3.50 pm. I finished all the tasks Sarah gave me earlier. I asked her for another work, but she said I need to prepare for my meeting with Ethan. What kind of meeting is this that makes the CEO cancel his meeting with his marketing director?

I check on my Microsoft Outlook to make sure I have nothing left when a hand taps my shoulder. I literally jump from my seat. "Gosh, Sarah! You scared the shit out of me!"

She laughs. "I'm not. You looked too focused on your job. I just want to remind you it's already 3.55 pm," she says, still laughing.

"Jesus Christ! Don't do that again. I could have a heart attack," I complain. My heart still beat a bit too fast.

"Hey Mads." Sarah sober. Her face softens. Huh? What's wrong? "You are an exceptional woman. I know we just knew each other for a day or two. But I can tell. Whatever happens in your life, trust me, you will get through it, okay? You are a strong woman," she says meaningfully, even though I'm clueless, but I can sense it.

"What... what's wrong? Is my job..."

"No no. It's not about your job. Just... life in general." She smiles and squeezes my shoulder again. "Go! Ethan doesn't like when people's late."

I nod. What was that? What was this meeting about?

***

Ethan opens the door before I can knock the door. How come? He gestures for me to come inside and he locks the door. What? I spin around and look at him.

"We need privacy," Ethan answers me, noticing my s past me. "You can sit on the sofa, Sweetness."

I glance at the sofa. There is a laptop on the table. I sit on the 3 seater sofa. The last time I sat here, Ethan sat next to me and we ended up kissing. But this time, I doubt it. The setting looks like the work meeting. Is that a hint of disappointment? No, no!! No, you crazy hormone!

Ethan clicks something from the side of his table and all the windows turn opaque. I raise my eyebrow at him. "Like I say, we're going to discuss something private. Do you want anything to drink, Sweetness?" He asks me and I shake my head. He nods and comes to sit next to me. Not as close as the one from But still too close for employer-employee.

"With all due respect, sir... why are you still calling me Sweetness in front of everyone? It's inappropriate." I force myself to not shake. His closeness made my heart thump faster.

He takes my notebook and pen, puts it on the desk. "We're not talking about work, by the way," he says softly. "As for your nickname, that's because I like that nickname. I think that's appropriate. Inappropriate is if I kissed the hell out of you in front of everyone," he says like he asks me what day today is.

I scowl at him, and he chuckles. He looks at me deeply. "Sweetness, I need to tell you something. I pray to God that what you will see wouldn't crush your spirit. You are a smart, sharp, intelligent, beautiful woman, Madeline. Trust me," he says. His hands cup my cheeks. I don't know what to do or how to react. He's not flirting with me like usual. This time I can see it's sincere and there is a hint of protectiveness, like he wants to shield me from anything that could harm me.

He puts down his hands and starts with his laptop. Inhale deeply he says, "this is the footage from that night. Jack, my investigator, already put it together. Your footage, mine, Ben's and Hudson's." He clicks to start the footage.

That was Thomas on the check-in counter. I saw the date and time. That was the day I came to LA. I still remember Thomas told me that he booked me a 5-star hotel because I couldn't stay at his place. He already checked in for me? But...

Thomas picked up the card and walked to the elevator to the room. In the next scene, he went out of the room, back to the check-in counter. Talked with the staff there and left the cards.

The next scene is me. I checked in myself at the hotel because Thomas told me he had a meeting in the office. He said he put my name on the booking name. Ethan zooms on the screen. "You see his hand? He didn't check you in with the computer. He picked the card from the basket."

I know what Ethan means. That means I didn't check in like I thought. I didn't realize I clench my hand so hard until Ethan holds my hand and opens it. His gesture is so soft. And he links his fingers with mine as we watch the video.

The next scene is at the restaurant. They divided the scene into 2. Thomas and I, the other side is Ethan and Ben. I remember this. That was the first time I saw Ethan.

Ethan points at a woman who was sitting at the table behind me. That was the platinum hair woman from the meeting yesterday! "That is Camilia. Ben's daughter," Ethan says, and he continues the video.

I think that the moment Thomas broke up with me. I can see Camilia was smiling at Thomas and grabbed her phone. Thomas picked up the phone. A few seconds later, I ran to the toilet. That was Camilia on the phone. The woman's voice was her. Babe!

