Chapter 71 It Was You That Night?
After a while, Regina snapped out of her daydream and saved the blurry photo to her phone.
That night, she couldn't sleep and felt drained at work the next day.
She pushed through her tasks, and by late afternoon, the department's group chat was buzzing about the company's annual party.
[The Century Group's annual party is always huge! Last year, they gave away millions in prizes, including eight Porsches!]
[This year's event is bound to be even more spectacular!!]
[Can't wait!]
Regina, new to the company, hadn't experienced last year's event, so she stayed out of the chat.
Lucia, at the desk next to her, was excitedly texting. [You won't believe it, but I'm more excited about something else this year!]
Lucia was well-liked, so everyone quickly asked what she meant.
Lucia: [I'm curious about Mr. Semona's wife. Will she come to the party this year?]
Everyone's interest was piqued. Douglas had announced his marriage two months ago, but no one knew who he married. Someone like Douglas wouldn't marry just anyone, right?
People had gossiped about Douglas and his wife before.
Comments like: [After Mr. Semona was seen with a popular male singer, he announced his marriage. That license could be fake.]
[Notice he never wears a wedding ring?]
[He doesn't even want to wear a ring. There must be no feelings between them.]
[It's a loveless, fake marriage.]
[Wealthy families always have complicated relationships.]
Regina saw the chat and fell into deep thought.
Douglas was out on business today. After work, Regina planned to go home alone, but she got a message from an unknown number: [I'm near your office. Let's talk.]
Regina didn't even need to think to recognize the tone of the message.
Time and time again, despite that she had blocked one number after another, he kept harassing her with new ones.
Regina had avoided changing her number because it was linked to clients, colleagues, and apps. But now, she had no choice.
She glanced at the message but didn't reply. Instead, she went to a nearby store after work.
"Hi, I'd like a new phone number."
"Sure."
The clerk quickly processed her request.
"You can choose a number now."
Regina picked a new number from the list.
"And please cancel my current number."
The switch would take some time, so she sat quietly, working on her phone. Once done, her old number would be deactivated.
Meanwhile, the person who had messaged her grew impatient after waiting forty minutes without a reply.
Just as Regina was about to complete the transition, she got another message from the unknown number: [Don't you want to talk about what happened at the Seasons Hotel?]
'The Seasons Hotel?' she thought, her grip tightening on her phone. Her heart pounded fiercely.
The clerk asked, "Do you still want to cancel your number?"
Regina took a deep breath, lowered her eyes, and, while typing, softly replied, "Yes, cancel it."
Just before her number was deactivated, she received one last message: [Peace Club]
Half an hour later, Regina arrived at Peace Club.
Philip hadn't mentioned a room number, but she knew his regular spot.
She pushed open the door to the private room, but instead of the usual vibrant nightlife of revelry, she found it eerily quiet.
Inside the room, Philip sat alone.
He lounged on the edge of the sofa, expressionless, pouring himself another drink. The silence was so profound that the sound of the liquid cascading into the glass was almost deafening.
A flood of painful, haunting memories surged up, as if trying to squeeze her heart right out of her throat.
Breathing became a struggle, each inhalation feeling like a laborious effort.
"The person that night, it was you, wasn't it?"
Philip's grip on the glass tightened, but he smirked. "You didn't even know if it was me, and you dared to sleep with him. Weren't you afraid it could have been a rapist?"
Regina looked into his eyes and couldn't speak.
Philip stood up, walked over, and looked down at her.
"After all this back-and-forth, you must be tired, too. Drink this glass of wine, and if you still insist on breaking up with me, then we'll be done for good."
Regina stared at the wine, swallowing hard. His offer was tempting. She wasn't a heavy drinker, but one glass wouldn't get her drunk.
She thought, 'If I drink it, can I really cut ties with him?'
She didn't move.
Philip raised the glass to her lips.
Regina stepped back. "I won't believe you anymore."
He clicked his tongue. "When I lied, you believed me. Now that I'm telling the truth, you don't. It's ironic." He took a sip. "Drink this, and our past—good or bad—will be wiped clean, okay?
"And if you drink it, I'll tell you if the man that night at the Seasons Hotel was me."
