Chapter 42

**Sarah**

Mr. Reynolds' attempt to evade the attention of the two unfamiliar men who had entered the bar area caught me off guard.

"Ms. Sarah, that new guy, he's the one the wedding planner said is Ms. Jessica's affair partner! The one with the brooding vibe," Mr. Reynolds whispered urgently.

Glancing at Philip, I lowered my voice. "Aren't they models from your company?"

Philip seemed unfazed. "I only deal with my father, the shareholders, or Alex at the company. But that's beside the point! Why does it concern you if they're cheating-"

I quickly muffled Philip's words before someone could reach prying ears in the bar area.

"You're being annoying!" I scolded him.

Mr. Reynolds' phone interrupted us as it rang, then he discreetly excused himself.

"Ms. Sarah, the boss needs me urgently. The event starts in an hour. Everyone should be at the hall," he informed before leaving me alone with Philip.

"What's your connection with Amir Benner?" Philip's tone held a trace of irritation despite his apparent indifference. He knew Mr. Reynolds was Amir's assistant.

"If you're already concluding about me being Mr. Benner's lover, why bother asking? I don't owe you an explanation because we have no relationship-none!" I shot back, equally annoyed.

Philip's eyes narrowed before he chuckled, "I owned your body, babe. That's our relationship."

I was left utterly speechless.

"Yeah, sure!" I sarcastically retorted. "Next time, just bring a recorder so you can play that line whenever necessary. Tss!"

This brute was beyond ridiculous!

My attention shifted to the man Jessica was cheating with. He fished his phone out of his pocket and began texting, sneering.

"I'm going out for a while! The hook-up's happening early!" he declared to his companion.

"Sure thing. Just make it quick," his companion replied casually.

Before Philip could react, I swiftly plucked his Bluetooth earpiece from one ear, catching him off guard. With calculated precision, I feigned a clumsy collision with the man, and then, in a swift and covert motion, I covertly deposited Philip's earplug into the man's pocket.

"Oops! I-I'm sorry!" I apologized to the man.

The man's gaze swept over me, a twisted grin spreading across his face like a creep!

"Are you Sarah Mitchell?" Did he know me? And was this lunatic seriously planning to hit on me?

"Fuck off!" Philip cursed.

"Mr. Cornell! I... I apologize," the man stammered, his voice trembling as he edged away from Philip, quickly retreating from the bar area of Amir's mansion.

"Why on Earth did you slip my Bluetooth earpiece into his pants?" Philip demanded.

Damn it! It hit me like a ton of bricks that Philip was the device's owner! In that instant, my instincts took over, and I noticed a piece of the earpiece nestled in his ear.

"Give me your phone," I instructed him instead.

"Why?" Philip challenged, suspicion etched on his face.

"Because I need to track him," I replied, urgency coloring my voice.

He looked at me like I had a man's cum on my face. His arms folded across his chest in suspicion.

"What?" I pressed.

"I'll lend it to you under one condition," Philip countered.

"And what's that?" I inquired, curious yet cautious.

"You're coming back with me to Highland Hills. You haven't even fulfilled the agreement we made for a month."

In truth, I had several compelling reasons to return to Highland Hills. I needed Josh's expertise, and BM Technologies appointed me as a representative in Philip's project to navigate Chronographix. Lastly, I harbored a burning desire to meet Jane.

"Deal!"

I won't be staying at Serenity Pines again. It's too risky when we're together, especially after what happened the other day. Despite this concern, I kept it to myself. Philip only mentioned Highland Hills, not specifying his villa.

Amir owned the villa across from Serenity Pines Estate, and that's where I'd stay once I'm in Highland Hills.

Philip delved into his pocket, retrieved his phone, and presented it to me as if unveiling a treasure.

With determined strides, I stormed out of the mansion, with Philip following closely behind. As we walked toward the car, the city was already bathed in the soft embrace of dusk, casting a gentle glow on the surroundings. The fading light only enhanced the grandeur of the mansion.

As I settled into the car, I seized the laptop with purpose. My fingers danced across the keyboard as I entered the password: "IHaveTheSmallestDickEver ThatSheCannotFeelMyWilly." The words were visible as I typed, and Philip couldn't help but catch sight of them.

"Is that really your password?" he asked, sounding offended.

"Yeah," I replied casually.

