Ch. 1631..1640

Some would dance normally. Some would do more than just dance-just like what Vicky and Tyler were doing.

They were inches away from each other and could bump into one another at the slightest movement.

It was hardly dancing and could only be seen as a public display of affection.

More often than not, people who danced this way were either couples or secret lovers. Vicky knew she and Tyler fell under the second category.

From the moment Tyler showed up with her, people were already giving her odd looks.

Though Vicky did not care what others thought of her, she could not help but care about what she did in front of everyone.

Glancing at the flustered Vicky, Tyler icily spoke, "Have you forgotten why you are here today?"

"I haven't forgotten." Vicky tried to free herself from Tyler's grip. "I can be a diversion for you and Avery, but we don't have to dance like this!"

"You saw what happened," replied Tyler expressionlessly. "I can't stop those women trying to get close to me if you behave like an ordinary date."

Tyler's grip was strong. Despite Vicky's struggle, she could not shake him off. On the contrary, their bodies drew closer.

Vicky, who had grown up in an affluent family, never made such a scandalous move in public. At this moment, she felt both embarrassed and infuriated.

"Tyler, let go of me right now!"

"It's only fun when you play hard-to-get from time to time. Don’t push it," Tyler whispered into her ear. "Ms. Shaw, we've done more intimate things many times before. It's just a dance; there's no need to be difficult."

"Oh, I'm difficult?" Vicky was fuming. "You're being shameless! Tyler, you need to maintain your image, and so do I. Unhand me right now!"

Tyler paid no attention to her.

It was impossible to break free forcibly, so Vicky lifted her foot and stomped on his leather shoe with her high heel.

Tyler's movement paused momentarily, and his body tensed. Vicky thought her move was effective until the hand around her waist suddenly tightened.

A second later, Vicky's body fell into Tyler's embrace. Not only were they even closer than before, but Vicky felt a soft, cool sensation on her cheek.

Vicky lifted her head and met a pair of cold eyes. Their breaths intertwined, and for a few seconds, Vicky was lost in the moment.

It was not until a fierce, piercing gaze locked onto her that she snapped back to reality.

Not only had she fallen into Tyler's arms, but they also publicly shared an intimate moment. Although it was just a kiss on the cheek, it was out of line given the circumstances.

Vicky flusteredly pushed him away, but the more she pushed, the closer they became.

At this point, many were looking at them. Even the people dancing nearby had turned to look.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1632-Avery was on the brink of losing her rationality as she glared at Vicky. She was overwhelmed by the urge to abandon her composure and rush over to separate Vicky and Tyler.

Just when her sanity was about to be incinerated, someone gently tapped her shoulder.

"Miss Yeager."

Avery turned her head and was met with a handsome, cultured face. The sight of him only disgusted her.

"Lincoln, we're not that close. Stay away from me."

Lincoln smiled. "What's wrong? Worried Tyler might misunderstand our relationship? Rest assured, he's too busy to notice you right now. Even if he did see, he wouldn't care."

Avery glared at Lincoln. "What do you mean?"

Lincoln looked at the two not far away and sighed. "Despite being separated from Vicky for four years and forgetting about her, she's still special to him.”

Avery widened her eyes, and she shrilly replied, "Tyler cares about me! If it wasn't for your interference, we would've been married long ago! Back when I was embroiled in the scandal, it was Tyler who held a press conference to clear my name. He even stood up for me!"

"Miss Avery, do you really believe the words you're saying?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I've explained to you many times that I had nothing to do with the incident at the wedding. Even if I didn't want you to marry Tyler, I wouldn't resort to such an extreme method."

Lincoln looked at her. "After all, as your former fiance, I also have to be careful about what people say about me."

Avery did not believe Lincoln at all. "As if you're afraid of what people think of you!"

"Your family has severely damaged my career. It might take several years, maybe even longer, for me to recover. Using this incident to deceive you serves no purpose."

Avery sneered. "Right. But you can still sow discord between Tyler and me."

