Honey, You're a Billionaire?

The bodyguard had told Rose that Jonathan was waiting for her in the greenhouse.

She scanned the grand hall, unable to find Jonathan among the crowd. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to follow the bodyguard.

Despite this being her third visit to the Finch Manor, she had never visited the greenhouse in the backyard.

"Ms. Shaffer, Mr. Jonathan is inside. You can go right in," the sunglasses-clad bodyguard informed her with a respectful nod.

Rose found it odd that he addressed her as "Ms. Shaffer" rather than "Mrs. Finch."

Both Finley and Leonard had always referred to her as "Mrs. Finch", leading her to wonder if this bodyguard was not among Jonathan's inner circle. But then again, not everyone around Jonathan was necessarily privy to her relationship with him. "Why am I even fixating on the title 'Mrs. Finch'?" she thought, feeling her cheeks warm. It made her seem as though she was eager to be acknowledged as Jonathan's wife.

"Alright," Rose replied softly, casting one last glance at the bodyguard before he disappeared from view.

Once he was out of sight, Rose resumed her path toward the greenhouse, where Eleanor nurtured her fresh flowers.

The moment she stepped inside, she was enveloped by a powerful natural scent, a mixture of various floral fragrances that appeared to change with each step she took. Immersed in the myriad of aromas, Rose searched for Jonathan's figure.

"Jonathan?" she called out.

The greenhouse was far more expansive than she had anticipated. After a fruitless search, Rose called his name again, but her words were met with silence.

Just as she began to sense something was amiss, a sudden, loud bang reverberated from the far end of the greenhouse.

Startled, she turned toward the source of the sound, but everything fell quiet again. Curiosity mingled with caution as she made her way toward the place where the sound had originated.

Upon reaching the greenhouse's farthest corner, Rose found the source of the noise. A man was curled up on the ground, his body hunched in on itself. When he lifted his head to meet her gaze, Rose froze. A mask concealed his face. "Go... leave this place," the man urged, his voice strained as though he were struggling with an internal battle.

Despite the strain in his voice, Rose instantly recognized him. "Ezra?"

It was Ezra. But why was he here? And what had happened to him?

Before she could pose the questions, Ezra's voice grew urgent. "Go! You must leave here, now!"

This time, he practically shouted, his tone desperate. However, now that Rose had seen Ezra's condition, she couldn't possibly turn a blind eye.

"Are you alright? What's wrong? Ezra, don't be afraid. Look at me; I'm Rose. I won't hurt you. Let's get you to the hospital," she said. Memories of the art exhibit incident flooded her mind.

Assuming Ezra was experiencing another episode, she refused to abandon him now. However, as she drew closer, Ezra pushed her away.

This time, his expression lacked the ferocity she had witnessed at the art exhibit. His restrained gaze conveyed a determination not to cause harm, even at the cost of himself, to protect Rose. "Leave!" Ezra gritted out, trying to push her away again, thinking that she might leave if he were forceful enough.

Yet, he underestimated Rose's determination. Even though she stumbled and fell, she immediately got back up, ignoring his demand to leave. Without missing a beat, she grabbed his hand. "Can you walk? If not, I'll carry you!"

Despite her petite frame and Ezra's imposing stature, Rose's voice brimmed with determination.

Ezra clenched his teeth, his senses overwhelmed by the mix of floral scents. The intense fragrance made him frown. Then, with a sudden jolt of realization, he reached up and covered Rose's mouth with his hand. "There's something off about the scent in here," he murmured.

Rose froze for a moment, confusion evident in her eyes. "Something off with the scent? What does he mean?" she thought.

"We've been set up," Ezra explained, his voice low and certain. From the moment he had felt something off within his body, he had already drawn this unnerving conclusion.

At first, he thought the trap was meant for him alone. It was clear that someone had orchestrated this situation to ruin him.

He could easily envision what would

transpire next. People would "stumble upon" him in his vulnerable state, and undoubtedly, the media would be present, eager to capture and broadcast his humiliation.

The inevitable outcome would be nothing short of a destruction of his reputation.

Ezra could even guess who was behind this plot to destroy him. But strangely, he hadn't felt fear in the face of his imminent downfall. He had been prepared to face it all with calm acceptance.

However, the moment he saw Rose, fear surged within him. It was then he realized the actual target of the scheme wasn't just him but Rose as well.

"They're trying to ruin both of us," he thought as his heart pounded in his chest. Ezra could accept his own downfall but not Rose's. He simply couldn't let that happen.

He looked at Rose, and she seemed to understand his thoughts.

"Leave. Go find my brother," Ezra urged.

Rose had been drugged before, so she was able to connect the dots quickly. It was clear to her that Ezra was under the influence of a drug hidden within the floral fragrance. "Find my brother," Ezra repeated, his tone firm and resolute.

Rose swallowed nervously. "But you..."

"I'll be fine. Just find my brother and bring him here to help me." Ezra forced a weak smile, doing his best to suppress the heat coursing through him.

Rose understood that this wasn't the time to hesitate. She nodded. "Okay, I'll go find him. Just hang in there."

Perhaps she stood up too quickly, or maybe her heart was pounding too hard, but as she rose to her feet, she suddenly felt dizzy. Her body felt light, and her legs weakened.

Rose knew then that she had also been drugged.

She knew what would happen if she

were to collapse. Even if both she and Ezra had strong willpower didn't want anything to happen. between them, the drug could unleash unpredictable

consequences.

She had to leave. Protecting Ezra meant protecting herself and, more importantly...

An image of Jonathan flashed through Rose's mind as she silently cursed the mastermind behind this vile plot.

Mustering all her strength, she stumbled forward, covering a distance of more than ten meters before her body finally betrayed her.

Her feet grew weak, and the ground seemed to give way beneath her. Losing her balance, Rose began to fall.

A wave of dread washed over her.

Falling now could mean total

vel

disaster, a situation from which there might be no return. Panic surged, and in her fear, she

instinctively called out, "Jonathan..."

BUMS

A tall figure rushed toward her, catching her in his strong arms before she hit the ground. Under the dim light in the greenhouse, she could faintly make out his face.

"Jonathan..." A deep sense of relief washed over Rose. At that moment, she felt like a ship battered by storms that had finally found a safe harbor.

Remembering her own predicament and Ezra's condition, she tightly gripped Jonathan's collar. "I think I've been drugged... Ezra's still in there. Jonathan, you have to get him to a hospital." Jonathan glanced at the woman in his arms, her face flushed with a feverish glow. His expression darkened.

"So this is Lizzie's plan? She wanted to ruin both Rose and Ezra," he thought.

Clenching his jaw, Jonathan's eyes blazed with a dangerous glint. But when he looked down at Rose, his gaze softened. "Don't worry, everything will be alright."

Rose would be alright, and Ezra would be fine. The only person who would be in trouble was Lizzie.

Jonathan called out, "Finley, take Ezra out through the back. Make sure you remain unnoticed."