Chapter 368: Griffin Claims Celine
Chapter 368: Griffin Claims Celine
(Author’s POV)
“I am sorry, gentlemen, Night City is temporarily closed tonight.”
+25 Points
Matriarch Octavia Drake stood before the grand entrance of the entertainment club. Her voice was calm,
but her eyes were cold as ice.
She faced a crowd of furious customers who had been barred from entering. They were wealthy, entitled,
and not used to being told ‘no‘.
A burly Alpha pushed his way to the front of the mob. His face was red with anger.
“Why is the Drake family refusing business?” he bellowed, pointing a thick finger at the closed doors. “I drove an hour to get here!”
“Is there something you don’t want us to see?” another voice called out from the back. “Maybe Night City is running some illegal operation inside?”
Snide remarks rippled through the crowd. The accusations grew louder.
Matriarch Octavia’s expression darkened instantly. Her grip on her cane tightened until her knuckles
turned white.
“Nonsense,” she stated sharply, her voice cutting through the noise. “We have detected a potential fault in the main power grid. It is a safety hazard.”
She raised her chin, projecting an air of absolute authority.
“We are conducting an emergency inspection to ensure the safety of our valued guests,” Octavia lied smoothly. “Surely you do not wish to be trapped inside during an electrical fire?”
The crowd grumbled, but the anger began to waver.
“To show the Drake Pack’s sincerity,” Octavia continued, her tone softening slightly. “Everything is on the house for anyone who returns tomorrow night.”
The elites and dignitaries exchanged looks. Free drinks and service at the most exclusive club in the capital was a significant offer.
They weighed the benefits against the inconvenience. Slowly, the tension broke.
“Fine,” the burly Alpha grunted. “Tomorrow night.”
The crowd began to disperse, heading back to their luxury cars.
Matriarch Octavia watched them go until the street was empty. Then she turned on her heel and marched into the lobby.
< Chapter 368: Griffin Claims Celine
“Lock it down,” she ordered the head of security. “Seal every exit. No one leaves. No one enters.”
Enforcers immediately moved to block the doors, their faces grim.
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Manager Nick hurried over, wiping sweat from his forehead. He looked terrified.
“Report,” Octavia demanded, not breaking her stride.
“It is bad, Matriarch,” Nick whispered, his voice trembling. “Fifty–six people inside have been drugged.”
Octavia stopped dead in her tracks. “Fifty–six?”
“Yes,” Nick swallowed hard. “Including Young Master Griffin.”
He leaned in closer. “The symptoms… they match the new aphrodisiac from the family’s secret laboratory. The one used to induce forced heat in resistant subjects.”
Octavia felt a surge of pure rage. That drug was a classified Drake family secret.
“Find the person responsible,” she hissed. “Check the surveillance immediately.”
“We are trying,” Nick said, wringing his hands. “But there is another problem. The drug has no antidote. It is
too potent.”
Octavia’s eyes narrowed. She knew the effects of that chemical. If the victims did not release the built–up energy, their hearts would give out.
“We cannot have fifty–six corpses in our lobby,” Octavia said coldly. “If the guests haven’t started venting yet, bring them partners. Now.”
“Partners?” Nick asked, confused.
“Get every available escort and prostitute on the payroll,” Octavia commanded ruthlessly. “Send them to the affected guests. Do not let anyone die from heart failure or burnout. The scandal would destroy us.” Nick nodded frantically and ran to execute the order.
“Where is my grandson?” Octavia called after him.
“Top floor,” Nick yelled back. “VIP Suite One. He is with Celine Stone.”
Octavia’s lip curled. She didn’t need to ask what they were doing.
She took the elevator to the security room. The technicians were already frantic, rewinding footage on multiple screens.
“Show me,” Octavia ordered.
They played back the tapes from the hour before the drug took effect. They watched every angle of the bar, the ventilation shafts, the kitchen.
Nothing.
ta finuras No one tampering with drinks. No one sneaking into the ventilation
<Chapter 368: Griffin Claims Celine
system.
It was as if a ghost had poisoned the entire building.
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“Useless!” Octavia screamed, slamming her cane against the console. “How can someone drug my club
without leaving a trace?”
She felt the sting of humiliation. The Drake Pack’s authority had been challenged in their own territory.
Down in the main hall, the guests who hadn’t been drugged were getting restless. They pounded on the
locked doors, demanding to be let out.
“Matriarch,” a guard said hesitantly. “The clean guests are rioting.”
Octavia took a deep breath, forcing herself to think.
These were people from prominent families. They had reputations to protect. They wouldn’t want to be
associated with a mass drugging incident.
“Let them go,” Octavia decided. “They won’t talk. They are too afraid of scandal themselves.”
She turned to the assembled staff and security team. Her gaze was lethal.
“Listen to me,” she said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “If a single word of what happened
tonight leaks out, I will know.”
The staff trembled under her glare.
“The leaker will be expelled from the Pack,” Octavia threatened. “And you know that exile is a fate worse
than death.”
With the ground floor secured, Octavia took the private elevator to the penthouse.
She pushed open the heavy mahogany doors of Griffin’s suite.
The air inside was thick, smelling of musk and sweat. The room was in disarray.
Griffin was sitting on the leather sofa, wearing only a robe. He looked exhausted, his hair damp and
matted.
He was smoking a cigar, his hand shaking slightly as he brought it to his lips.
“Grandmother,” Griffin rasped. His voice was hoarse.
“Look at you,” Octavia scolded, stepping over a torn piece of clothing. “Caught in your own trap?”
Griffin didn’t flinch. The nicotine was helping to clear the fog in his brain.
He blew out a cloud of smoke. His eyes were dark, contemplating the disaster.
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