"Miss Yeager." Lincoln sighed. "If he truly wanted to marry you, why would he allow such an accident to happen at the wedding? Have you considered that? If he was deeply in love with you, why would he cheat on you with another woman? During his time with Vicky, no matter how many rumors there were about him cheating, he never once cheated." Lincoln's gaze was thought-provoking. "Is Vicky that good at seducing men to the point that she can manipulate them without drugs?"

Avery's expression finally changed. "Lincoln, what are you getting at?"

"My point is already clear. Regardless of whether you admit it or not, Tyler does treat that woman differently, wouldn't you agree?"

Avery's lips moved, wanting to argue, but under Lincoln's piercing gaze, her words failed her.

Though she did not want to admit it, she had no choice but to acknowledge that Tyler did treat Vicky differently.

Otherwise, she would not have harbored such a strong aversion toward Vicky.

Avery had resorted to all means to get closer to Tyler. She tried to seduce him with drugs and even added hallucinogenic substances out of concern that he might not want her once he sobered up. On the other hand, Vicky did not have to do anything to get close to Tyler.

How could she not resent Vicky for that?

Lincoln turned to study the hatred on Avery's face and smiled. "You called me to ask for a hand. Was your intention for me to sleep with Vicky?"

Avery was about to argue when he continued, "To be honest, I'm quite curious as to what's so great about her as well. What did she do to put Tyler under such a spell?" He stared into her eyes and chuckled. "You want to take this opportunity to make it so that Tyler loses interest in her, right? Why don't we work together, then?"

That was indeed Avery's intention; she planned to drug both Vicky and Lincoln and was simply waiting for the right timing. However, she did not expect Lincoln to agree to the plan so easily.

She stared at him doubtfully. "What are you up to?"

She refused to believe that Lincoln was agreeing to help out of the goodness of his heart.

He smiled. "I've always been quite interested in Vicky. It's just that Tyler was so protective of her that I didn't have a chance to get anywhere near her."

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1633-"She's known for her beauty, and sleeping with her isn't exactly a bad deal for me. Besides, I'm really interested in seeing whether Tyler is only toying with her or if he has fallen for her."

The last part of Lincoln's sentence revealed his true intention.

Tyler had always acted out of line whenever something happened to Vicky. Lincoln wanted to know if Tyler merely liked a particular type of woman or if he had remembered something.

Avery stared at the smile on Lincoln's face and considered his words.

Regardless of Lincoln's intention, she had nothing to lose.

Both Orion and Valencia hated Avery, but they hated Vicky just as much. Therefore, there was a chance that the two would actively try to get rid of Vicky once they found out that Vicky slept with Lincoln.

Should that happen, Avery would not have to do anything to be rid of Vicky.

With that thought in mind, Avery asked, "What are you thinking?"

Lincoln glanced at Vicky and Tyler, who were dancing, and smiled as he lowered his voice to speak.

After gently straightening Vicky, Tyler spoke in a calm tone," Do you plan to keep causing a scene?"

Vicky's face burned with embarrassment. She dared not to lift her head, let alone struggle, so she stiffly moved her body and continued the dance.

As they descended from the dance floor, Vicky felt like she was being pierced by the gazes of those around her. Tyler sure knew how to attract hatred.

At this moment, a butler approached Tyler and whispered," Mister Tyler, Mister Hart would like to see you."

Naturally, the butler was referring to Tyler's father, Orion.

Tyler nodded. "Alright."

After the butler left, Tyler turned to Vicky. "I have to step aside for a moment."

Vicky had also heard the butler's words and nodded softly." Okay."

The Hart family was certainly aware of why Tyler had brought Vicky here.

Looking at the curious gazes around them, Tyler's voice was calm. "Go to the lounge upstairs and wait for me. I'll find you when it's over."

As Tyler left, Vicky was left alone in the grand hall filled with Hart family members.

She might as well have had a target on her back if she stayed, so she did not refuse. "Alright."

After escorting her to the lounge, Tyler left.

