Her movements faltered. For a moment, she was at a loss for words, and then, as if on instinct, she blurted out, "I'm sorry, Jerrold. I didn't realize you were here-sorry, I'll go now!"

She deliberately feigned confusion, hoping to convince him she had entered the wrong room by accident.

From what she had observed last night, Jerrold had clearly been drugged-something she had seen happen often enough in this setting. Victims seldom retained clear memories upon waking.

Besides, she had overheard the manager on the phone last night mentioning that the surveillance cameras on this floor were out of order and needed repairs.

It was only because of this that she had dared to intervene and fend off her attacker, even though it had led to her being chased.

Now, by denying everything, she figured there was no way someone as domineering as Jerrold could ever piece together the truth about last night. She wanted nothing to do with someone so obviously complicated.

Jerrold's piercing gaze locked onto Catherine, his expression unreadable and probing.

The memories of the previous night were fragmented and hazy, but seeing Catherine triggered flashes of the events that had unfolded.

As the realization of being set up dawned on him, Jerrold's face hardened, his eyes flashing with cold fury.

He pulled out his phone and, without hesitation, called his trusted assistant, Zach.

On the other end of the line, Zach happened to be with Lin.

The night before, Lin had summoned a doctor to Jerrold's room, only to find it empty.

Unable to locate Jerrold, Lin had sought out Zach for help. But even Zach had been unable to reach Jerrold by phone.

Now, hearing Jerrold's voice on the line, Lin apologized profusely, assuring Jerrold that he and Zach were rushing over immediately.

Jerrold recalled the events of the past.

Lin Lang had only gotten himself into trouble Last time because of his foolish attempt to help Catherine.

Jerrold clearly understood Catherine's rejection last time-it was unmistakable to him, and he had no intention of forcing the issue.

However, if Lin Lang were to witness this scene, it would undoubtedly lead to another misunderstanding.

"I understand. You can leave now, " Jerrold said calmly.

Catherine, seeing that she had successfully deflected attention, quickly turned and left upon receiving his order.

She had already decided—today, she would resign from the Twilight Lounge, even if it meant confronting her uncle and his associates head-on, breaking with family ties if necessary.

If push came to shove, she'd confront Waylon and the others head-on-if they made her life difficult, they shouldn't expect to get away with what they owed her.

As Catherine walked out, Lin Lang and Assistant Zhang arrived shortly after, accompanied by the manager of the Twilight Lounge.

The manager hadn't expected such a major mishap to occur, especially since the surveillance system had only been down for one night. But now, no explanation could fix the situation. All he could do was apologize and offer compensation.