Chapter 149
Aria's POV
He walked to a small table in the corner and retrieved a champagne bottle and a single flute. Beside them, I noticed a small vial of clear liquid that made my heart stutter.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked, holding up the vial. "It's something special from the Russian black market. They call it a 'compliance drug.'" His smile sent shivers down my spine. "One drop, and even the most stubborn woman becomes... agreeable."
I recognized it immediately – GHB, the date rape drug. My mind raced with horrible possibilities as I watched him uncork the champagne.
"Ethan, you don't want to do this," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "This isn't you."
"But it is me, Aria." He poured the champagne slowly, the golden liquid catching the dim light. "This is what you've reduced me to. I tried the gentleman's approach. I tried winning you back the proper way." He uncapped the vial. "Now we do it my way."
"Stop!" I shouted, pulling frantically at my restraints. "You'll go to prison for this. You'll lose everything – your family's respect, the business, everything."
He paused, considering my words, and for a moment I thought I'd reached him. Then he smiled sadly and tipped the contents of the vial into the champagne.
"What I'll gain is worth the risk." He approached with the flute. "What you won't willingly give me, I'll take for myself."
My heart hammered against my ribs as he brought the glass to my lips. I clamped my mouth shut, turning my head away.
"Open your mouth, Aria," he commanded, his voice hardening. When I refused, he pinched my nose shut with his free hand. "You'll have to breathe eventually."
I held out as long as I could, lungs burning, but finally gasped for air. He seized the opportunity, pouring the champagne down my throat. I choked and sputtered, but enough went down that I knew I was in trouble.
"There we go," he murmured, almost tenderly. "Just relax now."
"Why?" I managed to ask, already feeling warmth spreading through my limbs. "Why do this?"
Ethan set the glass down and began loosening his tie. "Because you needed to be taught a lesson. Do you know what Scarlett originally wanted to do?" His laugh was cold. "She wanted to find some strangers to take turns with you, film it, and destroy your reputation completely."
Horror washed over me. "You... you were going to let that happen?"
"Of course not." He loosened his tie. "I convinced her I should be the one to break you instead. Much more poetic, don't you think?"
Despite the drug's effect, I remained lucid enough to feel revulsion and fury. I strained against the ropes, but my coordination was failing. "You won't... get away with this," I slurred.
"I already have." He leaned in and forced a kiss on my lips. I bit down hard, tasting blood.
He jerked back with a curse, raising his hand to strike me – then the door crashed inward, splintering off its hinges.
Devon Kane stood in the doorway, his tall frame silhouetted against the light from the hall. Two security men flanked him, their expressions grim. Devon's eyes swept the room, taking in the scene with cold calculation before landing on me.
"This is how you two date now?" he drawled, his tone arctic. "Bondage games?"
"Kane," Ethan sputtered, blood still trickling from his lip where I'd bitten him. "This is a private matter between my fiancée and—"
"Ex-fiancée," Devon corrected, stepping into the room. "And drugging women doesn't strike me as consensual."
Tears sprang to my eyes at the sight of him. I tried to speak, but the drug made my tongue feel heavy and uncooperative. Devon's gaze softened momentarily when it met mine, then hardened again as he turned to Ethan.
"Marcus," he said quietly, and one of the security men moved forward, grabbing Ethan and forcing him face-down onto the floor.
"Get your hands off me!" Ethan shouted. "Do you know who I am? The Blake family doesn't need Kane Technology to survive!"
Devon chuckled, the sound devoid of humor. He approached Ethan and pressed his walking cane against the man's throat. "Try going against the Kane family and see how that works out for you," he said softly. "You think the Blakes are untouchable in New York? Touch her again, and your hand will have an 'accident' like that Brown boy's."
Ethan's face drained of color. Devon nodded to Marcus, who hauled Ethan to his feet and escorted him out with the other security guard.
Once they were gone, Devon approached me, his movements measured. He knelt beside my chair and gently began untying the ropes binding my wrists. When the restraints fell away, revealing angry red marks and bruises, his jaw tightened.
"You seem to enjoy these sorts of games," he said, his voice cold. "Don't want to leave?"
I shook my head, trying to find words through the chemical fog. "He... drugged me," I managed, my voice breaking. "Please... need a doctor."
Devon's expression changed as he noticed my dilated pupils and flushed skin. He pressed a hand to my forehead, frowning at the heat radiating from it.
"How much did you drink?" he asked, his tone shifting from accusatory to concerned.
"Just... sips," I mumbled, fighting to stay coherent. "GHB, I think."
Without another word, Devon scooped me into his arms. I expected pain from his recent gunshot wound, but he showed no sign of discomfort as he carried me from the room and down a hallway. My head lolled against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat anchoring me as the world swam in and out of focus.
"Stay with me, Harper," he murmured as he placed me in the back of his car.
"Hospital?" I asked weakly.
Devon slid in beside me, his face grim. "It'll be out of your system before we get there." His hand brushed my hair from my face, the touch surprisingly gentle from a man who usually maintained such careful distance. "Just hold on a little longer. For this sort of thing... I'm something of an expert."
As the car pulled away, I felt myself drifting, the drug pulling me under despite my efforts to stay alert. The edges of my vision darkened, and I fought against the encroaching unconsciousness.
"I can't..." I whispered, my words slurring.
"You can and you will," Devon's voice was firm but strangely comforting. He pulled me closer, his arm secure around me. "I've got you, Aria. I've got you."