The CEO's Hidden Love: Midnight Temptations and Deep Desires novel Chapter 1068

He had imagined it—Dorothy storming off and ending up with another man. At the time, Everett felt a pang of discomfort, but compared to that, Dorothy's life was far more important. But today, when Jeffrey brought it up, he seriously pictured the scene…

Dorothy standing next to another man, letting him wrap an arm around her waist, with Abigail and Langston on each side, even calling that man ‘Dad’. It seemed… No matter who that man was, Everett would lose his mind.

"So, should we think of another plan?"

"Do you have one?"

"..." No.

They were completely on the back foot here. Especially since Quincy had Everett by the throat from the start! Dorothy's life was his Achilles' heel. If it were anyone else, even Everett himself, it wouldn’t be this complicated.

"So, I just have to speed things up, make sure Dorothy doesn't have the chance or time to fall for someone else."

Jeffrey sighed, "All I can do is try to buy you time, keep Karen from getting too close to Dorothy! But... I can't even bring myself to tell you—Kenneth broke up with his girlfriend, all because of Dorothy."

Honestly, he admired the lengths to which Kenneth would go. At least Everett had had Dorothy, even had kids with her, some fond memories to hold onto. But Kenneth? He had been pining away for years, without getting anything in return. Jeffrey, an outsider, could see Dorothy didn’t feel that way about Kenneth, seeing him only as a friend, and he couldn’t believe Kenneth didn’t see it. Still, he waited! Hard to say if it was devotion or folly.

"Dorothy won’t end up with him."

"Under normal circumstances, no. But women, they're unpredictable! Sometimes they're not so rational, might do something in a moment, something they can't even explain, on a whim."

"Other options?" Jeffrey realized, "You—you're not thinking of sacrificing yourself for Dorothy, are you?"

Everett lowered his lashes, "The only way to make Quincy confidently let go of Dorothy, her lifeline, is to replace her with me."

"...You want to force Quincy to poison you?"

"Yes."

Quincy had her concerns. She feared that once Dorothy’s poison was cured, if Everett no longer took the poison as leverage, she'd be doomed. But if before that, she could confirm Everett was poisoned and Dorothy's utility was diminished, then she'd surely discard that pawn. After all, an antidote wasn’t easy to come by. She couldn't provide for two people, and Quincy didn’t really want to take lives.