Chapter 290

Chapter 290
Nadia couldn't believe Henry could be so heartless. He hadn't given her even the slightest chance before having Violet and the director fire her. Was it such a crime to be attracted to someone?

She sat at her desk, unable to bring herself to pack her things. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of what Henry and Sophia might be doing right now.

That bitch Sophia! Stealing what should have been her victory!

If it weren't for her interference, she, Nadia, would be the one beneath Henry right now!

Nadia desperately wanted to run to Henry's hospital room and see exactly what was happening inside. But the hospital security personnel stood directly behind her, monitoring her every move, making it impossible for her to leave the office. They kept urging her to hurry up and finish packing.

After a good cry, she reluctantly gathered her belongings, her face the picture of dejection as she left the office. Once she passed through the hospital's main entrance, the security staff stopped following her. She walked a bit further, making sure no one was watching, then pulled out her phone and made a call.

"It's me," she whispered into the phone. "I've been fired from the hospital. Henry had me terminated! Violet has completely abandoned me. You need to figure something out for me, fast!" Her voice trembled with emotion. "How could this happen to me? This is all Sophia's fault! She stole everything that should have been mine, and now she's probably having sex with Henry in that hospital bed!"

She paced nervously on the sidewalk, ignoring the curious glances from passersby.

"That drug you gave me—does it even work? I sprayed it and nothing happened!" She listened for a moment, her face contorting with rage. "What do you mean you gave the same drug to Isabella? Are you trying to get me killed? If Isabella used the same aphrodisiac, Henry will immediately suspect me!"

Nadia's voice had risen to a near-scream, causing several people to turn and stare.

"I don't care! Just pay me what you owe me from last time! And find a way to get me back on Violet's team!"

After her outburst, she hung up and stood alone amid the bustling crowd.

Looking at her reflection in a store window—like a lost ghost among the living—tears immediately spilled down her cheeks.

"Sophia Wilson," she whispered through gritted teeth, "just you wait. I won't let you get away with this so easily."

The setting sun cast a reddish glow across the hospital room.

Exhausted from the intense lovemaking, I gradually regained consciousness.

My entire body felt like it had been run over by a truck. Every joint ached, and the space between my thighs throbbed painfully at the slightest movement.

The full-body soreness slowly cleared my foggy mind.

Suddenly, everything came rushing back—I'd been drugged! Then I'd shamelessly thrown myself at Henry, begging him to satisfy me.

That bastard had taken advantage of me in my vulnerable state!

Without thinking, I immediately slapped the man lying beside me!

The sharp crack echoed through the room. The sleeping beauty opened his eyes, looking at me with genuine surprise as I clutched the sheets tightly around my naked body.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded.

Only then did I notice the bloody scratches covering his chest and shoulders.

Anyone could tell they were made by a woman's fingernails during passionate sex.

God, how intense had our encounter been? I quickly looked away, unable to meet his eyes, and spat angrily, "Henry, you went too far! How could you take advantage of me like that? You knew I was drugged, yet you still..."

I couldn't finish the sentence.

Henry touched his reddening cheek, his eyes cold with restrained anger. "Huh! I kept refusing you! You were the one who raped me. Don't act like the victim here!"

I glared at him furiously. "What do you mean I forced myself on you? I was drugged! My body wasn't under my brain's control!"

A slight smirk appeared on his handsome face. "Oh, your body wasn't under your brain's control? Well, on New Year's Eve, my body wasn't under my brain's control either."

"You didn't show me any sympathy then. Instead, you called the police and had me arrested!"

Though some time had passed since that incident and he hadn't mentioned it until now, I could hear the resentment lingering in his voice.

My thoughts immediately flashed back to New Year's Eve.

That night, Henry had been drugged by Isabella and had dragged me into the guest room for hours of passionate sex.

Back then, we were in the middle of our divorce—which I had initiated. Desperate to finalize our separation as quickly as possible, I'd resorted to extreme measures and had him taken to the police station.

Now, oddly enough, our roles had reversed—I was the one who had initiated.

Seeing that Henry had no intention of letting this go, I tried a more conciliatory approach: "Mr. Harding, please be generous. Don't hold a grudge against a helpless woman, okay?"

At this point, all I could do was try to bury this incident and move on.

Henry's lips curved upward, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "Why should I forgive you? You raped me. I'm the victim here!"

His words left me speechless with anger. As much as I wanted to curse him out, I had to swallow my rage and continue pleading: "It was all my fault. I'm sorry. I apologize. Please, Mr. Harding, let me go. Can we just pretend this never happened?"

Henry clearly had no intention of letting this go. His beautiful eyes narrowed as he looked me up and down, a smile spreading across his face. "Pretend it never happened? That's impossible! It already happened, Sophia. You forced yourself on me, pinned me to the bed so I couldn't escape. Do you have any idea how psychologically traumatizing that was? Are you planning to just sleep with me and take no responsibility?"

Henry's dramatic victimhood act was truly ridiculous, but I was too focused on finding a way to keep him quiet about what had happened.

"Fine, fine! I was wrong! I'm sorry, don't be upset. I'm willing to compensate you for any damage. How much would be appropriate?" I added pointedly: "By the way, if you weren't willing, I certainly couldn't have forced you. You could have called a doctor to come in!"

"That goddamn Henry!" He was literally in a hospital. He could easily have called a doctor to give me a sedative, which would have calmed me down instantly. Instead, he let things progress, clearly revealing his own selfish intentions.

When he heard my offer of financial compensation, his expression darkened. "You're trying to pay me off? Do you think I need money?"

I knew perfectly well Henry didn't need money, so I simply fell silent, waiting to hear what he wanted. Noticing the defeat and frustration in my eyes, he seemed to soften slightly, not wanting to push me too far.

He cleared his throat. "What do you mean 'call a doctor'? I was trying to leave, but you were clutching my clothes, not letting me go, kissing me frantically."

"I'm a normal man who's been celibate for months. How could I possibly resist? You can't blame me for this! I'm the victim here!"

The more he emphasized his victimhood, the more suspicious I became. I'm not a promiscuous person by nature, and after realizing I'd been drugged, I'd been biting my tongue to stay lucid. This didn't match his description at all.

"Henry," I challenged him, "I still have my memory, and it wasn't like what you're describing. Are you lying to me?"

"Who's lying?" he protested, shaking his head. "I have an audio recording!"

He played the recording, and a woman's moans filled the room: "Give it to me! I want it! I'm so hot, kiss me!" Then: "Oh! It feels so good, don't stop, harder, you're amazing, I love how you do that to me!"

I recognized my own voice and felt my cheeks burning with shame.