Chapter 4 Test Results

The receptionist wasted no time and quickly pulled up the security footage.

Austin's gaze hardened as he fixed his attention on Eleanor, a mocking smirk twisting his lips. "If you're lying to me, you're going to regret it."

A jolt of fear shot through Eleanor, making her quickly put her mask back on. The threat in his voice left her shrinking back, dread creeping up her spine.

Her mind spun as she tried desperately to think of a believable story, but panic choked off her thoughts. Cold sweat broke out across her forehead.

The screen flickered to life, playing the recording for everyone to see.

Eleanor's heart thudded against her ribs.

By pure luck, when she arrived at the hotel last night, several guests happened to walk by, blocking the camera's view.

Relief washed over her, and she seized the opportunity. "I noticed the pocket watch stuck under the carpet and thought I should report it. I was planning to hand it over to the police so the real owner could be found. Could you please let me go now, sir?"

She could hardly believe her luck. At the very moment the camera would have caught her, she'd crouched down, tying her shoes.

Without warning, Austin yanked her closer, his arm locking around her waist.

Her face blanched with outrage. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

Instead of releasing her, Austin grabbed her hand and leaned in, inhaling softly. There was no trace of artificial scent-just the light fragrance of jasmine clung to her skin. He found himself questioning whether this was truly the woman from last night, as he struggled to remember the scent she had worn.

Eleanor's nerves frayed as she squirmed in his grasp. "What do you want from me?" she blurted, her tone a mix of anger and anxiety.

Austin seemed ready to let her go, but his eyes darkened when something caught his attention.

Without warning, he tugged at the collar of her shirt, exposing a fresh bite mark on her shoulder.

That was the last straw. Eleanor tore herself away, fury blazing in her eyes. "That's enough! You're way out of line. If you don't back off, I'll call the police!"

Ignoring her threat, Austin traced the mark with his finger, voice low and edged with menace. "Where did you get this?"

He struggled to recall if he had left that mark himself. His memory blurred after the blow to his head, but he remembered catching a glimpse of a woman stumbling out, clutching her shoulder.

Panic flickered across Eleanor's face, but she forced herself to sound casual. "It's nothing. My boyfriend left it, all right? Does that answer satisfy you?"

Austin only hesitated a moment before gripping her wrist and pulling her toward the exit.

With his long stride, Eleanor had to scurry to keep up, stumbling after him. "Where are you dragging me? Let go-I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Eleanor struggled to keep pace, desperately trying to wrench her hand from Austin's iron grasp.

No matter how hard she tried, his hold remained unyielding, making escape impossible.

Reaching the curb, Austin yanked open the car door.

Without wasting a second, Eleanor made a frantic attempt to bolt, clawing at his arms and digging in her heels.

With a single motion, Austin scooped her up and dropped her onto the back seat.

Fuming, Eleanor shoved at his chest. "Let me out of here!"

Austin paid her no mind. He looked over at Braeden and instructed, "Take us to the Carter family's hospital."

Braeden started the engine, his tone even. "Sir, is this Ms. Golden?"

Inside, Braeden was genuinely taken aback. After combing through the hotel's guest list all day, they'd found no sign of anyone surnamed Golden. Yet here she was, practically falling into their lap.

Fear shot through Eleanor as she stammered, "I... I'm not some Ms. Golden. You've made a mistake. Let me out-now!"

Austin ignored her plea, his silence as heavy as stone.

Breathing hard and shaking with frustration, Eleanor tried again. "You've got the wrong woman! This is illegal-do you hear me? I'll call the police!"

"Not another word." Austin silenced her with a glare, his voice cold and final. His stare never left her face, his expression dark enough to send chills down her spine.

His glare struck Eleanor speechless, leaving her frozen in fear.

She pressed herself as far as she could against the car door, desperate to keep distance between them.

The moment they arrived at the hospital, Austin wasted no time dragging her into the lab. He roughly tugged her shirt aside, exposing the bite mark on her shoulder.

"Run a DNA analysis on the wound. Test for my saliva."

It didn't take long for Eleanor to grasp what he meant. Her background in pharmacology and toxicology told her exactly what he intended-if his DNA matched, there would be no denying she had been in his room.

Her face drained of color. She scrambled to protest. "No-I won't let you do this!"

Austin's eyes flicked up, cold and unreadable.

He didn't need to raise his voice. His lips pressed into a thin, unforgiving line as he pinned her with a cold stare.

