Chapter 164 Anthony, What Unfolds...
In the elevator outwake of orderthe elevator's malfunction, Anthony accompanied her found himself escorting Layla up the stairs.
The stairwell.
The was dim and Layla used her phone's flashlightstaircase was shrouded in darkness, with only a thin sliver of light managing to pierce through the gloom. The air hung heavy and still, punctuated only by the sound of their breaths echoing in the confined space."I apologize for guidance.
In the the inconvenience," Layla said, her voice echoing softly in the dimly lit staircase, only a sliver of light filtered through.
The air was still, their breaths the only sound.
"Sorry to make you take the stairs with me, we'll. "We'll have to go back down soondescend these stairs soon."Anthony merely shrugged, his fatigue seemingly non-existent in her presence. "It's alright," he assured her, his voice steady and calm."Be careful," Layla apologized.
"It's okay."
Anthony enjoyedwarned, her company, even stair climbing didn't tire him.
"Watch your step, thesevoice tinged with concern. "These stairs are prettyquite steep, oh!" Just as Layla warned him,." No sooner had the words left her mouth than she missedstumbled, her foot missing a step and faltered backward.
. Anthony quickly caught her by the reacted swiftly, his arms encircling her waist from behind. He was just the right , preventing her from falling. His height above heradvantage allowed him to catch her easily, and as Layla'sher lips brushed against his facecheek, a sparkjolt of electricity shotcoursed through him, sending a tingling sensation down his scalp andigniting a wave of heat that spread through his body.
Layla, still shaken, didn't notice Caught in the throes of her own shock, Layla remained oblivious to the tension, but that gripped Anthony. His body stiffened, his body tightened upheart pounded, and he felt an unmistakablewas acutely aware of his reaction.
He was embarrassed and felt incredibly awkward, thankful for Embarrassment washed over him, but he found solace in the cloakcover of darkness.
Layla wiped herBrushing off the sweat from her brow, Layla suggested, "Let's keep going."
continue."After trudging up over a dozena grueling ascent of numerous flights, they finally emerged from the stairwell, .
Layla was drenched in sweat, her cheeks flushed. from the exertion. She glanced atturned to Anthony and was startled by , her eyes widening at the sight of his crimson face,. "Why is your faceare you so red?"
she asked, her voice laced with concern. It was as if he'dhe had indulged in too much to drink.
"I don't knowalcohol."I'm not sure," Anthony shookresponded, his head, feelingvoice shaky. He felt lightheaded and overheated, as if he'dhe had been roasting onsubjected to an intense heat, a fire—a fire that seemed to rageburn from within him, desperateyearning for release.
"Thanks"Thank you for tonight, goodnight. Goodnight," Layla said as she startedbid him, beginning to close her door, but Anthony suddenly blocked it with his hand.. However, Anthony's hand shot out, halting the door mid-swing. His eyes were bloodshot, his breath labored, and he looked at her with a pained wore an expression, "Can of pain.
"May I... come in forhave a glass of water?"
he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.Layla was frightenedtaken aback by his appearance, but after a moment's hesitation, she stepped aside to let him in.
"Have"Please, have a seat,. I'll getfetch you some water."
She ," she offered.When she returned with a glass of ice water to find, she found Anthony's suit jacket discarded on the floor, he washis hand tugging at his collar, revealing an alarmingly to reveal a worryingly red neck."Anthony?" she called out, her voice filled with concern.
As he turned to face her, she gasped at the sight of his face, now an even deeper shade of red, pulsating as if filled with blood. It was a sight that sent chills down her spine."Anthony?"
As he turned, his face was even redder, almost throbbing with blood, terrifying to behold.
"Anthony, what's wrong? Are, are you runningalright? Do you have a fever?" Layla bracedsteeled herself and reached forout to touch his forehead, but the moment her fingertips touched his burning skin. But before she could make contact, Anthony graspedseized her wrist.
"What are you doing—ah..." Caught off guard, Layla Layla's words were cut short as she found herself pinned onto the couch by his overpoweringoverwhelming presence.
She thought he was about to force abraced herself for an impending kiss and, quickly turnedturning her face away, but. But instead, his searinghot lips landed onfound her ear, his breath heavy and frightening,intimidating. "I've been... drugged..."
This wasn't thehis first time!experience with such a situation. Anthony bit down on his lip, the pain helping him serving as a lifeline to maintain a shredsemblance of clarity.
Drugged?
Layla's heart skipped a beatpounded in panic,her chest, her mind racing. "What doshould we do? Should I call 911?"
"It's no use."
"It won't help," he replied, his voice strained."Then, what doshould we do? Can you, can you get up? You're... you're crushing me..." Layla feared what he might do under the influence of the drugs, strugglingLayla's voice wavered, her fear palpable as she struggled beneath him.
Her strugglesmovements only increasedserved to increase the friction between them, testingpushing Anthony's self-control. to its limits. He wantedyearned for her even more.