Vicky reclined on the couch and closed her eyes for a brief rest.

A faint, soothing fragrance wafted in the air.

Surrounded by this scent, Vicky began to feel drowsy. She had no idea how much time had passed when she heard a noise at the door.

Someone had entered.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1634-Tyler had just left Orion and Valencia's room when Avery approached him.

"Tyler." Avery studied his refined features and whispered," Did Uncle and Aunty want to see you?"

"Yeah," Tyler replied.

"Was it something important?"

"It's nothing urgent."

Avery had come to delay Tyler as she assumed this was the time when Vicky and Lincoln started being intimate.

It was Old Mister Hart's birthday banquet, and many dignitaries had come. If Tyler was to catch Vicky and Lincoln in a compromising position at such an important event, it would be met with public scorn. This would ensure Vicky could never marry into the Hart family!

Avery had once caused a scandal with a video, but it was not the same as catching someone in the act in front of everyone. If Tyler saw Vicky naked with another man in public, he would be so disgusted that he might never want to touch her again.

The more Avery thought about it, the more excited she became. She even secretly contacted reporters to report the scandal once she caught Vicky in the act.

Noticing her prolonged silence, Tyler asked, "Is something on your mind?"

Avery put on an expression as if she wanted to speak but was hesitant. "Tyler, I have something...l'd like to talk to you about it in private."

Tyler did not suspect a thing. "Sure."

Avery led Tyler into her room, where a delicate fragrance filled the air.

She invited him to sit before she made tea and engaged in some trivial conversation with him.

Tyler listened quietly, occasionally responding with a few words.

His presence was so familiar and mesmerizing that Avery felt intoxicated just being next to him. For some reason, her mind began to replay the night they shared together.

Avery's body felt hot all over, and her mind started to wander. Since that night, he had not touched her again. They had even seen each other less frequently.

As she thought about it, Avery became increasingly restless. She had nothing to do at the moment, so eventually, she decided to seduce Tyler once again.

Avery wanted to take Tyler to catch Vicky and Lincoln in the act in front of everyone. If she seduced Tyler at this moment, however, it would be impossible to execute her original plan.

However, she had already arranged things on the other side. Since it was all about catching Vicky in the act, the Hart

family members could witness it. Whether Tyler was present did not truly matter.

The more Avery thought about it, the stronger the desire within her burned.

"What is it that you wish to tell me?" Tyler's cold voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Avery sobered and blushed. "Tyler, it's been so long since we last met. I've missed you..." she said as she approached him seductively. "Tyler don't you miss me?"

However, before she could get any closer, he pushed her away.

Shocked, she stared at him in disbelief. "Tyler?"

Tyler stared at her. "Is that why you brought me here?"

After being intimate once, Avery did not expect Tyler to still be so cold toward her.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1635-This went especially after how enthusiastic and passionate Tyler had been that night.

Feeling hurt, Avery opened her mouth to speak when Tyler interrupted her. "Why don't you shower first?"

Avery was stunned for a few moments before uttering, "W- What did you just say?"

"Why don't you go shower first?" Tyler repeated.

This time, Avery finally understood what he meant and said," Okay! Sure..." Her blood boiled with excitement as she continued, "I'll shower now, Tyler. Give me a moment!"

With that, she hurried toward the bathroom and paused the moment she stepped through the door.

She glanced at Tyler, who was sipping tea in the living room. After a few thoughtful moments, she took out a candle from her purse and lit it up before heading into the shower.

She did not even bother with clothes; she came out wrapped in a bath towel. The scent of the fragrance wafted in the air, not overpowering but rather subtle. In a way, the scent was barely noticeable.

All these fragrances were personally blended by Avery herself. She was not just a doctor but was also a skilled perfumer, so she knew the kind of aroma she concocted this time.

The scent she produced this time was so intense in its properties that Avery herself was on the brink of losing control of herself.

This was an impromptu decision, so Avery had not taken the antidote in advance. However, it did not matter. She would soon be entangled in passionate moments with Tyler, so it was of little concern.

