Chapter 170
It was obvious Edmond had never done anything like this before. He just stood there, frozen, while the police moved in and cuffed him.
Dorothea pressed a hand to her aching stomach as she handed a water bottle to one of the officers. “Officer, can you please take this for testing? There’s some white powder floating in it. He put something in my drink p>
“Alright. What’s your relationship with him p>
“I’m his direct supervisor. He’s only been on the job for less than a week p>
By the time Dorothea finished giving her statement at the station, it was already past midnight. The pain in her stomach had left her feeling numb and wrung out.
“We’ll keep investigating,” the officer told her. “If we need anything else, we’ll give you a call p>
A young policewoman gave Dorothea a worried look, noticing the sweat glistening on her forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you’re in a lot of pain. Do you want me to take you to the hospital p>
Dorothea didn’t even have the energy to be polite anymore. “If it’s not too much trouble, could you drive me to the nearest hospital? My stomach really hurts p>
“Of course. Hang on, I’ll get the car p>
On the drive, the policewoman tried to comfort her. “It’s tough being the boss, isn’t it? You go out for work dinners, drink more than you want, and still have to keep your guard up. Even against your own team p>
“It really isn’t easy,” Dorothea said, managing a tired smile. “But you have it tough, too. Thanks for working late because of all this p>
The policewoman laughed. “It’s all part of the job. But you were sharp. Some girls don’t notice until it’s too late p>
Nobody ever really knows what could happen after being drugged. Dorothea hadn’t thought much of it at first, but all day she kept remembering Latham’s question about her new assistant. It made her extra cautious on this trip.
She never imagined the water would actually be spiked. If not for the stomachache, the smart thing would have been to get out of the car and find somewhere safe to call the police. But she was in too much pain to move, and there were barely any people around at that time of night. If Edmond got angry and dragged her back into the car, all he had to do was say they were a couple fighting, and no one would stop him.
Thinking fast, Dorothea shared her live location with Carmen and asked her to call the police.
When they finally reached the hospital, Dorothea gave the policewoman a grateful smile and headed to the emergency room on her own.
The officer hesitated. “Do you want me to stay with you p>
“No, thank you. I can manage from here p>
She didn’t want to trouble anyone more than she already had.
The ER was packed. There’d been a huge accident on the highway, so her stomach pain barely counted as an emergency. While she waited, Dorothea remembered Latham had asked her to text him when she got to her hotel. He was miles away, and there was no point worrying him.
Dorothea: I made it to the hotel. I’m exhausted, going to sleep.
After sending the message, she waited another hour before finally seeing the doctor. He quickly sente
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her for tests, and after another. round of waiting, Dorothea found herself in the observation room with an TV drip.
The night nurse looked barely out of school. “Try to rest, but don’t fall into a deep sleep, okay? The ER is chaos tonight. When your IV’s done, just ring for me and I’ll come swap it out
“If you need to, you can call a family member to come sit with you,” she offered.
Dorothea managed a weak smile. “No need, thank you. I’ll be alright p>
She drifted in and out, never letting herself fall fully asleep, checking the IV every so often. Her stomach felt a bit better, but now a chill was creeping over her body.
She didn’t care if the hospital blanket was clean or not. She curled up under it, trying to get warm.
That was how Latham found her when he arrived, curled up tight on the hospital bed.