Ethan saw that Olivia looked like she was about to make a move, so he sped up and jogged toward the bathroom.
Olivia and Donna exchanged a quick smile.
Once Ethan was out of sight, Donna chuckled, “Liv, I think you’re the only one who can actually keep him in line.”
Olivia smirked and clenched her fist at Donna.
“With this? He won’t dare act up.”
“Hmph,” Donna sneered, her icy demeanor kicking back in, “Ethan’s a troublemaker. Watch yourself around him.”
While the two were quietly chatting, Ethan finished peeing in the bathroom and went to wash his hands.
As he dried them, his phone suddenly lit up and rang—it was Lila again.
Damn it.
Last time she tried to kill Donna, what now?
His heart sank as he accepted the call.
“Ethan, you’re with Donna, right?” Lila’s voice was cold and flat.
Knowing he couldn’t lie to her, he glanced at the tracker near his heel.
“Yeah.”
“There’s a silver needle hidden in your right wristband. The one in the 12 o’clock spot—I altered it. When you give her the massage later, use that needle. Press it into the spot just beneath the curve of her shoulder.”
Ethan’s face changed.
“What the hell for?”
“Don’t ask. Just do it.” Her tone left no room for negotiation.
“What are you planning—”
“Shut it! You already screwed up with Cynthia. If you mess this up too, don’t bother coming back.”
“Fine. I wasn’t planning on going back anyway,” he muttered.
He didn’t care about the stuff back at the rented place.
“Oh? Then maybe I’ll just pay your dear Martha a little visit. How about that?” Lila’s voice went even colder.
Ethan gritted his teeth.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
He hung up and swore under his breath, “Bitch.”
“You talking to me?” Olivia was heading over to call Ethan when she heard him swear.
She pushed open the door and glared at him.
Ethan shrugged.
“Wasn’t aimed at you.”
“There’s only me and Donna in this apartment. If not us, then who?” Olivia stepped closer, eyes sharp.
Ethan sighed.
“I cursed, yeah. But not at you two. Believe what you want.”
“Donna, Ethan just yelled ‘bitch’ in the bathroom.”
Donna gave him a frosty look.
“Aren’t you supposed to be a college student? Someone who wants to be a doctor?”
Ethan scratched his short hair, looking awkward.
“Donna, don’t take it the wrong way.”
“Whatever. Point is, swearing at people is rude,” Donna said impatiently.
“Just get over here and give me that massage.”
Ethan nodded and went over, stretching out his hands.
Honestly, Donna’s skin was something else.
The moment he touched it, his hands gave a small twitch.
“Heh,” Olivia scoffed, “That wasn’t a twitch—it was a tremor, huh?”
Ethan looked at her helplessly, his voice tinted with sorrow.
“Liv, I never said anything about… bed tremors.”
Donna quietly rolled her eyes at Olivia—you seriously had to go there?
Some people really don’t know when to shut up.
Catching her glance, Olivia backed off—but she didn’t take her eyes off Ethan for even a second.As Ethan continued massaging Donna’s shoulder, a subtle warmth crept onto her skin.
Her once cold expression gradually softened into a relaxed smile as she closed her eyes.
While his hands worked, Ethan kept stealing glances at Olivia.
He had to pull out that specific silver needle—without her noticing.
The timing had to be perfect.
When Olivia began checking her phone, he seized the chance, quickly sliding out the needle Lila had told him to use.
No way he could skip this step.
Lila could definitely tell if he hadn’t used it.
With the needle in hand, Ethan activated his X-ray Vision.
What he saw made his scalp tingle—a slow-acting poison with nitro compounds.
If this stuff entered the body, it would cause loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue… even cancer.
Damn it.
Lila really wanted Donna dead.
But who’s pulling the strings behind her?
Ethan had prepared himself mentally, but the shock still had him breaking into a cold sweat.
No way he was stabbing it into Donna’s shoulder.
Instead, he gently rubbed the needle against the bed frame.
To sell the illusion, he wiped a droplet of sweat off Donna’s forehead and smeared her sweat onto the needle—just enough to make it seem like it had touched her skin.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Olivia suddenly snapped up, putting her phone away and stepping over.
“Nothing, just still working on Donna like always.”
But being a professional bodyguard, Olivia’s eyes were sharp.
She spotted the needle in no time, picked it up.
“Why did you use this?”
His heart skipped a beat, but his face stayed calm.
“Isn’t it normal to use needles in TCM massage?”
She eyed the needle, then suddenly pointed it at Ethan.
He backed up fast.
“Whoa, what are you doing?”
“I need to make sure you didn’t tamper with it,” Olivia said coldly.
“Let me give you a quick poke. Then I’ll relax.”
Ethan groaned.
“Olivia, are you trying to start something?”
She wasn’t backing down, still eyeing him suspiciously.
“Just a quick jab. It’ll be fine.”
“Oh come on, Olivia.” Donna, who had just been starting to relax, opened her eyes in frustration.
“Can’t you just chill for once?”
“No, Donna, this needle’s got issues. Yesterday when Ethan massaged you, he didn’t use any needles,” Olivia insisted.
Donna let out an impatient sigh.
“If you’re that worried, just take it and test it later, okay?”
“Great idea,” Olivia said, wrapping the needle in a tissue and pocketing it.
Ethan felt his stomach twist.
That needle had to go back to Lila—God knows what punishment he’d face otherwise.
“Olivia, that needle’s mine. You need to give it back.”
“Not happening,” she replied, already heading toward the door.
Panic rising, Ethan turned to Donna.
“She just took my needle!”
Donna blinked lazily.
“Is something wrong with it?”
He quickly shook his head.
“No, not at all.”
“Then what’s the big deal? Let her have it.” Donna closed her eyes again.
“Come on, keep going.”
Ethan had no choice.
He bit back his anxiety and continued the massage, all while praying Olivia wouldn’t find out what was really on that needle.
If she did, there’d be no clearing his name.
He wiped the sweat from his brow and forced himself to focus.
“Hey!” Donna suddenly yelped.
“Where exactly are you putting your hands?”