Lost Me Gained Regret

In a luxurious hotel, Summer Taylor stepped out of the shower, only to be greeted by a chilling phone call.

On the other end, Mark Larson stood by the window, his gaze sharp and dangerous. "Did you take my words for granted?" he asked, his tone laced with a threat that was hard to ignore.

Choosing Summer in the first place was a calculated move by Mark. She seemed alone and easy to manipulate, not particularly bright in his estimation. But he knew if she ever stepped out of line, he wouldn't hesitate to cut her loose.

Gripping her phone tightly, Summer was taken aback by how quickly Mark had caught wind of the incident, but she was prepared. "Did I do something wrong again?" she feigned ignorance, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

Mark's voice was heavy with accusation. "You drugged Jane at the party!"

There were few lines that Summer could cross that would truly provoke Mark, but this was one of them.

"What? Someone drugged Ms. Webster?" Summer acted shocked, as if the news was completely new to her. "That's impossible. How could anyone dare at such an event... Wait, what kind of drug? Is Ms. Webster okay?"

Mark was not easily fooled. "Was it not you?"

"Of course not," Summer shot back, her sincerity sounding a bit too rehearsed.

"You just warned me tonight. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't dare... And where would I even get such drugs?"

Yet, Mark had done his homework. "I've checked the CCTV footage from the banquet hall. You had the waiter deliver that juice to her."

"But you must have seen, I never touched that glass!" Summer argued, banking on a moment of blindness in the surveillance.NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.

During a quick turn, she had slipped the substance into the drink, a move hidden from the cameras by her body.

As Mark pondered, Summer pressed on, trying to soften her tone. "I just knew you cared for her and thought, as a future 'lady of the manor,' I should look out for her."

Mark's tone darkened. "Don't meddle in things that don't concern you!"

"I won't do it again," Summer promised, her voice meek, but inside she was smirking at the situation.

To her, it seemed Jane was the real victim here, caught in the web of a man's possessiveness. If Jane had left with Mark that night, he would probably be thanking Summer instead of threatening her

Changing the subject, Mark hit a nerve. "I heard you're joining the reality show that Becky is a regular on?"

Caught off-guard, Summer blinked and then lied smoothly. "Yes, I was invited by Aria. She probably wants to curry favor with Bella Taylor..."

The door suddenly opened. Ivy stood there, having caught the tail end of Summer's conversation. The mention of Bella seemed to unsettle her. Bella had been nothing but generous to Summer, who in return seemed to lack genuine affection.

Summer feigned surprise, then quickly masked her annoyance, turning to Ivy with a sweet smile. "Oh, Ivy, is something the matter? Does mom need me?"

"No." Ivy's voice was tense, revealing her struggle to keep calm. "Your mom warmed up some milk for you. I'll leave it here."

"Thanks."

Once she was alone again, Summer's demeanor shifted, her voice now laced with panic. "What if Ivy heard me calling Bella Taylor?"

Mark's response was cold, a mocking laugh through the phone. "And you can't handle that?"

Summer, pretending to be flustered, assured him, "I... I will handle it!"

But inside she was calm. She knew how to play Bella, who felt guilty for being absent in her "daughter's" life. As long as she manipulated that guilt, she could explain away almost anything.

Hanging up, Summer allowed herself a triumphant smile. She wondered how Jane was handling the aftermath and how Mark would react if Jane had indeed spent the night with Bryant. The thought made her smile wider, reveling in the chaos she had orchestrated.