Soon, Sidney was blocked again. This time, she was firmly grabbed and half-dragged, half-pulled to the elevator.
Sidney turned her head and saw Jayson, hands casually tucked into his pockets, strolling out of the private room with a few other men.
Jayson didn't turn his head to notice her. After Sidney was shoved into the elevator, she was quickly taken to the parking lot and shoved into a car. The bodyguard drove away at high speed, his nervousness evident, and soon dropped Sidney back to the house.
Before leaving, Sidney asked him, "Who was that person?"
The bodyguard didn't even glance at her and drove off immediately.
Sidney entered the house, her mind still replaying the scene she had just witnessed.
She had originally thought Jayson and his gang were indulging in a wild night of drinking and debauchery in the private room. She never imagined they would emerge with a bloodied, battered person.
What on earth were they doing in there? She suddenly thought of Alondra. She had been missing for a while now. At first, Sidney believed Jayson's explanation that she was laying low for a fresh start. But after so much time, it felt as though she had vanished into thin air—something was definitely off. Sidney had always felt there was something going on that she didn't know about, something Jayson and Alondra were deliberately hiding from her.
Sidney didn't sleep that night, and Jayson didn't return either.
It wasn't until dawn that she heard the sound of a car engine approaching the front door.
She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
When he entered the room, undressed, and went into the bathroom to shower, Sidney quietly got up and picked up the clothes he had thrown into the laundry basket.
This time, she didn't find any bloodstains on them. The clothes were surprisingly clean, even carrying a faint scent of detergent.
Sidney quickly threw the clothes back and returned to bed, her mind racing even more.
There were so many people in the club—just being there should have left his clothes with at least a hint of smoke, alcohol, or disinfectant. How were his clothes this clean?
Could it be that he had changed clothes before coming back?
Sidney didn't recall him having that habit.
If he had such a habit, she wouldn't have repeatedly found dried bloodstains on his shirts.
She had originally thought those bloodstains were Jayson's—if not from external injuries, then perhaps from vomiting and damaging his stomach. She had even worried about whether he had a stomach ulcer or was experiencing gastric bleeding.
She hadn't expected things to be this complicated.
Sidney shut her eyes tightly, growing more terrified the more she thought about it.
Jayson came out of the bathroom, applied lotion as usual, and got into bed, intending to take a short nap.
Sidney pretended to be asleep, forcing herself to breathe slowly.
It wasn't until the morning light filled the room that Sidney opened her eyes. She slowly got out of bed, and everything seemed as usual. She freshened up and went downstairs to prepare breakfast.
At that moment, Jayson opened his eyes, watching the retreating figure leaving the room, lost in thought.
He didn't understand why Sidney was testing him like this.
He heard that she saw what happened in the private room, yet now she was pretending to be clueless. Was she indifferent, or was she trying to act calm because she cared too much?
After a while, he made his way downstairs. Sidney had already prepared breakfast. It was a hearty bowl of shrimp and grits. As she placed the dish on the table, Jayson noticed the burn on her wrist.
"How did you burn yourself?" Jayson frowned and grabbed her hand, inspecting it closely.
"It's nothing. I accidentally burned myself when I wasn't paying attention."
"Did you soak it in cold water?"
"Mm." Sidney responded quietly.
Jayson immediately ordered the butler to contact a doctor to come and take care of it.
Sidney stopped him, "It's just a minor burn. It'll heal in a couple of weeks."
"Your skin is fair; it'll leave a scar."
The butler contacted the doctor, who treated Sidney's wound. Sidney stared blankly at the small injury on her arm as it was bandaged up.
Once the doctor left, the food had gone cold. Sidney didn't look at him; she simply said, "I'll reheat it," and made to head for the kitchen.
Jayson raised his hand to block her path. "What's wrong with you today? You seem distracted."
