Chapter 512
Sheridan came out of the bathroom, grabbed his phone, switched it to silent, and tossed it aside. “So what if she knows? It’s not like she’s got superpowers—she can’t just show up out of thin air.”
Emma glanced at him and quickly put on a flattering smile. “Right, it’s not our problem…” She moved closer, starting to unbutton his shirt.
“Katrina ’s always been single—probably hasn’t even had her first time. Are you really set on going through with this? What if the Lester family finds out…”
“The Lester family barely cares about her. So what if they find out?” Sheridan gave a wicked grin, squeezing her hip hard. “What’s wrong—getting jealous?”
Emma scoffed. “As if I’m in any position… Besides—” She dragged out her words, pausing for effect. “Besides, she’s Ivy ’s best friend. If you ruin her, Ivy’s going to be devastated. Their friendship will go up in flames. Just thinking about it gives me a thrill.” After all, if it weren’t for Ivy, she wouldn’t be targeting Katrina at all. But once best friends turn into enemies… well, that’s a show worth watching.
Sheridan eyed her, his smile turning downright devilish. “You’re getting more vicious by the day…” He raised a small pink packet, arching an eyebrow. “Here. Go dissolve this in water and make her drink it.”
“Is that really necessary? She’s already out of it. She’s not going to fight back.”
“Newbies are a pain. I like them to be… a little more eager.”
Emma shot him a look, but did as she was told. She lifted Katrina, ready to force the drugged water down her throat—when suddenly Katrina lurched forward and vomited all over her. The stench was overwhelming. Emma shrieked, gagging, as the cup of water slipped from her hand.
Sheridan, halfway out of his pants, lost it. “What the hell is wrong with you? Can’t you do anything right?”
Emma didn’t even stop to answer, sprinting to the bathroom to clean herself up.
Sheridan swore under his breath. He felt his pockets—one last packet left. With a cold grin, he didn’t even bother with water this time. He grabbed Katrina, forced the powder into her mouth, and twisted open a bottle to pour water down her throat.
Katrina, still reeling from vomiting, was feverish and barely conscious. As the water flooded her mouth, she swallowed instinctively. But when Sheridan yanked her head back by her hair, pain shot through her scalp and neck. On reflex, she tried to fight him off.
Sheridan, not the sort to show mercy, cursed and slapped her hard across the face.
Katrina screamed. The blow sent her sprawling onto the bed. Emma emerged from the bathroom, saw the scene, and her face twisted with rage. She climbed onto the bed and began hitting and pinching Katrina, unleashing all her pent-up hatred for Ivy onto Katrina’s helpless body. Her face was so twisted in malice she hardly looked human.
Sheridan looked back, then kicked Emma hard in the chest. “What the hell is wrong with you? What, you want her for yourself? Get lost!”
Emma ignored him. She sat up, pulled out her phone, and started filming, muttering like a lunatic, “I’ll ruin her. I’ll ruin her… Ivy, you’ll be left with nothing—none of your friends will stay.”
Katrina was barely conscious, but the pain brought her back to herself for a moment. She opened her eyes and saw a man on top of her, stripping off her clothes. “Help… Help me—”
“Save your breath,” Sheridan sneered, eyes dark with anticipation. “Scream all you want. No one’s coming.”
Down at the hotel front desk, Naylor burst in, finally having gotten a lead. He asked the staff for the room number. The receptionist looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, sir, but we can’t give out guest information without their consent. You could try calling your friend directly.”
Naylor didn’t bother arguing. He pulled out his phone and called the police. “I want to report illegal activities at the Grandview Hotel—solicitation and prostitution.” The front desk staff gaped. “Sir, you can’t do that! That could ruin our business!” Naylor hung up and turned on them, voice booming. “My sister was taken here against her will and is being assaulted as we speak! She called me for help, and you’re protecting the attacker’s privacy? I think your hotel is in on it!”
“That’s a serious accusation!” The receptionist, clearly out of their depth, hurried to call a supervisor.
Meanwhile, Jamison had just tracked down the hotel manager and was explaining the situation from another angle. With pressure coming from both sides, the front desk staff scrambled to check the guest list—but there was no record of Sheridan or Emma.
“Check the security footage—now!” Naylor snapped. The hotel staff complied, quickly pulling up the surveillance videos. Sheridan was a pro—he’d booked the room under someone else’s name, and even took pains not to enter the room with Emma. On the footage, only Emma could be seen escorting Katrina into the room; Sheridan entered separately, later.
Once they had the room number, Naylor dashed for the elevator, calling Jamison as he ran. “We’ve got it. Room 1208!”
“Perfect—we’re here now. Heading up!” Jamison replied, barely waiting for the car to stop before he and Ivy rushed into the building and made a beeline for the elevators.