Raelyn’s POV: Aiden hauled me straight out to the car. He shoved me into the passenger seat, buckled my belt, and didn’t rush to start the engine. I looked at his stormy face and grinned. “What’s wrong?” “You kissed him?” His brows lifted, his expression like ice. “Kissed who?” Aiden leaned closer. “Raelyn, I know you’re not drunk.” His eyes locked onto mine, unflinching. I tilted my head, lips curling into a sly smile as I sat up straighter. “Smart of you.” His gaze didn’t soften; his voice stayed cold. “Why do this?” I pouted, letting my voice turn wounded. “If I didn’t, would you have come over?” Of course, I’d chosen that spot on purpose, just so he’d see me drinking, so he’d see all those little acts I put on. And I’d been right. But Aiden was sharper than I’d expected; he had figured it out early—yet still walked straight into the trap. “You like me, Aiden. Eyes don’t lie. The way you look at me—it’s different now.” A bead of sweat slid down his temple. “I was drugged.” I froze, then reached out to touch his forehead. Sure enough, it was burning hot. So, it was just me, overthinking again. “What are you going to do about it?” I sighed, helpless. “Why do these women keep drugging you? What is it, sleeping with you comes with some kind of insurance plan?” I could already guess it had been Geraldine; and looking at Aiden now, I knew something was off. His eyes had started to blur, his pupils flickering with a dangerous heat. “The drug’s probably about to kick in. Take me to the hospital.” His voice was strained, his eyes shut tight with pain.I raised a brow. “What, I’m sitting right here—a gorgeous woman—and you don’t feel a thing?” I was only teasing; if it really came down to something happening between us, I wasn’t sure I could handle it. Aiden’s jaw clenched, his face twitching. “No.” Yeah, right. I didn’t believe him for a second. But his whole body had begun to shake. I’d had too much to drink to drive, so I summoned Freya, slung Aiden onto her back, and rushed him to the hospital. The doctor there gave him some basic treatment and ordered him to stay for observation. I wanted to sit by his bed and keep watch, but Aiden waved me off. “Go home. I’ll be fine on my own.” Not a chance. I slumped into the chair and feigned dizziness. “I drank too much; if I head home, I’ll pass out halfway there. What if some werewolf takes advantage of me? You’re not worried about that?” I turned my head toward him with a mischievous grin. Aiden sighed and shut his eyes without answering. By midnight, I was half-asleep on the bench beside his bed. His voice suddenly broke the silence. “Why don’t you sleep on the bed instead?” I cracked one eye open and shook my head. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just doze here.” He exhaled quietly and switched off the light. Darkness fell; neither of us spoke. After a long while, as I hovered on the edge of sleep, I heard a faint whisper. “Raelyn, this isn’t worth it.” Then I drifted under, dimly aware of something warm being draped over me. The touch was feather-light, almost tender. When I woke the next morning, Aiden’s bed was already empty. I glanced down to find the cover on me wasn’t his jacket at all, but a hospital-issue gown.The doctor came in for rounds and smiled when he saw me awake. “Ms. Beck, you’re up?” “Where’s the patient who was here?” “Mr. Aiden left for work early. He asked me not to wake you, said to let you get your rest.” I nodded, stretching out my stiff limbs, then headed straight to the company. Only when I got there did I hear that Aiden had flown out to Veloria for a business trip—a three-day investment deal on a film project. He was already on his way to the airport. I let out a heavy sigh. Lately, every move Aiden made felt like nothing but an escape from me. That thought still lingered when I unlocked my phone—and a headline popped up. “International star Geraldine launches her first comeback drama in Veloria.” So that was it. I gave a bitter laugh. If Geraldine and Aiden were both leaving Varken, then I had no reason to stay at Eclipse Corporation either. I headed to admin, put in my leave, and packed myself off to Light Corp. When Simon saw me, he looked completely taken aback. “What brings you here? You never cared about Light Corp before—you’ve been wrapped up in Aiden and Eclipse Pack this whole time.” “Guess I’ve finally come to my senses.” Caught off guard, I could only laugh awkwardly. “By the way, that show I mentioned—we’ve signed the contract. Shooting starts tomorrow.” I nodded. “Handle it however you see fit.” He hesitated, then finally said, “There’s one condition from the other side.” “What condition?” Simon paused, weighing his words, before continuing. “They said, they’ll only fully cooperate if you come in person.” I blinked. “Who’s ‘they’?” “The president of Jade Group, Randall.” Of course. It was him.