After exiting the bathroom, Avery realized that the room’s lights had been turned off at some point, so the room was dark.

"Tyler, where are you?"

As Avery called out to Tyler, arms appeared from behind her and held her close.

Simultaneously, a torrent of kisses rained down upon her.

Avery was momentarily stunned before turning around and eagerly returning the kiss.

Screams, footsteps, and various shocked voices woke Vicky from her slumber.

'Have I fallen asleep again?' she thought.

Opening her eyes, she rubbed her weary brow and checked the time, realizing that she had been asleep for about half an hour.

Vicky looked around and noticed that Tyler had not returned yet. There seemed to be a commotion outside, however.

What happened?

She walked to the door and peered out through the peephole. It appeared that many people were in the corridor, likely guests attending the banquet. Judging by their expressions, something serious had occurred.

Curious, Vicky opened her door to see what was going on. As she stepped out of her room, she noticed a large crowd of people gathered outside a room on this floor.

Screams and angry shouts were heard from inside that room, and the onlookers had expressions of disbelief and shock.

Vicky walked closer to investigate. As she approached, the angry shouts became clearer.

"You wretch! You shameless wretch!"

Inside the room, Valencia was gripping a young woman's long hair and slapping her face harshly.

"I knew you were no good from the start-always flirting around, sleeping with who knows how many men! You broke off your engagement with Tyler and then ran to seduce Lincoln! You shameless wretch! I'm going to beat you to death!"

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1636-Valencia was so furious that it seemed her heart might give out. She had not been this angry in years.

"You ignorant creature! How dare you drug Lincoln to seduce him?! I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents, you filthy rat!"

Through the gaps in the crowd, Vicky could see Valencia verbally and physically assaulting a woman. Her face contorted with rage, and she completely lost the image of a high-society lady.

It was a rather grotesque sight.

However, no matter how grotesque Valencia looked, it could not compare to the woman she was assaulting.

Dragged forcibly from the bed, the woman had nothing on her, and the evidence of passionate encounters on her body was on full display for everyone to see.

Her senses seemed clouded, and she hardly resisted Valencia's assault. She mumbled to herself, "Tyler... Tyler..."

It was only then that Vicky noticed that it was Avery.

'Avery...slept with Lincoln?' Vicky thought.

The onlookers, witnessing this explosive scene, discreetly took out their phones and began recording. Compared to Avery's affair with an unknown man, cheating with her own former brother-in-law was the juiciest scandal of all!

'Til kill you, you wretch!"

Valencia lost her composure. For Avery to be caught cheating in front of everyone, let alone with Valencia's favorite son, was beyond humiliating.

At this moment, hurried footsteps echoed.

"What's going on? What's all this commotion about?!"

Vicky turned and saw Old Mister Hart, accompanied by a pair of elegant middle-aged men and women, walking over after hearing the commotion. She recognized the middle- aged couple as Avery's parents.

The onlookers also noticed them and eyed the newcomers curiously.

Avery’s parents exchanged bewildered glances. When they saw Valencia beating Avery senselessly in the room, their expressions darkened.

Old Mister Hart, upon witnessing such a shocking scene, nearly fainted on the spot. The butler quickly produced a medicine bottle, and after administering the medicine, Old Mister Hart slowly began to recover.

"Oh my god, Avery!" Alana, Avery’s mother, hurried over and pushed Valencia away. "Valencia, what are you doing?!"

Valencia stumbled backward and glared at Alana. "What do you think? Why don't you ask your daughter what she did?!"

"No matter what she did, you don't have the right to punish her!" Alana was furious. She had spoiled Avery for years, yet someone stripped her daughter naked and beat her in public!

Alana raised her arm and landed a powerful blow on Valencia's cheek.

Slap!

"You're going to explain yourself, Valencia, or there will be consequences!"

"Consequences?" Valencia sneered. "The little wh*re you raised has committed such shameless crime that you should consider yourself lucky if the Harts don't come after you!"