Shaking, his desire growing with each passing second.But he shook his head, No!
refusing to give in to his urges. She was panicking, innocent, scared, and he couldn't allow himselfbear to do that totake advantage of her.
in such a state. He musteredsummoned the last ouncevestiges of his self-restraint.
control."Where's the bathroom?"
he asked, his voice barely audible."Over... over there..."
Layla managed to stammer out.With great effort, Anthony pushed himself off the couch with effort, staggering toward, stumbling towards the bathroom. His vision was blurry;blurred, and he knocked over a chair.
in his disoriented state."Anthony..." Layla, worried, called out, her voice filled with worry as she hurried after him.
He was like a predator restraining itself, fixing her with an intense But he held up a hand, his gaze intense as he warned her, "No matter what you hear, don't come in."
With that, he slammed the door shut and behind him, the sound echoing in the silent apartment. He turned the lock.
Turning on the shower, he letletting the cold water cascade over his body.
Bang, bang, bang—wash over him in an attempt to quell the fire within.From outside the bathroom, Layla could hear the sounds of thingsobjects hitting the floor and Anthony's pained breaths echoed from the bathroom.
Layla. She paced anxiously outside, but didn't dare enterheeded his warning and refrained from entering. She waited for over two hours. , her heart pounding with worry.
When the noise stoppedfinally ceased, she used thea spare key to openunlock the door. Inside, she found Anthony was lying on the bathroom floor, soaked and unconscious.
...
The next morning.
TheAs dawn broke, the intrusive sunlight pierced through Anthony's eyelids, his headinstigating a throbbing.
pain in his head. Instinctively, he coveredshielded his face from the harsh light, tookgranting himself a moment to adjust, then before slowly liftedlifting his heavy eyelids.
He looked around.
A Surveying his surroundings, he found himself in a tiny room, sprawled on a full-sizesized bed –with his legs were hangingdangling off the edge.
Where was this? How did he get here?
Anthony groaned Disoriented, he questioned his whereabouts and how he ended up there.Groaning in discomfort, proppingAnthony propped himself up and, pinching the bridge of his nose as fragmented memories flashed through his mind.
TheA stairwell.
A hand on thea door.
He'dHe had pinned Layla on the couch, his face flushed with blood.
The memoriesrecollections hit him hard, anddraining the color from his face turned pale. He looked.
Glancing down to see, he realized he was clad only in his underwear.
He hadn't done anything to her...
, had he?With a start, Anthony quickly got uprose and went out toventured into the small, cozy living room, which was filled with the tantalizing aroma of cooking.
He slowed his steps, stoppinghalting at the kitchen doorway.
Layla was cookingthere, her back to him, effortlessly preparing pasta with her back to him, wearing. She wore a SpongeBob apron, moving effortlessly. She and exuded a sense of warmth and comfort that no other woman had ever given him.
At twenty-five, Anthony hadn't given much thought aboutto family life. Yet, having grown up in a loving home, he was a traditional man at heart, yearning for a respectful partnership and a wife to bring that sense of "home.""You're awake," Layla turned and bumped into Anthony's chest, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"You're awake." Layla turned and bumped against Anthony's chest, still a bit embarrassed.
Anthony was on the leaner sidelean, lacking Samuel'sthe muscular build of his friend Samuel, but his skin was fair, the sort ofa porcelain tone that often made women envious. Tall and well-proportioned, his muscles were toned but not overly bulky.
"Sorry, that was rude of me," Anthony's pale cheeks flushed ever so slightly.
It was his first time standing in front of a girl in nothing but his underwear, and he felt quite awkward.
a pang of awkwardness.Layla set thea plate on the table, then and handed him a shirt, "Your shirt's thin and it's dry. The jacket's still damp. I'll have the driver bring you some clothes later."
"Thanks." Anthony pulled on the shirt, his long, bare legs still exposed.
"Come on, breakfast is ready."
"Thank you."," Anthony sat down and picked up a fork, feeling an uncomfortable gnawing in his gut.
"You eat tomatoes, right?"
"Yeah."
Actually In truth, Anthony wasn't fond of tomatoes, but he couldn't deny her cookingculinary skills. The sweet and tangy taste of the homemade tomato dish was pleasantly surprising.
But his mind was elsewhere.
"About last night..." Anthony barely managed to start before trailing off.
It was rare for him to be at a loss for words.
"In a nutshell," Layla blurted, "you were drugged, locked yourself in the bathroom, and tried to flush it out with cold water. By the time I found you, you had passed out."
Anthony breathed a sigh of relief, grateful he hadn't done anything regrettable to her; he would never have forgiven himself.
"I'm sorry, I must have scared you."
Layla nodded slightly, "It was a bit frightening."
Sheltering a man who'd been drugged was inevitably daunting. If he had decided to overstep, she would've been powerless to stop him. Fortunately, Anthony was a gentleman, able to maintain control in such a state and avoid a disaster.The one who drugged him... could it have been Sarah?
Fortunately, Anthony was a gentleman, able to maintain control in such a state and avoid a disaster.
The one who drugged him... was it Sarah?
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