Chapter 18 Drugged

Daniel, Patricia, and Debra gathered around George's bed.

"George, can you hear me? If you can, move your fingers," Patricia said.

No response.

Patricia looked at Isabella and the others. Still no sign of awareness.

Isabella, worried they'd think she was lying, said, "I'm not lying, Patricia. He moved and made a sound just now."

"Made a sound?" Daniel wiped his forehead.

"What kind of sound?" Debra asked.

Isabella mimicked a soft "hmm."

Patricia asked Daniel, "Can he really make that sound?"

"If he's stimulated, he might. He can't wake up, but he can hear us and feel pain," Daniel explained.

"When will he wake up?" Patricia asked anxiously.

Daniel gave Isabella a look and said, "Anytime."

To Patricia, this was the best news. She'd been waiting for this moment for six months.

She grabbed Isabella's hand excitedly, "George is going to wake up!"

"But," Daniel added, "anytime doesn't mean immediately."

Isabella rolled her eyes. 'I want to kick him for that dramatic pause.'

"Having hope is good enough," Patricia said, relieved.

'At least there's something to look forward to now,' Patricia thought.

That night, Isabella had a strange dream. She was held tightly by a man's strong arms, his breath in her ear, and she snuggled into his embrace.

She slept so well that during class, the usually attentive Isabella found herself giggling.

Elodie nudged her, "You've been smiling all class. What's up? Daydreaming?"

Isabella, still smiling, replied, "Yeah."

Elodie was shocked, "No way! Did you dream about having sex with George?"

Isabella blushed and nodded, "Something like that."

"You're in love with a comatose man. That's crazy," Elodie said.

"He's really handsome, and he's going to wake up soon."

Elodie was speechless, "Oh my God."

Curious, Elodie pulled Isabella out of the classroom for details.

"Is that comatose guy really that great? How did you fall for him?" Elodie asked.

Isabella shook her head, "I don't know if it's love, but I like being with him."

"I think you're nuts," Elodie said.

'In my world, no one falls for someone unconscious, no matter how perfect they are. But this happened to Isabella, who never falls for anyone easily. It's terrifying,' Elodie thought.

"It feels strange," Isabella said.

"Is he really going to wake up?" Elodie asked.

Isabella nodded, "That's what Daniel said."

"Actually, it's good. If George wakes up, Joseph won't harass you anymore," Elodie said.

Mentioning Joseph made Isabella feel sick, "Why bring him up?"

"He's always had a thing for you, right? If George wakes up and you tell him, won't he stand up for you?" Elodie said.

Isabella wasn't sure.

'Even though Joseph is an illegitimate child, he's technically George's uncle. George probably wouldn't turn against Joseph for me. And George might not even like me. For a woman he doesn't like, even if she's his wife, he probably wouldn't stand up for her,' Isabella thought.

"If George stands up for me, it would only be because his male pride was challenged," Isabella said, frustrated.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're really pretty. George will definitely like you," Elodie said, raising an eyebrow.

Isabella replied, "Do you think George hasn't seen beautiful women before? Daniel said he likes sexy, hot women, and I'm just average."

"People change. Besides, you have a nice butt," Elodie's comment made Isabella laugh.

With no classes in the afternoon, Elodie thought Isabella needed a break and booked a private room at Nightfall Club for the evening.

Nightfall Club was a famous, members-only club in Stellar City, with an annual fee rumored to be $200,000.

"Elodie, how did you get a membership card here?" Isabella asked, standing at the entrance of Nightfall Club, puzzled.

The building, styled like ancient building, was grand and imposing, with a dark lacquered door that looked like the mouth of a giant gold-hoarding dragon. Under the lights, it appeared luxurious and mysterious, more like a temple.

'The people who come here are the big shots of Stellar City, not people like us. Yet Elodie has a membership card,' Isabella thought.

"I borrowed it," Elodie said.

"Borrowed it?" Isabella asked, skeptical.

"Don't worry about it. It's a rare chance, let's have some fun," Elodie said, pulling Isabella inside.

The place was filled with seductive and alluring sounds. Even the waitresses in bunny dresses exuded a wild vibe, where men and women flirted recklessly, and money and status meant nothing.

Inside the golden, intricately carved door, the private room was large and luxurious. Elodie set it to do-not-disturb mode, so after the waiter delivered the drinks and fruit, no one came in again.

They had a great time. Midway, Isabella went to the restroom, and on her way back, she ran into Joseph, who was pressing a scantily clad woman against the wall, kissing her wildly. At one point, the woman said something, and Joseph slapped her before they resumed kissing.

Isabella intended to avoid him and return to her private room, but Joseph spotted her. A gleam flashed in his eyes as he pushed the woman away and walked toward Isabella.

Instinctively, Isabella stepped back but couldn't escape his grip. Joseph grabbed her wrist and pulled her close, "Don't you recognize me?"

"Joseph, show some respect, or I'll tell Patricia."

Isabella struggled but couldn't break free. Joseph dragged her toward his private room. A few steps later, the door opened, revealing a dimly lit room. The men inside were indulging themselves, with women in their arms. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol and hormones, creating an ambiguous, swaying atmosphere.

"Have a drink with me and my friends, and I'll let you go," Joseph said, pushing Isabella into a seat. He introduced her with disdain, "This is George's wife, so show some respect."

The men laughed mockingly, "Such a beautiful woman, can that comatose guy even enjoy her? What a waste."

"Marrying George, how can you experience the joys of being a woman? Why not join us? We'll take turns showing you what you've been missing."

The men laughed lewdly, just like Joseph. They believed George would never wake up and had no respect for him, making Isabella very unhappy.

"How many of you can compare to him?" Isabella asked angrily.

"She's angry," a man with a cigarette in his mouth said, putting his arm around Isabella's shoulder, "I like feisty beauties."

Isabella gritted her teeth, grabbed his wrist, and threw him over her shoulder, slamming him to the ground. The man cried out in pain.

"Still like me?" Isabella sneered.

"You bitch, how dare you hit me? I'll kill you," the man said, coming at Isabella again. Isabella kicked him onto the coffee table, causing beer bottles to fall to the ground with a crisp sound.

Joseph, having suffered at Isabella's hands before, signaled the men not to act rashly. "Don't bully Isabella. We're here to have fun, so let's drink." Joseph was about to pat Isabella's shoulder but stopped when she glared at him. He shrugged.

Seeing Isabella remain silent, Joseph handed her a glass of champagne and said, "How about this? Drink it, and I'll let you go."

Isabella glanced at the glass in his hand. Joseph assured her, "Come on, we're all friends here. Just do me a favor. Drink it, and you can leave. I won't stop you."

If the men all attacked at once, Isabella wouldn't stand a chance. To avoid trouble, she chose to drink and leave. She took the glass from Joseph, downing it in one gulp.

Keeping his word, Joseph shouted at the waiter by the door, "You blind? Open the door!"

Isabella walked to the door, glancing back at Joseph. His smirking eyes gave her a bad feeling. A few steps out of the room, Isabella felt dizzy. Soon, a man grabbed her, and she could hear the men around him cheering. Her consciousness began to blur.

Suddenly, a cold breeze brought her back to her senses. She saw that the man holding her was Joseph.

'This bastard drugged me,' Isabella thought.