chapter 2

Chapter two:

The late arrival who had caught Courtney and Becca's attention was a strikingly handsome man of average height.

Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, he exuded an air of success, resembling a powerful politician or businessman. As he moved through the crowd, the gold watch on his wrist glinted in the light.

Courtney, still reeling from the surprise party, was left wondering about why and how he was even here. “Did you invite him?” Becca whispered in her ear, sharing her curiosity.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Courtney whispered back. They dared not discuss him any louder, as he was now making his way toward them.

If only he had minded his own business and enjoyed the party like everyone else, Courtney thought to herself. But there he was, approaching them with a wide grin on his face.

“You both look lovely tonight,” He said, extending his hand in greeting. Neither woman returned the gesture, their unease palpable.

After a moment, he withdrew his hand, his grin widening.

“I see our past hasn't been entirely left behind,” he observed, unfazed by their cool reception.

“What are you even doing here, Hernandez?” Courtney demanded, her tone far from welcoming.

“I couldn't possibly miss my sister's twenty-seventh birthday party, could I?” he replied, managing a smile despite their frowns.

“Spare me. Like you care,” Becca retorted, her voice tinged with bitterness.

“Easy, tigress,” Hernandez said, attempting to diffuse the tension. “We don't want to ruin the evening.”

Becca, unwilling to engage further, excused herself. “I think I have to be anywhere but here, right now."

Courtney and Hernandez were left standing in silence, their eyes locked in a steely gaze.

“She must hate me,” Hernandez finally murmured, breaking the silence.

“Hernandez, what are you doing here?” Courtney pressed, her tone grave.

He met her gaze steadily. “It's a family party.”

Courtney's gaze intensified. “I'm not talking about the party. Why are you in the United States? Last I checked, you were happy in Mexico.”

Hernandez's smile grew even brighter. “Oh, about that, i was a happy man back in Mexico, until I realized I could be happier with the WEB business network."

Confusion clouded Courtney's features. “What are you talking about?” She knew Hernandez wouldn't travel from Mexico just for her birthday party; there had to be more to his arrival. What was he up to? She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she didn't like it one bit.

“Better get used to me, Courtney,” Hernandez announced triumphantly. “I'm part of the team now.”

Courtney's eyes widened in disbelief at the revelation. Working with Hernandez was the last thing she possibly imagine, the COO that worked with her at the subsidiary oversight and management team in WEB was out and his replacement was Hernandez?

She couldn't bring herself to ask about them just yet. Like Becca, she chose to walk away from his overwhelming presence.

Hernandez remained in place, nodding to himself with a sinister glint in his eyes. He had disrupted the party, but this was only the beginning. His plan for the night involved discreetly drugging Courtney and carrying out the rest of his twisted scheme.

Moments later, a waitress approached—the very woman he was working with, she was to deliver a glass of wine laced with the solid substance to Courtney.

The waitress gave him a subtle nod, the tainted wine perched on her tray.

Meanwhile, Courtney stood outside by herself at the edge of the watercraft, her gaze fixed on the tranquil water. Clearly craving solitude, she couldn't shake Hernandez from her thoughts.

His presence had tainted the entire day, and the fact that the board of directors had appointed him to the subsidiary oversight and management department of her father's company—their father's organization—only made matters worse.

Despite her disdain for him, Courtney couldn't deny that Hernandez was her half-brother.

Though she had valid reasons for her feelings, one of which was the role his mother played in her parents' divorce. Neither she nor Becca had fully recovered from growing up in a broken home.

True, their father was a successful and influential businessman—even a public face—but his marriage had been a catastrophe.

As Courtney stared at the calm, flowing water, her mind wandered, dredging up painful memories from the past.

Her father's family had a long line of Mexican ancestry, but their deceased grandparents had migrated to the United States and become citizens.

During one of her father's casual vacations to Mexico, he met Francisca, who was a cleaner at the time. It was after a couple years that he learned about his son with her.

Unfortunately for her, he had married another women and they had two daughters.

However, Francisca insisted that her son still had a place in their father's life. And for a moment, their dad chose to rekindle an old flame rather than save his marriage, and her mother accused him of cheating with his one time complicated one night stand.

Eventually, their mom couldn't take it any longer and permanently separated from their father.

The whole experience had been deeply painful, and Hernandez's presence only served to dredge up those hurtful memories.

As Courtney stood lost in thought, a waitress appeared, holding a silver tray with a glass of wine. “Ma'am, are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” Courtney replied, attempting to adjust her mood.

“Perhaps a glass of wine would do,” the waitress suggested, undeterred.

“I said I'm fine!” Courtney snapped, causing the waitress to flinch and turn to leave. “Wait…” Realizing that a distraction might be just what she needed, Courtney called the waitress back.

Eager for the distraction, Courtney grabbed the glass and downed its contents in one go. She placed the empty glass back on the tray, her gaze returning to the water as the waitress disappeared into the room.

Meanwhile, Hernandez's smirk widened as the waitress returned to the room, offering him an assuring smile. Half of the job was done. Hernandez touched the Bluetooth device nestled in his left ear.

“All set. You'll have her tonight, but don't even think about it, you understand?” Hernandez updated his other accomplice.

“Understood.” the man on the other end of the line confirmed.

Courtney was still lost in her thoughts about Hernandez and his dreadful mother when her vision began to blur. For a few seconds, objects seemed to multiply before her eyes, appearing double and even triple.

A shadow was cast on the wall, and the figure it belonged to was quickly approaching.

She couldn't be certain, but she could tell it was a man.

“Who… who are…” Courtney tried to speak, her words slurring as she struggled to maintain focus.