The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 342

The next morning, I was woken up by a phone call.

It was Leon, his voice brimming with guilt. "Selena, are you awake? I was going to wait until you got to work to explain, but I couldn't hold it in. I'm so sorry about last night. I didn't mean to stand you up."

Having just woken up, my brain hadn't started functioning yet. It took me a long moment to remember that Leon was supposed to join me for drinks at The Nocturne Lounge last night. He never showed up, and he hadn't replied to my texts. Now, he was calling to explain.

I kept my eyes closed. "It's fine. You must have had something important come up."

"It was our family gala last night. I used work as an excuse to skip it, but Ferris, that absolute scoundrel, actually texted my mother to expose my lie. My old man was furious and ordered me to show up immediately. I planned to make an appearance and sneak back out, but the moment I walked through the door, I was grounded. There was no way out."

Leon started gritting his teeth as he spoke. "Ferris is getting worse by the day. I can't believe he stabbed me in the back like that. I won't let him off the hook!"

Ferris had sabotaged Leon, forcing him to stand me up?

My mind was slowly clearing, but another realization quickly dawned on me. "It was your family gala? Alaric must have been furious, right? Did you get punished when you went back?"

The Lennox family was one of The Founding Four in Port Capital. Naturally, a family of that stature had strict rules. Leon lying to skip a major gala and getting caught was no small matter.

Remembering the last time Leon was severely punished by his family because of me, my heart filled with worry and guilt.

"Of course not. I just skipped a family event, it wasn't a major crime. Don't overthink it, Selena," Leon laughed heartily, though a hint of annoyance bled through. "It's just that they confiscated my phone the moment I walked in and grounded me. I only got it back this morning. I was really worried about you. How was your night?"

Hearing that Leon hadn't been mistreated by his family was a relief, but his question caught me off guard.

Last night.

"The Nocturne Lounge was exactly what I needed. The drinks were great, I had a good time, and I slept really well. Thank you, Leon," I quickly answered.

On the other end of the line, Leon breathed a sigh of relief and said he would wait for me at the hospital.

I hadn't gone anywhere else last night. After leaving The Nocturne Lounge, I took a cab straight home.

Because I drank too much and caught a chill from the wind, the alcohol hit me hard. I didn't even have time to undress; I had just collapsed on the sofa and passed out the moment I walked through the door.

So how was I currently in my bedroom?

Yes, I was lying in my own bed, completely naked. There was no smell of stale alcohol on me—only the faint, fresh scent of my body wash.

I had taken a shower.

But I had absolutely zero memory of running the water or washing myself.

My thoughts abruptly stalled as a spark of electricity flashed in my mind, dragging out a hazy, fragmented memory.