[This chapter is dedicated to Kate_Bierman. Thank you for picking up this story. I couldn't be grateful enough for your support. Cheers!]

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"What are you two doing?" Jess asked Markus and Ellise who were staring at each other across the twelve-seater round table.

As if they were children caught doing something they're not supposed to, they averted their gazes from each other.

Jess sat down on a chair that Noah pulled for her, a seat apart from Ellise. Then, Noah took the seat next to her left.

"Let's talk," Noah said, right after he sat down.

Markus turned his head to Noah to listen. Noah glanced at Ellise who leaned her back against the chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Markus, tell me what happened?" He asked Markus because Ellise doesn't seem interested to speak first.

"It started when Jess fell asleep in the tub. And we thought that was it. But then, when she woke up a few hours later she was unusually tired and experiencing dizziness. The doctor who checked on Jess suspected some kind of poison since she was dehydrated and dizzy on top of being lethargic." He glanced at Noah, "We put her on IV and under observation while we brought the blood sample we took from her to determine whether the suspicion of the doctor was correct. The rest of the story was what the toxicologist told you while you were on board the plane."

Jess grabbed Noah's elbow while she was listening to Markus's story about what happened to her. After she woke up, everything was hazy in her memories. She only knew that a doctor and Aadir watched over her in her bedroom. Until Ellise arrived and gave her some medicine, then took her out of the house once she felt better.

Even though to this point, she hasn't understood why Ellise suggested she take her to the coffee shop she frequents.

"Ellise, I want to know what drugs did you give to Jess and how did you know about her situation? We were on top of it and we don't have an idea how to proceed. I had another toxicologist with me that I sent to the lab."

"It simply means that your people are useless," she said, throwing a smirk at Markus who stiffened in his seat, hearing the insult.

"Ellise," she gently said. She watched Markus's face turn into a stone with what Ellise said. She noticed that Ellise has kept on provoking Noah and Markus with her words. She was deliberately being difficult towards the two men.

Jess was caught in the middle. She doesn't want Noah and Ellise to have a strained relationship because she doesn't want to choose a side between her friend and her boyfriend. She inwardly flinched when she acknowledged Noah in her mind as her boyfriend.

"Yes, it looks like our people are lacking. I'm sorry."

Jess's gaze shifted from watching Ellise and Markus, staring at each other, throwing deadly daggers with their eyes to Noah.

Ellise was taken aback when Noah asked for an apology. She turned her head to Noah and relaxed a bit.

"We got lucky. When I called the villa since I can't connect to Jess's phone," she scoffed at Noah. They both know why Ellise couldn't reach Jess's phone. It was in an ongoing video call with Noah. "I called the villa and someone gave the phone to Dr. Patel. We got to talking, and he graciously explained to me the situation at hand."

'Graciously explained.' Jess smirked in her head. She knew Ellise didn't do gracious when it came to people. But she didn't say anything and just remained silent, holding Noah's hand under the table.

"It still doesn't explain how you know what drugs to administer to Jess just by simply graciously talking with Dr. Patel."

Noah put emphasis on graciously talking because he had an idea that it wasn't what happened.

"There was a similar situation in the past that had the same symptoms with Jess. I know some people that have the medicine I need. But it was a good move to bring your own toxicologist to check on Jess and the blood sample that was taken from her. I would suggest that you let Dr. Patel took another blood sample after another three hours."

After Ellise's explanation of what happened from her side, the room was engulfed with somber silence. A shadow of Jess's mortality hung over the room. If Ellise didn't call Dr. Patel and if she didn't know what she knew, Jess could be in a worse situation.

She won't be sitting next to Noah at this round table.

Noah heaved a deep sigh. "How about the death threats?"

Ellise didn't say anything but glanced at Jess. When Noah saw the look on Ellise face, he looked at Jess who was quick enough to avert her eyes from his questioning gaze.

It was Jess's turn to heave a deep sigh. She leaned back against the upholstered chair.

"On our last day in San Lucas, someone sent a bouquet of flowers in our villa, dripping with fresh blood, giving me the warning to look over my shoulders."

Noah's grip on Jess's hand tightened when he heard about it.

"Why didn't I hear about it?" he asked in a controlled tone but the cold anger in his voice seeped away.

Jess felt a bit scared of how angry Noah was. She stole a glance over Ellise who was staring right ahead of Markus's shoulders. And doesn't seem interested in the conversation between her and Noah.

"I didn't think it had anything to do with you," she said in a small voice.

"I disagreed but Jess didn't believe that you have the right to know what's happening with her life at that time," Ellise butted in. "But now, it seemed the situation was different since you now have your own passcode to her apartment," her voice was heavy with sarcasm.

"How about later on, didn't you feel you should have told me about the threat to your life?"

His control was slipping away like a grain of sand in his fingers as he asked.

"After that the incident of the flower bouquet. We didn't hear anything about those threats! I also made sure to put enough safety precautions in place!" Her temper was starting to flare up. It pisses her off how Ellise tale-tell to Noah, and how Noah was interrogating her as if it was her fault that some assholes are making her life difficult.