The intensity of his gaze pressed on Eleanor like a physical weight, squeezing the air from her lungs.

Tears threatened as she looked at him, her voice trembling. "Why are you doing this? We're strangers. I never meant you any harm. I really just stumbled on that pocket watch."

Ignoring her plea, Austin turned to the nurse and spoke with finality. "I want those test results as soon as possible."

The nurse wasted no time, quickly swabbing Eleanor's shoulder to collect a sample from the wound.

A storm of frustration and fear churned inside Eleanor, but she had no way to fight back. Her thoughts raced for an escape plan. If this DNA test confirmed Austin's suspicions and she had nowhere else to turn, she would have to rely on the Murray family to defend her. But who exactly was this man-and would the Murray family really cross him for her sake?

Once Eleanor's sample was taken, the nurse calmly moved on to Austin, gathering a swab from the inside of his cheek under his watchful eye.

Waiting in uneasy silence, Eleanor backed away until she stood by the window at the far end of the hallway, keeping a wary eye on the stone-faced bodyguards stationed nearby. All the while, she quietly plotted a way out.

Braeden risked a glance in her direction, then turned to Austin and spoke in a low voice. "Sir, do you think she's the one you're searching for?"

Austin absentmindedly rolled the pocket watch between his fingers. "She brought this back to the hotel."

"She found it? That's a relief." Braeden let out a breath, but quickly shifted back to business. "If that's the case, she might not realize you've been trying to track her down."

A chilling smile flickered on Austin's lips. "She checked in under the name Eleanor Lloyd. Look into it."

"Understood," Braeden replied. "Also, the Harris family called again about the marriage arrangements. Miss Harris's illness has postponed things for three years, but now that your grandfather's health is failing, he wants to finalize everything soon. When would you like to meet with the Harris family?"

Austin barely reacted. "Set it up however you like."

Marriage was nothing but a formality to him. His illness kept him distant, and the idea of actually living with a wife never crossed his mind. As long as his grandfather was satisfied, he'd go through the motions. He figured he could always make it worth the other person's trouble later on.

"Understood." Braeden nodded, already expecting this answer. "One more thing-Mr. Harris wants to swap in his younger daughter. He says the elder one isn't healthy enough to have children. Should I look into the younger one first?"

With an indifferent arch of his brow, Austin dismissed the thought with a lazy wave.

Braeden took the hint and fell silent.

Across the hallway, Eleanor finally abandoned the idea of making a run for it. Too many guards and too few options.

Just then, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. She glanced down-Murray family.

Her hands shook as she picked up, frustration boiling over. "You've crossed the line! I offered to donate blood for your daughter, and this is how you repay me? Setting me up like this?"

To keep Archie from discovering she'd sold her blood, Eleanor had gone to great lengths, even disguising herself to stay unnoticed.

"Who has set you up? Are you delusional? Why aren't you here yet? You still want that one hundred grand or not?" The voice on the other end snapped at her with zero patience.

Thrown off, Eleanor replied, "But I showed up last night!"

"We've been sitting in Room 1616 for the whole night and you're nowhere to be seen. Are you backing out?"

That number-1616-made Eleanor's head spin. She didn't know whether to laugh or scream. "You told me 1619!"

"1619? Looks like we gave you the wrong number. Come to 1616 now."

Eleanor's reply was ice cold. "Forget it. Don't ever call me again."

She ended the call, heart pounding as she replayed the entire ordeal in her mind. With new resolve, she marched straight up to Austin.

His cold stare didn't faze her. She held out her hand, palm open. "You said there'd be a reward. I want it now."

Let him think she was after the money-maybe that would be enough for him to throw her out. That was exactly what she hoped for.

Austin's expression stayed cold, his gaze filled with contempt.

Braeden gave him a quick look, then turned to Eleanor. "Miss, we'll need you to wait for the DNA results before anything else."

Unbothered, Eleanor thrust her hand out even further. "You've wasted my time and dragged me into this mess. I expect to be paid for my trouble-lost wages, emotional distress, all of it. Not a cent less than a million."

A spark of challenge lit her eyes as she braced herself to bolt the moment Austin dismissed her.

Austin's eyebrow arched and a frigid, mocking smile flickered across his lips. After all that scheming, she was only asking for a million? He couldn't decide whether to admire her cunning or shake his head at how clueless she was.

Right then, the nurse returned with a sealed envelope, moving carefully as she offered it to Austin. "Sir, your test results are ready..."