No Escape from Love novel Chapter 70

"Oh… It's nothing." I awkwardly turned my head away.

"Nothing?" Alex didn't buy it. He reached out, placing his hand gently on my forehead. "You're not running a fever."

The simple gesture made my already burning cheeks feel even hotter.

"M-Maybe it's the alcohol! Yeah, that's probably it!" I stammered.

Alex raised a skeptical brow but didn't press further. Instead, he took the champagne glass from my hand and replaced it with a glass of orange juice. "Your tolerance is terrible. From now on, no drinking at events."

When the gala finally ended, I was relieved to retreat back to my comfort zone.

…

On Monday morning, I walked into the office holding the box with the necklace, only to run straight into Jolene. Her pale face and exhausted eyes told me she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in days.

"Serena," she hissed, her teeth practically grinding together as she spat out my name. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" I frowned, confused.

"The subsidiary reports weren't urgent at all," Jolene sneered, her eyes brimming with venom. "You seduced Mr. Hastings so he'd take you to the gala and leave me here to pull all-nighters, didn't you?"

I stared at her, stunned by the absurdity of her accusation. "What nonsense are you spouting? Do you honestly think Mr. Hastings is the type of man I could manipulate?"

Unconvinced, Jolene stepped closer, her hostility palpable. "Don't play dumb. Then why did Mr. Hastings make me do those pointless reports?"