Chapter 1036

Jolie watched Selena's retreating figure and shook her head in frustration.

What could she do? Selena's emotional wounds ran deep, and no matter what Jolie tried, it seemed impossible to bridge the gap between them.

Returning to the party, she glanced around at the crowd of men and women mingling with champagne flutes in hand, but her mind wasn't on the event. She casually picked up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and sipped it slowly. What she didn't notice was a man standing across the room, watching her. As she drank, his eyes darkened, and he licked his lips suggestively.

After finishing about half the glass, Jolie started feeling strange. Her body was growing weak, her skin hot and feverish, and a strange itchiness spread through her veins.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. What was happening?

She headed toward the restroom, but as she rounded a corner, her legs gave out, and she had to grab the wall for support to keep from collapsing.

"Did someone drug me?" she murmured, her face paling.

This was the Cooper family's event-how could someone dare to pull such a stunt here? Who would do this to her?

Biting down on her tongue to stay alert, Jolie tried to think clearly. Her purse, with her phone, was back in the lounge. She needed to get it and leave immediately, but in her current state, she wasn't sure she could make it that far. Stumbling into the restroom, she turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face. The icy water helped sharpen her focus for a moment, but the heat inside her body didn't subside.

"You're in the wrong restroom," a deep, steady voice said from behind her, calm but utterly devoid of warmth.

Jolie gripped the sink tightly, her head bowed as she struggled to steady herself against the overwhelming heat coursing through her body.

"I-I'll leave in a second," she managed to say, doing her best to ignore the rich, soothing voice behind her.

Gavin stood there, watching the disheveled woman before him. Her face was wet, her expression strained, clearly from splashing herself with cold water moments ago.

"Miss, are you alright?" Gavin asked, his tone neutral but with a hint of concern. After all, this was the Cooper family's event, and any trouble here would reflect poor net them. Despite not wanting to get involved, he couldn't ignore the situation.

on "I told you, I'm leaving in a minute. Can you just stop bothering me?" Jolie snapped, feeling the man's voice was, both irritating and distractingly pleasant. She had already spoken so harshly-why ??

wouldn't he just leave her alone? If he kept talking, she might lose control.

Gavin's brow furrowed, but he decided not to interfere further. Without another word, he turned and left the restroom.

Jolie exhaled sharply, feeling a wave of relief. She splashed more cold water on her face, managing to regain a bit of clarity before stepping out.

But to her dismay, a man was waiting not far from the restroom, like a predator lying in wait.

"Jolie, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? How about I take you to see a doctor?" the man said as he approached, wrapping an arm around her waist. His hand wandered, clearly not respectful. "Get off me!" Jolie shouted, recognizing him immediately. He was one of her persistent admirers, someone she had repeatedly turned down, yet he never took no for an answer.

The fact that he had conveniently appeared at this moment made her suspicious-had he been the one to drug her?

Instead of backing off, the man tightened his hold, gazing at her flushed, angry face. To him, she looked both alluring and vulnerable, her resistance only making him more eager.

"Jolie, you're not yourself right now.

I'll take you to a doctor. Don't worry, I won't leave you like this," he said, ignoring her protests as he tried to lead her out, holding her against her will Chapter 1037 "Let... let me go!" Jolie struggled with all her might, but the drugs were quickly sapping her strength, leaving her powerless to break free.

The man, too impatient to care, ignored her pleas and began dragging her toward the back exit.

"Hey! She told you to let her go. Are you deaf?" A sharp voice suddenly cut through the air.

The man froze, startled, and looked up to see a girl standing not far away.

"Who the hell are you? This has nothing to do with you. Get lost!" He snapped, not recognizing Selena, his tone turning nasty.

Selena's expression grew colder as she took in Jolie's disheveled state. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and slapped the man hard across the face, then yanked Jolie away from him. "Letting yourself fall into the hands of this scum? Where's your fight?" Selena said sharply.

Jolie's blurry consciousness flickered at the sound of her familiar voice. When she realized it was Selena, her tensed body finally relaxed, leaning heavily into her for support.

"Take me... to the hospital..." Jolie's breath was hot, and her body burned with fever.

"Damn it, you hit me? Do you even know who I am? Do you know my connections with the Cooper family?" The man, clutching his face, glared at Selena and started toward her, his anger boiling over. Selena quickly took a couple of steps back, on guard, but before the man could lunge at her, Braden suddenly appeared, grabbing the man's arm in a painful twist.

"Do you know who she is?" he said coldly. "I'd love to hear what kind of connection you think you have with the Cooper family to act so boldly here."

With that, Braden dragged the man toward the main hall, the man crying out in pain, now fully realizing he had messed with the wrong people. "I-I'm sorry! Let me go! I won't do it again!"

Braden ignored his pleas and handed him off to the Cooper family's butler before turning and walking away without another word.

Selena didn't even have a chance to thank him before he disappeared. She sighed in mild exasperation, then looked down at Jolie, who was still slumped against her.

"Hey, you alright?" Selena asked, her voice sharp but her concern evident.

Jolie didn't respond, her body growing limp in Selena's arms.

"Such a hassle," Selena muttered under her breath, slipping Jolie's arm over her shoulder as she struggled to support her. With effort, she began guiding Jolie toward the exit.

en l As Selena rounded the corner, she spotted Gavin not far ahead. She immediately called out, "Gavin!"

Hearing his name, Gavin turned to look in her direction.

"Come quick!" Selena waved him over, her voice urgent.

Gavin noticed the person she was supporting and walked over, his brow furrowed. "What's going on?"

"She's been drugged," Selena explained quickly. "Take her to one of the guest rooms. I'll find a doctor." Before he could protest, Selena practically shoved Jolie into his arms.

Gavin instinctively tried to avoid the contact, but Jolie's limp form left him no choice but to catch her He couldn't exactly let her collapse on the floor.

"She got into trouble at your house-you're responsible for her now," Selena added before sprinting off to find Gernard.

This was a delicate situation, and the last thing they needed was for it to become public knowledge.

Gavin's frown deepened, his muscles tensing as he held the soft, unresponsive girl in his arms.

"Hey, can you hear me?" His voice was firm, almost harsh, as he tried to get a response.

But Jolie didn't answer. Instead, the proximity to his masculine scent seemed to heighten the effect of the drug. Her body started to squirm involuntarily, and her hand drifted toward his chest.

In that instant, Gavin's expression darkened considerably.