Grace raised an eyebrow, a trace of mockery flashing in her eyes. She had to admit that Sloan was foolish to say such things in front of the police.

Thus, this was Velvet Eclipse—the police had to show IQ; they must have been ready to confront any influential figures here.

As expected, the police firmly held Sloan, regardless of who he was.

Grace’s lips curled into a smile. “Mr. Sidler, where is Hendricks? Where is he?”

Fon had just tested her about Hendricks being in the hospital, and now Grace’s question seemed like a direct slap to his face.

His lips trembled, utterly infuriated. He had never been so humiliated before.

The others tightened their grip on Sloan’s arms. “Tell us the truth. Where is the other person?”

Sloan felt utterly embarrassed, as the people who had just been flattering him earlier in the room now seemed to be watching the spectacle unfold.

The pride he had always clung to was being trampled on by Grace. At that moment, he swore he would never forgive her.

Outside the private room, a crowd had gathered. Sloan was a regular here, and almost everyone in the circle recognized his face.

“Isn’t that the youngest heir of the Sidler family? Why are the police here?”

“What happened? Is he here tonight? Can someone go tell him?”

Upon hearing this, Sloan's face drained of color.

“Don’t—”

But before he could finish his sentence, the crowd parted to make way for a man dressed in a black shirt.

His presence exuded cold authority. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, and as he surveyed the scene, a look of impatience crossed his face. “What’s going on here?” he asked.

Grace recognized him from the files she had looked through—Julian, the heir to the Sidler family, a man of high status.

Sloan did not meet his eyes.

Before the police could speak, Julian casually pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and spoke nonchalantly yet with an undeniable air of command.

“Sloan, you tell them,” the officers said.

Sloan stuttered, seemingly afraid of Julian. He couldn’t form a coherent sentence.

Julian, growing impatient, put the lighter away and stepped forward, grabbing Sloan by the hair. “I said, speak.”

“Julian, it’s not me, it—”

Sloan’s eyes shifted towards Grace. The truth was, he had drugged Grace last night, and if the police investigated, both he and Hendricks would be in trouble. He had assumed that Grace would be too scared to even show her face for days, but here she was, making sure everyone knew about it.

Grace remained calm as she addressed Julian, explaining the situation briefly.

“Well, Mr. Julian, it seems your cousin, Mr. Sloan, here said I go to the gynecologist hundreds of times a year. He also said that I’m easy to buy off if someone offers a little money, and we all heard it. Now, if this gets out, can it lead to a defamation lawsuit?”

Sloan's expression changed again, and his tone was now desperate. “Grace, you—”

Follow new episodes on the CrushnovelS.Com

Before he could finish, a slap rang across his face, leaving him stunned. His head snapped to the side, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Sloan's eyes reddened instantly, but because it was Julian who had struck him, he didn’t dare make a sound.

Grace raised an eyebrow, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

However, she wasn’t done yet. “Mr. Julian, I do have a question. Since you’ve humiliated him so openly, what if he turns around and blames me for all of this? Officer, you can bear witness. If something happens to me later, the first person I’ll be looking into is Mr. Sloan.”

Sloan, already humiliated beyond belief, was pushed to the edge by her words, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Julian glanced at Grace, his expression unreadable.

Then he turned to the police. “Thank you for your time tonight. We’ll resolve this matter privately and ensure Grace gets a satisfactory answer. Sloan’s foolish words won’t be—”

He said this with such authority that it was clear anyone involved in gossiping about it outside would be going against the Sidler family.

Grace clutched the card in her hand, her voice light as she added, “It was all just a misunderstanding. But since everyone’s here, I should clarify. I, Grace, am clean and innocent. Mr. Sloan is young and careless with his words, but I won’t hold it against him.”

Sloan, furious beyond words, rolled his eyes and passed out cold.

Julian exchanged a few words with one of the police officers, who nodded and led the others out.

The crowd dispersed, leaving only Julian and Grace in the room.

She started to leave, but she heard his voice again.

“Ms. Lambert, you’ve changed quite a bit.”

She smiled faintly, her expression cool. “Julian, don’t tell me your only answer is just to threaten me now that no one else is around?”

Julian walked closer, his presence intimidating, like that of Yancey, but even more oppressive.

Grace instinctively became wary, but then she heard a voice from the door.

“Enough with the drama. Get out.”

Grace turned to see Ethan in his wheelchair, surrounded by a few others who were clearly his companions. They stood apart from Ethan, all exuding an air of nobility that made them feel almost untouchable.

Julian pulled out a card and tapped it on Grace’s face. “200 million dollars here. Is that enough?”

Julian meant for the money to be a hush fee. After Grace left the room, no one was to mention what happened that night again. And besides, she had already embarrassed Sloan—at least for now, he wouldn’t dare to come after her.

Grace calmly took the card, her eyes glimmering with a hint of amusement. “What happened tonight? I have no idea. Goodbye, Mr. Sidler.”

Julian’s eyes darkened with a hint of sarcasm in them, and he slid his hands into his pockets as he walked toward Ethan.

Despite being in a wheelchair, Ethan’s companions treated him with the utmost respect. They spoke to him with their heads lowered, and even Julian lowered his tone when addressing him.

“I thought I told you guys to leave first,” Julian said.

Ethan’s gaze landed on Grace.

She stood in the private room alone, the overhead light casting a soft glow around her, almost like a protective shield.

Amidst the chaos of the world, she smiled lightly, her aura strangely calming.