The next thing on the screen is the worst (or maybe just worse). Camilia stood up, came to my table and kissed Thomas. Thomas kissed her for a while. His hands on her hips. And then they pulled back. Thomas had something from his pocket and poured it on my water. What the hell? I squint my eyes. Thomas poured something on my water and put the plastic back in his pocket.

Ethan's movement on the screen makes me notice his video. He bolted to the toilet. That was the moment he asked me in the sink. And Ben took something from his pocket and poured it into Ethan's short glass.

"What was that?" I whisper, but Ethan just squeezes my hand.

I know what happened next. I came back stupidly and drank the water even though it was just a gulp and I threw the water all over Thomas. But I still drank it, which means whatever Thomas put in the water, I swallow it. I left the restaurant, Camilia came to Thomas and helped him with the napkins. As for Ethan, Ben said something to him and Ethan drank all the water inside the glass. "Is that vodka?" I ask him and he nods. His eyes on me all the time. As if he already memorized all the events on the screen.

The next video is Ethan stood outside the restaurant. Something wasn't right. He looked flush, and he opened his collar. Ben said something to him and walked to the check-in counter. "What was wrong with you?" I ask him.

"Thomas gave you a sleeping pill, but Ben gave me..." he trails off that make me glance at him. His face blushes. Well, not as worse as the one on the screen.

"It was a... Viagra." And just like that, my face feels hot. I abruptly swivel my head back to the screen.

Ethan clears his throat. "Ben told me I looked flush and in no condition to drive. That day I just arrived in LA, so I thought the jet lag caught me. And Ben said he helped to check me in to the hotel. Obviously that was a lie," he explains. Like me, the staff just gave Ben something from the basket. They prepared everything well. Ben helped Ethan to the elevator, and I don't have to see what happened next.

Ben met Camilia in the lobby, Thomas came next with an SLR in his hand. He was the one who took the picture. They laughed and walked together outside the hotel.

They laughed. While Ethan was upstairs under the influence, took my virginity while I was too sleepy to defend myself. I feel my lunch climb up to my throat. I bolt from the seat and run to Ethan's toilet. I vomit all my food. Luckily, I arrived in time in the toilet bowl. So I don't need to clean up my lunch all over the floor.

"Madeline... Sweetness, are you okay?" I hear Ethan's voice. He doesn't come inside. He stays outside the toilet. I appreciate him. Last thing I want is Ethan looks at me like this.

"I need a space," I say. My voice is raw. I wash my face and mouth, I use Ethan's mouthwash without asking him. Etiquette is the last thing on my mind now.

I look at the mirror. Luckily, I don't wear too much makeup. My face looks okay except for the red eye. I inhale deeply, trying to compose myself. I still need to go outside. Ethan is standing there, waiting for me. He doesn't touch me, but he follows me closely back to the table.

There is a cup of tea on the table right now. It wasn't there earlier. He gives me without a word. I drink it. The tea is warm. It's chamomile. Helen...

I finish my tea and put it back on the table. "I'm sorry Ethan. I use your mouthwash."

He gives me a small smile and shakes his head. "No problem. Do you need to lie down?" He gestures at his room door.

I stare at him and he realized what he'd just said. "I.. I mean, if you feel unwell. I will wait here, of course," he says faster.

I give him a weak smile. "I'm good Ethan. Thank you. We can continue this." I gesture at his laptop. "What now?" I ask him.

"That was the footage from that night. I have the next morning footage as well, but that's not significant. It's just you ran away at 4 am."

I blush, but he continues anyway. "I stayed in the room until Jack came and scanned the room. Hudson was waiting for me to check out and he came to check the room. I took the sheets that night but apparently your blood was on the spring bed as well." Now my face is flame hot. Ethan looks at me. I put my hands to hide my face "you can continue," I say.

He chuckles a bit and continues, "Jack got the hidden camera Hudson put in the room earlier before you checked in. So the video is safe. By the way, they booked the room using Hall Industries. That's why Hudson could check in, and it took my people longer to see who is behind this because there is no Hudson's name in their computer."

I put my hands down "so, he orchestrated everything?" I ask weakly.

"Sadly, yes. With Ben and Camilia."

"I was his bait from the beginning," I say shakily. I can't control my tears now. It falls from my face like a waterfall.

Ethan comes closer. I hear he curses, and he hugs me. "He is a stupid scumbag, Madeline. It's not you. It's him. Trust in me!"

And I do... I trust in him...