Chapter 224: Chapter 222: Look at Your Pathetic Self (Part 2)

Ethan Ellsworth nodded. He took out the needle, sticking it between two of his fingers with a bit of adhesive. Then, he fastened a collar around his neck fitted with a listening device and a GPS tracker.

Once everything was ready, he waited until eight o’clock that evening. He then left his room, took the elevator to the fourth floor, and stepped out to stand before the door to room 414.

Ethan Ellsworth reached out and rang the doorbell.

Meanwhile, in the presidential suite, four other people were sitting around a table, hoping Ethan Ellsworth’s mission would go smoothly so they could return home the next day or the day after.

The door opened to reveal Audrey, dressed in a white bathrobe. Seeing it was him, she gave a seductive smile. "I knew you’d come."

Ethan Ellsworth’s heart tightened, but his expression remained unchanged. "I plan on leaving tomorrow. But since a beautiful woman invited me for the evening, I figured there was no harm in stopping by. By the way, did you get the ’balloons’ ready?" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Back in the presidential suite, the team listening in grimaced. ’Condoms are condoms, so why call them "balloons"?!’

Audrey’s red lips curled into a faint smile. "Of course. Will ten boxes be enough?"

Without showing the slightest crack in his facade, Ethan Ellsworth bantered easily, "You’re certainly thorough. Even at ten times a day, it would take ages to get through all of those."

"Please, come in." When she smiled, her eyebrows arched, but beneath her delicate appearance lay a hint of ferocity. ’A woman like her is never as simple as she seems,’ Ethan Ellsworth thought.

With that thought, Ethan Ellsworth stepped into room 414. He had only taken two steps inside when the door slammed shut on its own. He glanced at it from the corner of his eye before continuing forward.

’This room is a world unto itself!’

’No wonder she could secretly deploy thirty to forty well-trained subordinates to assassinate so many people and injure over two hundred more.’

Ethan Ellsworth followed her deeper into the suite. Catching up to her, he remarked, "Miss Audrey, your room is certainly different from mine. It’s so large and beautiful."

She gave a small smile. "As you know, it isn’t exactly safe for a woman like me to be living here all alone. My husband died a long time ago, so I had no choice but to hire some bodyguards for protection."

"That makes sense. If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you? You don’t look a day over twenty-one or twenty-two."

Her smile widened. "Mr. Ellsworth, I’m already thirty. I just take good care of myself."

Ethan Ellsworth rubbed his nose. "I never would have guessed."

They walked for several minutes, passing two or three subordinates stationed at regular intervals. Finally, they reached the innermost room.

Audrey pushed the door open and they stepped inside. Ethan Ellsworth saw that the woman who had been nailed to a cross on the high platform was now here. A black cloth was tied over her eyes.

The woman was the only one in the room; none of Audrey’s subordinates were present.

Audrey stepped forward, ripped the black cloth from the woman’s eyes, and sneered, "Fifteen million. Did you have any idea you were worth that much?"

A trickle of blood ran from the corner of the woman’s mouth as she answered weakly, "What do you want from me?"

"I don’t want anything. After all, you’re my own dear sister, aren’t you? We were so close, but then you had to go and break my heart by betraying me. So tell me, how could I not ’take good care’ of you now?"

’I can’t believe it,’ Ethan Ellsworth thought. ’The person she spent fifteen million on was her own sister.’

"Sister, you’re incorrigible. One day, you will pay the price for all of this!"

"One day?" Audrey laughed. "How long will that be? It doesn’t matter. All I know is that you’re going to pay the price for your betrayal right now!"

As she spoke, a twisted light gleamed in her eyes. "Men!" she bellowed. "Take her to the Exchange! Anyone can have a turn with her... until she’s dead."

Two men immediately entered and began to drag the injured woman out. Ethan Ellsworth said nothing, simply watching as she was pulled away, her eyes fixed on him in a silent plea.

"Hold on," Ethan Ellsworth said with a light laugh. "Such a beautiful woman... why not let me have a turn before you give her to the others?"

Audrey’s eyes narrowed into a smile. She moved closer, placing her hands on his shoulders, her gaze silky and seductive. "Why bother with her? Am I not enough for you? Besides, you’re my target. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a man as fair as you. If there’s any ’fun’ to be had, I get to go first."

Ethan Ellsworth slowly leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "Darling, have you forgotten about the recent attack on the hotel? The police are throwing everything they have into the investigation. If you toss her in there and she dies, that’s still taking a human life. No matter where you dump her, it’ll be investigated. It wouldn’t be too late to deal with her after the heat dies down."

Audrey paused, stunned. ’This man... once you see him, you can never forget him.’

"You have a point. We’ll lock her up for now."

The two burly men dragged the injured woman away.

Ethan Ellsworth finally breathed a silent sigh of relief. He smiled and said, "I haven’t eaten yet, and I’m starving. Do you have any food and wine here?"

At his words, Audrey looked delighted. "Of course! You wait here. I’ll arrange for someone to get it."

Ethan Ellsworth gave a slight smile and nodded. "Alright."

She left the room, and suddenly, he was alone.

*

Ethan Ellsworth scanned the room, sitting perfectly still. ’There are over twenty security cameras in here.’

Five minutes later, she returned, pushing the door open with a pleased expression. "It’s here. Let’s eat. I’m hungry, too."

A woman followed her in, pushing a serving cart. On it were six dishes, several bottles of expensive red and white wine, and some Sprite.

"This looks wonderful." Ethan Ellsworth helped her arrange the food on the table, then opened a bottle of wine. He poured it into their glasses and raised his. "Cheers!"

She smiled, raised her glass, and they both downed the wine in a single gulp.

They continued to make small talk. The combination of red wine, white wine, and Sprite was a potent one. It was a mixture known to have a delayed kick, one that could quickly lead to sickness, dizziness, or even alcohol poisoning if one wasn’t careful.

After countless glasses, Ethan Ellsworth had drunk a fair amount, but Audrey had completely lost her composure, downing one drink after another.

She had drunk too much and was becoming dizzy.

She snuggled up to Ethan Ellsworth. "Did you know?" she murmured, "You look so much like the man I loved. It’s a shame he died so young. My husband shot him dead. So... I killed my husband. I did it right out in the open, and no one was ever the wiser."

Her rambling confession revealed her to be a woman with a history.

It was a perfect example of the saying that every hateful person has a tragic past.

But no matter what she revealed, Ethan Ellsworth felt not an ounce of pity for her.

He remained silent. Audrey looked up, her eyes hazy. "I want to be with you... Is that okay?"

Ethan Ellsworth knew that every word they exchanged was being transmitted to the presidential suite through the bug.

In that moment, he almost forgot he was supposed to be acting.

Looking at her, he finally replied, "I don’t think anyone could ever say no to you."