Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Donovan gestured to the bottles on the table with a smirk. "Ms. Sargent, nothing comes without a cost. Let's just say I'm not one to invest on blind faith. If you can drink all of this, then I'll consider giving the Sargent Group a chance." Annika stared at the colorful array of bottles, several of which were hard liquor. If she drank all that, it could land her in the hospital. She lowered her head, her face as pale as paper under the dim lights. As she hesitated, Hank turned and quietly slipped out of the room.

Annika lifted her gaze to Conrad, who was sitting opposite her. Besides his steadily furrowing brow, his face showed no other emotion at Donovan's malicious challenge. "He really never loved me," she thought. "It's only natural that he'd cast me aside like a worn-out shoe." With that thought, she slowly reached out. Just as her fingertips were about to touch a bottle, the sound of the door sliding open broke the tension. She looked up to see Harvey striding into the room.

A moment earlier, Hank had found Harvey in the hall and told him that Donovan was giving Annika a hard time, suggesting he go in and check on her. Harvey took in the scene at a glance: the table laden with liquor, Annika's pale hand reaching for a bottle, Donovan watching her with a cruel, amused expression, and Conrad-the one man who should have been protecting her-sitting idly by, sipping his water. Fury surged through Harvey. When he'd been stopped at the door by Donovan's assistant, he had been worried Annika wouldn't be able to handle him.

Then he saw Conrad arrive with Hank, and a wave of relief had washed over him. He had thought that Conrad, for all his faults, still had a shred of decency and had come to help his wife in her time of need. But he had been wrong. The great Conrad Beryl, the most powerful man in Seafall City, was nothing but a scoundrel. Harvey let out a cold snort, snatched the bottle from Annika's hand, and tilted his head back, downing the entire contents in a few large gulps. He then opened several more, one after another.

By the time he opened the fifth bottle, the sharp, rich aroma of tequila filled the room. He had a cold and wasn't in any shape to drink, but he forced it down. As he finished the tequila and followed it with a bottle of beer, his stomach felt like it was on fire. He couldn't take any more. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the sofa. Donovan glanced at the unconscious Harvey and sneered, "Is this the kind of useless person the Sargent Group employs?" The insult was a clear dig at Marcus as well. By now, Conrad's indifference had wounded Annika to the core.

She asked a waiter to help Harvey out of the room, then walked back to Donovan, a beautiful smile gracing her red lips. "I hope you're a man of your word, Mr. Tyson." She picked up a bottle of beer, popped the cap, and drank it all in one go. She reached for a second 1/2 16:00 Chapter 25 bottle, but as she did, the baby in her belly reacted. She quickly pulled her hand back, placing it over her stomach. "Baby, it's not that Mommy doesn't want you," she pleaded silently. "I just don't have a choice." But the baby couldn't hear her and began to protest violently.

A sharp pain shot through her abdomen, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She gasped, trying to endure the intense discomfort. Suddenly, her stomach churned violently, and just before she threw up, Annika shot up from her seat and bolted from the room. In the hallway, Hank was just extinguishing his cigarette. He started to walk back, but then he saw Annika burst out of the room and race toward the restrooms. He quickly re-entered the private room and had barely called out, "Mr. Beryl," when he saw Conrad's figure flash past him in a blur.

2/2 16:00 Ruby Walker Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby's writing style is bold and irresistible-perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.