"Alright," responded Evelyn, her voice buoyant. "Once this unfolds, Lilah won't pose a threat. I'll ensure you're the star at the jewelry exhibition. Lilah's best suited for a bit part."

"Alright," Katie echoed, her voice hollow. Thoughts of Andrew clouded her mood.

She was eager for the reporter to intervene promptly, to prevent any intimacy between Lilah and Andrew.

After instructing the reporter to rush in, Katie awaited the spectacle she had orchestrated.

An hour would typically suffice, but after two with no word, Katie sensed something was amiss. She reached for her phone, but her call to the reporter went unanswered.

Had he failed at this crucial juncture?

Annoyed, she dialed repeatedly, to no avail. A sense of foreboding crept over her. He was a journalist with a reputation for reliability.

Could something have gone wrong?

Katie was frantic. When the reporter finally returned her call, his news was far from promising. "The operation's a bust, and my camera's a wreck. They destroyed everything-the camera, the memory card. You owe me. That gear cost a pretty penny."

"Who destroyed it?" Katie's voice rose in alarm.

“As soon as we got to the door, we were ambushed. Some people just smashed our equipment. Looked like bodyguards."

Could Lilah have had bodyguards in tow?

Katie bristled with irritation. She had painstakingly crafted this trap and would not let it disintegrate so easily.

Even with the reporter thwarted, there had to be hotel security footage.

But, as luck would have it, the security cameras had malfunctioned.

Too convenient, Katie fumed. She refused to be outmaneuvered like this.

Meanwhile, at the hotel...

Lilah, witnessing the door swing open to reveal Elena and Daniel, was taken aback.

She hadn't expected them to shadow her here.

But there was no time for contemplation. She called for an ambulance and rushed Andrew to the hospital.

To restrain his drugged urges, Andrew had resorted to biting his own arm-a sight that left Lilah seething.

Who would do this to Andrew?

The ordeal of gastric lavage was brutal. Andrew emerged looking a shadow of his former self. His usual poise and charisma were replaced by sheer exhaustion and a pallid hue. His gaze met Lilah's, heavy with remorse.

“I'm sorry," he murmured.