Enraged by Valencia's reluctance to admit her fault, Alana refused to allow someone to bully her daughter and angrily grabbed Valencia's hair.

Valencia refused to back down and grabbed Alana's hair as well.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1637-However, Valencia found herself gradually tiring out as she had wasted energy on beating Avery. Thus, she slowly began to lose.

It was a sight to see two noble ladies who claimed to be close friends fighting like two madwomen.

"That's enough!" Vernon separated the two with a dark look on his face.

He did not know what happened but knew that his wife was making a fool of herself by resorting to violence in public.

After separating the two, he took off his jacket and placed it on Avery's shoulders.

Still, most of her skin was showing, and Vernon narrowed his eyes in disgust.

Regardless, the humiliation faced by Avery was equally faced by the Yeager family, so he stepped into the bedroom to look for something else to cover Avery with.

As he entered the room, he spotted Lincoln, who was getting dressed.

"Lincoln Hart?!" Vernon gasped in disbelief.

Soon enough, realization dawned on him. He assumed Valencia had caught Avery having an affair with another man again. However, he never expected that it would be with Lincoln instead!

"Lincoln, what have you done to my daughter?!" Vernon dragged Lincoln out of the bedroom.

Lincoln, too, had been affected by what transpired. He was not in the best condition, but his willpower was far from ordinary.

During the commotion outside, he managed to regain some clarity and, during that brief window, hastily got dressed. However, maintaining his composure had taken everything he had. When Vernon pulled him out, he had no energy left to resist.

When the onlookers saw Lincoln, there was an immediate uproar.

"What's going on? Avery is having an affair with Lincoln... Didn't she just break off her engagement with Tyler?"

"So that’s why! Her relationship with Lincoln must've rekindled."

"Well, they were engaged before. It's not that strange for them to get back together, is it?"

"Given what you're saying, it does make sense."

"Hey, do you think their engagement broke off because Tyler found out about her affair with Lincoln?"

"Wait, what? Wasn't there news a while back that she was still in contact with the guy from the video?"

"Good god! Avery's personal life is such a mess."

"No kidding. Who'd dare to marry a woman like her? Isn't she afraid of getting sexually transmitted diseases?"

"Gosh, Tyler is lucky to have canceled the engagement. If he married her, he'd be forever humiliated by a woman who keeps cheating on him."

Hearing these discussions, Avery's parents, Valencia, and Old Mister Hart wore expressions of extreme discomfort.

"What's going on?" A man's cool and crisp voice rang out from the outskirts of the crowd.

Everyone turned around to see Tyler arriving with Orion.

Orion, seeing the commotion and the crowded doorway, found it odd.

The onlookers automatically made way for them.

Orion spotted Valencia, Avery's parents, and Old Mister Hart inside the room. "Father, Valencia, Vernon... Why are you all here?"

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1638-Seeing the two newcomers who rushed in, the expressions of several people grew even worse.

Avery's family knew that despite Avery and Tyler publicly announcing their engagement was off, it was just a temporary measure. Avery had no intention of ending the engagement. However, with Tyler witnessing this scandalous scene, he would never agree to marry her.

Avery's father and mother had not yet thought of what to say. Valencia was the first to speak up. "Tyler, this little vixen Avery drugged Lincoln and seduced him!"

Valencia was biased toward Lincoln, but Tyler was her son as well. Her disdain for Avery had reached its limit, and she was absolutely against Avery marrying into the Hart family. Furthermore, Avery's repeated dalliances between Tyler and Lincoln only increased Valencia's hatred for her. The fact that Avery plotted to sleep with Valencia's elder son and then her younger son felt worse than what Valencia had accused Vicky of all those years ago.

'Does she really think she could bewitch both of my sons and control the Hart family?' she thought angrily.

Valencia reported the situation without a trace of guilt." Look at Lincoln; he's still not sober! This vixen has gone too far! Tyler, we can't let her off easily!"

Alana Yeager immediately chimed in, "Valencia, don't you feel guilty saying such things? Avery has always loved Tyler deeply. How could she be interested in someone else?

