“I won't drink it.” “Then I'll feed it to you.” With that, Matteo picked up the spoon, preparing to force the food into her mouth. Eliza immediately dodged backward. “Matteo, swear you didn't put anything in this.” “I swear.” Seeing his expression, which made it clear he would force-feed her if she refused, Eliza knew she didn't want to go through that humiliation. “Want me to take a bite to show you?” Matteo asked. He then put a spoonful of the food into his own mouth. Eliza finally relaxed, took the bowl from him, and ate it all, one spoonful at a time. But the moment she finished the last bite, an overwhelming wave of sleepiness washed over her, impossible to fight. She instantly realized Matteo had tampered with the food. Eliza pointed at him, but Matteo simply stood up, unfazed, watching as her vision blurred. “You're too naive, believing whatever anyone tells you. Don't worry, I just put in a little sleeping medicine. It's better for you to get some rest and not overthink.” Hearing his words, Eliza felt her trust had been completely wasted. If he hadn't taken that bite, I never would have believed him. After Matteo left the room, Eliza struggled for a moment, trying to stay awake, but the drug took effect quickly. She finally collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep. The next morning. The sound of a car starting and driving away woke Eliza. She felt sore and weak, unable to summon any strength. From the looks of it, Matteo must be on his way to meet Nolan. Eliza checked the attic window. If she jumped from this height, she would probably lose her legs. She looked at the door. Unless she could find a way to break it down, she wasn't getting out. Her phone and all her other electronics were gone, confiscated by Matteo. He must have been afraid she would try something, as the attic was bare save for the bed.Trying to break down the door with my bare hands is pure fantasy. Eliza forced herself up. The chances were slim, but she had to try. She bit her lip, her gaze finally landing on the bed. I have to find a way to break the bed apart and use it to ram the door. ... Meanwhile, Nolan had arrived at the mall at the designated time. Colton, Lewis, and Henry's men had the entire building surrounded, ensuring no suspicious individuals could enter and that the moment Matteo appeared, he would be tailed. Colton, watching the surveillance feed, spoke into his earpiece, “Matteo's car is spotted.” They watched his car enter the underground garage. One of their cars moved to follow, but Matteo had apparently anticipated this. Before Colton's man could even descend the ramp, another car blocked the path. “Fuck.” Colton stared at the monitor. He'd known Matteo would be hard to deal with, but he should have brought more men. It was too late now. Matteo parked his car, and then, he was gone. Colton and Lewis scoured the mall's internal surveillance feeds but couldn't find him. “How did Matteo do it? He's nowhere.” Colton had the mall's security team scan the footage, but there was still no sign of him. Lewis, observing the feeds, said, “Matteo must know this mall. Where are the surveillance blind spots?” “The service corridor. That's a blind spot.” In a mall, the only blind spots were the service corridors and the restrooms. Regardless, Matteo would have to appear on camera eventually; it was just a matter of catching him. “Keep a hard focus on Nolan in the restaurant.” Lewis pointed at the monitor. He needed to be sure Nolan was safe. He didn't care what tricks Matteo was trying to pull. A moment later, Matteo's figure finally appeared on a camera. He walked into the restaurant alone. It was crowded, making it difficult to get a clear view of him and Nolan.