with messy private lives nice-sounding terms like "playboy," but for women, there were only derogatory terms like "promiscuous."
Amelia never made things difficult for people.
Since Samuel didn't answer, she acted as if she hadn't asked.
Soon York and Jeremy came back too.
Each carrying two bottles of wine.
All were vintage wines in good years, not high in alcohol content and easy on the stomach.
The five of them chatted from five o'clock until after eleven at night.
York really liked Byron and made plans to take him out tomorrow.
Amelia gave her consent.
She didn't mind Byron getting close to Samuel's people.
Before yesterday, she might still have had reservations, but after talking with Byron today, she had an epiphany.
She shouldn't have any more doubts about Samuel.
Just as Byron said, Samuel's feelings for her were pure, and he didn't need to use Shadow Operations Division as a stepping stone, much less turn against Shadow Operations Division.
She could trust him.
"Walk with me a bit before going back?" Samuel asked her.
Amelia nodded in agreement.
"Byron, you go back first. He'll have someone drive me back later."
"Yes."
Byron was sent back by Jeremy and York.
Of course, they didn't drink and drive - they called someone else to drive.
Amelia accompanied Samuel, walking around the horse ranch.
The horse ranch at night was also beautiful, with ground lights all around, the lighting just right.
"This is where Niamh fell off her horse last time, right?" Amelia said.
Samuel glanced at her.
"You really have no taboos."
Amelia shrugged, "I wasn't afraid of her when she was alive, why would I be afraid of her turning into a ghost to get me after she's dead?"
Samuel was even more helpless.
He occasionally hoped Amelia would show a side that depended on him - when they were alone.
But this bold and unrestrained Amelia was also what he loved.
He loved her however she was.
He loved her so much!
"I have something to say."
"I have something to say."
Both spoke almost simultaneously.
They looked at each other and both laughed.
Amelia said, "You go first."
Samuel shook his head, "You go first. My matter is more serious. After you hear it, you might not want to say anything, or even talk to me anymore."