Especially your adopted son, who has no blood ties with the Harts..."

Alana's eyes gleamed with a hint of disdain. "If Avery is interested in Lincoln, why would she have broken off the engagement with him? He's just a foster son who relies on women and schemes to rise in the world. Where does he compare to Tyler? Does he really think anyone values him?"

Valencia was livid to have heard the son she was most proud of being insulted.

She sneered and used the most venomous words she could think of to taunt Avery. “Yeah, your daughter isn’t interested in Lincoln. She's interested in nightclub gigolos and male escorts. Her taste is exquisite, alright!"

Having touched a sensitive nerve, Alana was also provoked. "Avery would rather be with a male escort than your lowly adopted son, so why don't you think about how pitiful he must be? Moreover, you prefer a foster son with no blood ties over your own flesh and blood. Your biological son is right here, yet you're raising an outsider to such heights. You are in such a rush to hand over your family's fortune to an outsider... I wonder if your brains have gone haywire!"

Furious, Valencia moved to hit Alana once again, and the two were instantly absorbed in a heated fight.

After listening to the conversation, Orion had a general picture of what happened and separated the two with a dark expression.

"Stop fighting! Let's just ask Lincoln what happened!"

Lincoln sat on the couch, his clothes barely buttoned up.

With a glance at Tyler, he asked, "Tyler, where were you just now?"

"I was discussing work with Father," Tyler said.

Orion looked at Lincoln. "Lincoln, why are you asking this? Do you think Tyler is related to this?"

After a few moments of silence, Lincoln said, "No."

Even if he had proof that Tyler was involved, he had no right to blame Tyler for anything. After all, Tyler was the head of the family.

Just then, Tyler broke the silence and asked, "What on earth happened here?"

Lincoln was caught in a compromising position. Without any proof supporting his innocence, it would be extremely difficult for him to argue his way out of trouble.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1639-After much contemplation, Lincoln said, "I lost consciousness after entering this room."

The moment she heard this, Valencia screamed, "You all heard him! Avery drugged my Lincoln! Why else would my dear boy sleep with a wench like her?"

Valencia thought back to how Alana verbally degraded Lincoln and was so overwhelmed by rage that she ditched all manners and etiquette. She turned around and spat in Avery's direction.

"Valencia, what are you doing?!" Furious, Alana shouted. "To secure your adopted son's position, you came begging us to marry our daughter to him. If our daughter disgusts you so, why didn't you show it when you wanted something from us? Do you really think that your son is any better? He's nothing but a man who relies on a woman to gain power!”

Seeing as the two were about to fight again, Old Mister Hart roared, "That's enough! This is no place for this sort of childish argument!"

Throughout the years, Old Mister Hart remained respected by many, and the two reluctantly quieted down.

Old Mister Hart turned to the butler and said, "Call Doctor Efron."

The butler nodded and promptly summoned Doctor Efron.

Doctor Efron was an elderly gentleman in his fifties or sixties. Of course, in the medical field, experience often grew more valuable with age.

After assessing the conditions of the two individuals, Doctor Efron had a clear idea of what happened.

"Open all the windows in the room for ventilation," he instructed, then retrieved two porcelain bottles from his medical bag and handed them to Avery and Lincoln respectively. "These will help clear your minds."

After approximately ten minutes, Lincoln's complexion gradually returned to normal, and Avery regained consciousness.

Avery looked around in confusion. "Why are there so many people here? What's happening?"

Valencia spoke coldly, her voice tinged with mockery, "Miss Yeager, have you forgotten what you did already?"

Avery furrowed her brow, and her gaze landed on the bed sheets beneath her. Her face instantly paled. "What's going on? How did you all end up here?"

A thought crossed her mind. 'Maybe they burst into the wrong room while trying to catch Vicky and Lincoln in the act,' she thought.

However, when she observed the expressions of the Hart family members, her own biological parents, and the whispers and pointing fingers of the onlookers, Avery sensed that the situation was not as straightforward as she thought.

