The sky outside was already turning a pale dawn white, and the curtains billowed in a warm breeze.

A few weak coughs came from the bed.

The man, busy with his task, immediately stopped what he was doing at the sound and cautiously looked back at the bed.

Mia Grant seemed to have sunk into the mattress, enveloped by the comfortable duvet with only a small part of her face visible. She was fast asleep.

There was no sign she was waking up.

Yates Donovan let out a soft sigh of relief and bent down to pick up the clothes scattered on the floor.

He returned to the bathroom. He had left in such a hurry that he hadn’t even turned off the light, which now illuminated the mess on the floor.

He quickly tidied up the scene. As he turned, he suddenly noticed a faint imprint on the steamy glass door.

An air of intimacy filled the room.

The heat he had just suppressed suddenly surged up again.

’Deep breath.’

Yates Donovan grabbed a towel and casually wiped the door, trying to hide the evidence.

But that wasn’t all.

He looked around; a hint of intimacy still seemed to hang in the air.

Yates Donovan rubbed his nose sheepishly and cleared his throat. He then crouched down and began to clean in earnest.

He was like a murder suspect returning to the scene of the crime to scrub away all traces of his transgression.

’When had the pampered young master ever done something like this?’

He was only doing it because he was worried she’d be embarrassed and make a scene when she woke up.

Otherwise, he would never bring himself to do this.

By the time he had cleaned everything thoroughly, the sky outside was bright. A window was open in the bathroom, and the cold air that rushed in made Yates Donovan suddenly sneeze.

The constant roar of traffic beat against his eardrums, telling him he really ought to get some rest.

But his body felt refreshed, without a trace of fatigue. His nerves were still buzzing with energy. ’How could I possibly sleep?’

He wanted to light a cigarette, only to pat his pockets and realize he was wearing a bathrobe.

He then vaguely recalled that the pack of cigarettes in his jacket was probably ruined.

It must have been soaked.

Certain images began to replay in his mind, making Yates Donovan’s desire stir again, but he had no immediate way to satisfy it.

All he could do was try to distract himself. He picked up his phone, leaned against the sink, and checked his unread messages.

They were all from Mr. Payne.

Sir, we haven’t found any valuable leads from the surveillance footage.

We’ve already screened the hotel staff and ruled them out. It had to be one of the guests present tonight.

Sir, we will continue the investigation and will certainly get you a satisfactory result. For now... do you still need Dr. Wallace to send someone over?

Ten minutes passed. Seeing no reply, the ever-perceptive Mr. Payne sent another message: The hotel isn’t accepting outside guests; the entire building is on lockdown. Centered on your floor, the levels above and below have been cleared and will remain so until you’re awake.

Yates Donovan raised an eyebrow and dialed his number.

Mr. Payne answered quickly. He probably hadn’t slept all night either, still busy with the investigation.

"Sir, you’re awake early."

"Oh, wait, you probably haven’t slept at all, have you..."

Mr. Payne glanced at the time, did a quick mental calculation, and seemed to understand something.

"Cut the crap. What’s the status of the investigation?"

"We’ve figured it out!" Mr. Payne immediately perked up and began to report his findings eagerly, as if trying to win praise.

"Coincidentally, we found a sealed bag on that man from yesterday—the one surnamed Bai. He hadn’t had time to destroy it."

"Upon inspection, it contained the residue of a certain drug. We also located the wine glass Miss Grant used last night and detected traces of the same drug."

"As for its effects... I’m sure you’re well aware of those by now. This drug has been circulating in certain entertainment venues recently. I had someone ask around, and apparently, half a pill is usually enough to do the job."

"Bai?" After listening, Yates Donovan racked his brain but couldn’t put a face to the name.

Mr. Payne prompted, "The man in the red suit from last night. The one you so... cordially greeted."

"Oh," Yates Donovan remembered. "When did he make his move?"

"That, we’re not sure about yet. He probably did it before Miss Grant came downstairs, right? But we can’t rule out the possibility of an accomplice."

"Apparently, the drug takes about half an hour to kick in. It doesn’t hit hard at first; it’s the gradual-effect type. So it’s difficult to determine the exact time he administered it."

"Right now, the guy is still unconscious in the ICU, so we can’t confront him."

As he spoke, Mr. Payne sighed to himself. ’If only Yates Donovan had held back last night, we wouldn’t have been stuck investigating this all night.’

It was like having no one to question, but not quite.

After all, the man was still breathing.

At this point, Mr. Payne couldn’t help but add a word of caution, "Sir, this person has some serious connections. I’m worried such a big commotion will reach the old general."

"Someone in Jynsia with the surname Bai? I don’t recall anyone significant by that name."

"He’s Mr. Gales’s nephew... his biological nephew."

"So?"

Yates Donovan remained completely unfazed.

"I’m just worried he’ll cause trouble for us."

"Tch." The man chuckled, a trace of sated pleasure still on his face from their earlier encounter.

He didn’t look particularly threatening.

In fact, he even seemed strangely approachable.

"He’d have to have the guts."

"Let’s not even mention the dirt I have on him. Even without it, he could grow a spine and still not be able to make any waves."

"Don’t worry about the old man. I’ll deal with it myself when I get back later."

"Any news from Portia?"

"Our people at the hospital say they can’t find an opening. Yael Donovan’s men and the old man’s men are watching too closely. They can’t find a chance to act."

"Forget it." Yates Donovan was in a good mood, feeling magnanimous enough to forgive the whole world for now. "Let him breathe for a few more days."

Mr. Payne quickly agreed.

After talking for a while, Yates Donovan figured he should get back and rest. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

He glanced at the time and instructed, "Have someone deliver two sets of clothes at five p.m. Just leave them at the door."

"Understood!" Mr. Payne replied eagerly.

"Then I won’t disturb you any further?"

"Wait." Yates Donovan straightened up, his eyes narrowing as he asked softly, "I have a card with you, don’t I?"

"Yes, Sir. Do you need it? I can bring it over now."

"No need. Take the team to get something to eat. And if there’s anything they want, go ahead and put it on the card."

Mr. Payne’s eyes widened. "Is there a..."

"As long as you don’t max it out, there’s no limit."

"!!!"

"Thanks for your hard work. That’s all." Yates Donovan hung up and turned off his phone.

—

With the arrival of early winter, the days in Jynsia grew shorter.

Mia Grant woke up at dusk to a pitch-black sky outside her window.

It was impossible to tell the time.

Fortunately, a series of floor lights were on inside the room, casting a warm and cozy yellow glow.

Mia Grant blinked, staring at the ceiling for a long moment before her consciousness slowly returned.

One second, two seconds...

After a brief silence, she suddenly realized something and whipped her head to the side.

Familiar features burst into her line of sight without warning, but what shocked her even more was the bare hand resting on her waist...

And being under the same blanket...