Reclaimed By My Ex-husband
Chapter 44: Who spiked the drink?

Chapter 44: Who spiked the drink?

The next morning...

Zara sat alone at the dining table. A quiet unease settled over her, her fingers fidgeting restlessly on her lap. Nathaniel hadn’t returned home last night. He hadn’t called or texted.

Something felt off, and she couldn’t stop worrying. She wanted to check on him, but stubbornly refused to call him. As a result, she grew restless with each passing minute.

Mrs. Jules came and served breakfast, her expression subdued. "Sir called this morning."

Zara looked up quickly. "What did he say?"

"He told me you are free to go to work now," Mrs. Jules replied. "He won’t keep you locked inside anymore."

Relief flickered across Zara’s face, but it was short-lived. Her chest tightened with mixed feelings. She hesitated for a moment, then asked quietly, "Where is he?"

"He didn’t say," Mrs. Jules answered with a shake of her head. "Just asked me to pack his bag. He is leaving on a business trip."

Zara’s lips curled in a faint, bitter smile. ’Another business trip. Of course.’

She dropped her gaze, her thoughts spiraling. Just last night, Nathaniel had talked about giving their marriage another chance, about trying for Zane’s sake. And part of her—despite her efforts to remain detached—had wondered if he truly meant it. Maybe he was ready to give her the time and care she had always longed for.

But now she felt foolish for even entertaining the thought.

’Nothing has changed,’ she realized bitterly. Nathaniel was still the same man—married to his work, emotionally absent, leaving her to hold everything together. She wasn’t his partner. She was just a convenience, a placeholder in Zane’s life.

Her fingers curled tighter into her skirt, her jaw set.

"Fine," she said coldly. "Then pack his bag and send it to him. I’m going to the office."

She rose from her seat and walked back to her room.

At the hospital...

Nathaniel sat on the bed, leaning on the headboard. His growing frustration grew with every passing moment. He glanced down at his phone once more, but the screen was still dark. No calls, no messages from Zara.

His fingers clenched tightly around the phone, brows furrowing.

"Doesn’t she care at all?" he murmured bitterly. "I didn’t come home last night. And still... nothing?"

Back then, if he stayed late at the office, she would message him, ask if he had eaten, and if he was alright. But now, even after an entire night of absence, she hadn’t checked in.

The silence from her stung deeper than he was willing to admit.

He tossed the phone onto the side table and leaned back against the pillows, folding his arms tightly across his chest. His thoughts swirled in frustration and confusion.

Was she really this indifferent now? Or was she punishing him, the same way he had once hurt her?

"Good morning," Eugen’s cheerful voice cut through the thick fog of Nathaniel’s thoughts.

Nathaniel lifted his eyes to see Eugen sauntering into the room with his usual easy grin. He wasn’t amused.

"Nothing is good," Nathaniel grumbled, slouching further into the bed. "I was drugged. I ended up in the hospital. But does anyone care? Not a single damn message. Not even a call. It’s like I don’t matter."

Eugen chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Seriously?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You didn’t even tell anyone at your house what happened last night. How would they know?"

Then, his eyes narrowed with knowing amusement. "Or is this really about Zara not calling?"

Nathaniel said nothing, but his tight jaw, furrowed brows, and that brooding silence gave him away. It said more than words ever could.

"Thought so," Eugen muttered, his smirk deepening. "Then why not just call her? Tell her what happened. She should know, shouldn’t she?"

He reached into his coat pocket for his phone. "In fact, I’ll call her—"

"Wait," Nathaniel interrupted quickly, sitting up straighter. "Don’t tell her. She is injured. I don’t want to add to her stress."

Eugen sighed dramatically, clearly unconvinced. "Then stop sulking," he said, grabbing the clipboard from the foot of the bed and scribbling notes. "You are well enough to go home. I’m discharging you now. Go talk to her yourself."

Just then, the door creaked open, and Roberto stepped in.

"Oh good, perfect timing," Eugen said, setting the clipboard aside. "Your boss is fine now. You can take him home. I’ll inform the nurse to finish his discharge papers."

With a nod to both of them, Eugen gave Nathaniel a pat on the shoulder and walked out.

Nathaniel exhaled heavily, glancing at his phone one more time. Still no message.

As the door clicked shut behind Eugen, Nathaniel released a heavy sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ease the pressure building in his skull.

"What did you find?" he asked.

Roberto’s expression turned grim. "Nothing useful," he admitted. "The bartender claimed he didn’t do anything. Said he had no idea about the drink being spiked."

Nathaniel’s eyes darkened. "Then who did?" he snapped. "He was the one who made the damn drink. If someone drugged me, it had to be him."

Roberto hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "We pressured him, sir. Interrogated him thoroughly. If he were guilty, he would have broken. But he didn’t. He stuck to his story. I... I don’t think he is lying."

"Nonsense," Nathaniel growled, still unconvinced. "That man is not innocent. He is smart enough to play dumb. Keep digging. He might have ties to our enemies."

His thoughts turned to one possible culprit, his uncle. That snake had long harbored ambitions to take control of the company, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Drugging him, staining his image... it would’ve been the perfect move.

Roberto cleared his throat. "Did you see anyone else suspicious around you last night?"

Nathaniel’s brows furrowed as he tried to recall. Everything from last night was a haze, but there was only one person who had been near him the whole time.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "There was no one. Just... Riya."

Roberto fell silent for a moment. Then he asked cautiously, "And what do you think about Riya? Could she have done something?"

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