Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother - Chapter 158

Chapter 158: Punishment Chapter 158: Punishment Late into the night, inside Justin’s private suite.

Justin sat on the sofa in the drawing room, one hand resting on the armrest, a one leg folded over the other.

His expression was serious, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest.

His dark gaze remained fixed on the man kneeling before him with his head head lowered like a sinner.

Noah stood to the side, his expression neutral, though his eyes betrayed the worry he felt for the man on the floor.

A man in a black suit-Ryan, another of Justin’s well-built, formidable bodyguards-entered the suite.

He silently handed a file to Noah and took his place to one side.

Ryan’s gaze briefly flickered to the kneeling man, but he kept his face impassive.

Inside, however, he shared Noah’s concern.

Noah opened the file and began reading aloud to the stern-faced Justin.

whose gaze on the man kneeling on the floor did not stir.

“We’ve identified the drug given to Ms.

Natalie,” Noah began.

“It’s odorless and tasteless.

The victim has no way of knowing their drink was spiked until they start feeling the effects.

It can cause severe physical harm and can ruin mental health if not treated right€¦” Noah continued, and when he stopped, Justin spoke to the man kneeling in front of him.

“Do you have anything to say in your defense?” Justin’s voice was cold and menacing.

John kept his head lowered.

“I deserve to be punished.

I will head to receive my punishment right away.” In their world, mistakes were unforgivable, and one had to own them.

John was trained to be a bodyguard, entrusted with the duty of protecting those assigned to him-but he had failed.

There were no excuses, only victory or defeat, with nothing in between.

“You know what to do,” Justin said coolly.

“You may leave.” John rose silently, bowed to Justin, and exited without a word.

Both Noah and Ryan clenched their fists.

They wanted to stop John, but they were powerless to intervene.

Summoning his courage, Noah spoke up.

“Mr.

Harper, the drug was-” “You will personally ensure he receives his punishment.

No mercy is permitted,” Justin interrupted, his voice cold and unyielding.

Noah swallowed the rest of his words.

With a slight bow, Noah left to carry out the order.

Ryan could do nothing but watch him go.

If he protested, he would face the same fate as Noah.

Justin stood and returned to the bedroom, where Natalie slept peacefully.

He turned off the lights, slid under the blanket, and wrapped her gently in his arms.

Only he knew how relieved he was to see her safe.

He couldn’t bear the thought of what he might have done if she had been harmed.

—– The next day, late in the morning, Natalie stirred in her sleep.

“Ah€¦ it hurts€¦” she groaned, holding her head as she struggled to open her eyes.

“Hey, Harper, we heard a woman’s voice…

what did you do to make her-” Justin, seated on the couch and in the middle of a meeting, immediately shut his laptop and hurried to the bed.

“Good morning,” he greeted softly.

Natalie blinked, her eyes slowly adjusting to the room.

She stared at Justin by her bedside, struggling to comprehend where she was.

Her thoughts were foggy, and her mind felt disconnected from reality.

“Where…

am I?” she murmured, her voice hoarse and her expression confused.

“When did you get back?” Justin picked up a glass of water from the nightstand and sat at the edge of the bed.

“Drink some water,” he said gently.

“Take your time.

It might help you remember.” He helped her sit up and offered the glass.

Natalie took it slowly, the cool water soothing her dry throat.

Once she finished, Justin set the glass aside and waited patiently, giving her space to collect herself.

Natalie buried her face in her hands, pressing her temples to ease the headache.

She searched her mind for clarity, and then the events of the previous night crashed into her, freezing her in place.

Justin stayed quiet, not wanting to disturb her thoughts.

When she finally lifted her face from her palms, she saw Justin wrapping up a phone call, quietly instructing someone to bring breakfast for her.

Noticing her gaze on him, Justin looked back.

“Seems like you’ve remembered everything.” “Umm€¦” Natalie nodded slowly.

“I remember being drugged, and then John brought me to a suite and locked me inside.

And€¦” Justin raised a brow, waiting for her to continue.

“Steve Davis was there too,” she added.

“He seemed to offer his suite€¦ Wait, are we still in his suite?” “No, we booked another,” Justin replied.

She hummed thoughtfully and asked, “Did John manage to get a doctor in time?” Hearing it, Justin stared at her wordlessly, observing her reactions, straightaway meeting her gaze.

After a short silence he finally answered, “Yes, he did.” Natalie stayed quiet for a moment as she heard Justin.

“You should freshen up and eat.

We’ll talk about everything afterward.” She gave a small nod and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, only to find her body unsteady.

Feeling of weakness surged through her limbs, making her feel strange and disconnected.

Justin caught her just in time.

“Can you walk?” “Yes,” she said quietly, though her legs wobbled slightly as she headed toward the bathroom.

Justin followed and opened the door for her.

“Don’t lock it,” he instructed softly.

“In case you need help.” She nodded, knowing he was just worried about her as she was still dizzy and weak.

“Everything you need is already inside,” he added before closing the door behind her.

Natalie stood at the washbasin, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

The sight made her grimace-her hair was a tangled mess, and her face looked pale and haggard.

She splashed cold water on her face repeatedly, hoping to clear her mind.

As the water dripped from her chin, she looked back into the mirror, and a flicker of anger sparked in her eyes.

‘Breina Ford, I know you hate me, but I didn’t think you’d stoop this low,’ Natalie thought, clenching her fists.

‘I’ll make you pay in ways you can’t even imagine.

What you value the most-that fake, perfect image of yours-I’ll tear it down.

You’ll become exactly what you tried to make me.’