"And where did you come up with that? I'm perfectly adequate!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Stop being petty! Jakob suggested it, claiming the phrase was so offensive no one would ever guess it. And what do you mean by 'Is that really your password?' Were you trying to access my laptop back at Serenity Pines Estate?"

"I asked Alex to fix the laptop's electrical issues. It prompted for a password, and after three failed attempts, it shut off," he explained.

"You're stupid!"

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd find myself scolding Philip like this. In a different scenario, he might have lashed out at me.

The LoveLogic process is ongoing, with codes saved on my laptop. But Philip doesn't need to know about it! I'll just ask Jakob to check the device thoroughly.

Using Philip's phone, we tracked down his earplug. I pulled up the precise map of Amir's mansion on the laptop and glanced around.

"That must be the way! They were rendezvousing in the woods?!" I couldn't fathom their audacity to plan infidelity inside Amir's property.

"Nobody ever goes to that part of the mansion, especially since it's already dusk, so it's the obvious choice for a short affair. But how can you be certain the bride was with the man earlier?" Philip inquired.

"I have a method to find out."

I shut the laptop screen, meeting Philip's puzzled gaze.

"What?" I asked him.

"What's your motive in all this? Why the apparent desire to drive a wedge between Mr. Benner and his fiancée?" His suspicion resurfaced.

"Okay, Philip, for your peace of mind, there's absolutely no romantic connection between Amir and me. That's a thousand percent impossible! Tsk!"

"What?"

"Furthermore, Megan is a bitch. She's been giving me a hard time and bullying me, and there's no way I'm letting her tie the knot with Amir Benner. That's the bottom line!"

"She's brazen!" His tone escalated.

"Right? So, could you please hold off on adding to my plans for now? You're just adding to my headache," I told him, exasperated.

I retrieved the bag containing the drone from the car's compartment box. I could see the questions forming on Philip's face, but he wisely kept them to himself.

Messages flooded Philip's cell phone, including those from Megan and various office colleagues. At this point, I couldn't care less about what that woman needed from him.

"Here, hold your phone," I said, passing it to Philip. That witch Megan might be waiting or looking for him.

I needed to expedite my plans, and I had no desire to deal with Philip or that troublesome woman at the moment.

We returned to the gathering, where the main hall was already filled with guests. Balancing my laptop and another bag, I scanned the crowd for Amir.

"Where's the bride?" I heard the new wedding planner inquire, and frustration was evident in her tone. Even the maid of honor couldn't provide an answer.

"The event is about to start. Can you please locate her?" the planner snapped, her impatience growing apparent.

I knew it! Jessica must have slipped away for a sweet, brief rendezvous with that groomsman!

Philip and I headed to a small, empty room. I needed Jakob's assistance urgently; I couldn't manage everything with two hands.

Glancing at Philip, this brute's hand could undoubtedly be of use.

"Why?" Philip queried, his expression a portrait of confusion.

I didn't answer him.

I unzipped the bag and carefully extracted the Typhoon H Drone. With practiced hands, I set it up and connected it to my laptop.

I turned to Philip, asking, "Are you familiar with drones?"

"Babe, I'm not a moron. Tss!" he replied nonchalantly.

"Alright then, take control of this one and follow your Bluetooth earplug into the woods," I instructed.

Instead of complying, he seized the moment to kiss me fervently. My thoughts scattered before he abruptly pulled away, igniting the hexacopter and flying it out the window.

"What the hell is that for?!" I demanded, my anger flaring.

I'm occupied with your directives, Ma'am!" the rascal retorted bluntly, a smirk playing on his lips.

Despite my urge to smack him, I begrudgingly acknowledged his point. Gritting my teeth, I left the room and went to the main hall to set up the laptop for everyone's viewing.

But upon entering, my plans were derailed. On the large screen, there was a live video of Jessica having sex with a groomsman against a tall tree. They were both partially undressed, their indiscretions broadcast for all to witness.

Their eyes widened in sheer horror as they locked onto the camera's lens. Then, with a frantic burst of desperation, they fled together like guilty phantoms, escaping the scene of their sins.

"Oh my God! That's Jessica, the bride!"

"And that man is one of the groomsmen!"

Gasps filled the hall as the identities of the two figures became unmistakable. While everyone else was reeling from the revelation of Jessica's betrayal, my mind was consumed by a different puzzle.

How in the world did it appear on the massive projector screen? I still had my laptop in hand and had yet to link it to any equipment at the event!