Even if they caught her and Tyler together, it seemed odd for them to act so shocked and scandalized.

Before Tyler could say anything, Valencia's cold voice cut through the tension. "Why are there so many people, you ask? Well, that's because Miss Yeager here couldn't stand being alone and had to juggle multiple partners!"

Avery had just woken up and had not yet grasped the full extent of the situation. "What do you mean, 'couldn’t stand being alone' and 'juggling multiple partners'? Missus Hart, we're all adults here," she retorted.

She tilted her head back smugly. "Men and women find happiness in each other's company, mutual affection, and love. Isn't that perfectly normal? Why is it that such natural things become scandalous when the Hart family is involved?

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1640-"Are you some kind of a saint? Did Tyler not come from your womb?" Avery retorted.

She was not worried about being seen at all and wanted nothing more than to have everyone know about her relationship with Tyler. Since they were caught in the act, she felt pleased knowing that no one would dare try to seduce Tyler again.

Many other women apart from Vicky tried to seduce Tyler at the bouquet, and Avery refused to let them win.

Sensing that Avery felt no guilt, Valencia came close to fainting from rage. "No one would say a thing if this was consensual. I just think that you used some kind of dirty tricks to get your way!" She turned to Lincoln and asked," Lincoln, why don't you tell us if this was consensual?"

Lincoln shook his head and was about to speak when Avery exclaimed, "Lincoln?!"

Finally noticing Lincoln, she continued, "Shouldn't you be asking Tyler instead? Why are you asking him? Tyler and I..."

Valencia narrowed her eyes sarcastically. "Keep up the act, Avery! Let's see how much longer you will last!” She turned to Doctor Efron and asked, "Doctor Efron, Lincoln was drugged, wasn't he?"

Doctor Efron nodded. "Yes, Miss Yeager and Mister Lincoln have both been affected."

"Can you tell us what they were affected by?" Old Mister Hart asked.

Doctor Efron glanced at him, noting his silence, before responding, "When I entered the room earlier, I detected an unusual fragrance. I suspect that..."

Before Doctor Efron could finish, the butler arrived, holding an already burnt-out candle. "Sir, I found this inside."

Doctor Efron took the candle and gently sniffed at it. His expression shifted. "This is it."

Alana, Avery's mother, appeared ready to offer an explanation, but the butler interrupted her, bringing out Avery's bag and pouring its contents out for everyone to see.

Three incense boxes tumbled out, along with several bottles of unidentified substances.

Doctor Efron picked up one of the incense boxes and took a whiff, his expression becoming increasingly perplexed." These contain aphrodisiacs. However, in terms of potency, it's this burnt-out candle that is the most intense."

Valencia pointed at Avery and shrilly exclaimed, "Are you all seeing this? It was this woman who drugged and seduced our Lincoln! If she hadn't used these drugs, he wouldn't even spare her a glance!"

Old Mister Hart's expression darkened, but he did not intervene to stop Valencia's inappropriate remarks. Instead, he allowed the gathered crowd to witness the unfolding spectacle.

He had not dispersed the onlookers for a reason and aimed to shift the blame onto the Yeager family.

Although Avery and Tyler had officially called off their engagement, the fact that Lincoln slept with Avery so soon after suggested they might have been involved long before the engagement was called off.

Old Mister Hart had his grievances with Lincoln, but no matter what, he was still a member of the Hart family. If Lincoln disgraced himself, it would reflect poorly on the entire family.

With Tyler as the head of the Hart family, news of two brothers fighting over a woman could irreparably damage the family's reputation.

Alana paled slightly as evidence was uncovered from Avery's bag. She immediately tried to deflect the blame." You mean to tell me you can identify these substances just by their smell? I find that hard to believe. Perhaps the Harts have intentionally staged this drama, framing our dear Avery. N

Doctor Efron was displeased to hear this. "If you doubt my medical expertise, we can call in several other doctors to perform an immediate analysis. What do you think of that, Alana?"