Chapter 16 At first , Xanthe had actually believed Barrington had changed - seeing how genuine he looked when he apologized . But hearing him threaten her , she finally saw the truth for what it was - a narcissist man like him would always love no one but himself . " I drugged you ? " she scoffed . " Looks like you never bothered to check the flashdrive I gave you ." " Vionnet admitted it herself , " she revealed . " She was the one who drugged you back then . The woman you love the most - she's the one who set everything up ." Barrington's eyes flew wide open , and he instinctively staggered back a few steps . " T - That ' : impossible . " " If you don't believe me ... " she replied , looking at him lazily like she was so done with the same shit . " Go home and check the security footage . It should explain everything to you ." " But even if you find out now , what difference does it make ? " She shrugged . " I heard Vionnet is pregnant with your child . Congratulations - I wish you both a long and happy life together . " Watching Barrington reel from shock and regret , Xanthe felt a strange sense of satisfaction . She spinned her swivel chair , casually calling in her secretary . " Escort Mr. Connolly downstairs And let the board know - from this day on , W Industries will never do business with BMC Global again ." Zandra glanced at the two CEOS in surprise but followed orders without question . " I'll show you out , Mr. Connolly . " But Barrington wasn't having it . In a heartbeat , he snapped out of his grief and frantically tried to plead his case . " Xanthe , sure you hate me , but you should separate personal feelings from business . W Industries wants our tech - you can't make decisions like this ! " Xanthe didn't get angry . Instead , she let out a cold laugh , her voice laced with sarcasm as she began to explain everything . " Tech ? What tech does BMC Global even have ? " Don't tell me you actually believe BMC Global made it this far because of you , Mr. Connolly . " That company's first major project came from Mr. Golloway . He's a family friend . He saw m grow up - he only gave you that deal because of me . " You think your office rent is cheap just by luck ? I knew you couldn't afford the full amount , so asked an old friend to draft up a fake lease . You've only been paying 30 % -the rest , I covered for you . " And when BMC Global wanted to go public a while back - you thought that was your effort ? That a company like yours could succeed that easily ? " I went around calling in favors with all those relatives and family friends . They eased the requirements because of me . " Back then , I was still trying to protect your fragile pride , so I kept quiet . But now I see - you're completely delusional , Barrington ." 12:42 pm A Barrington's face grew darker by the second . Everything he'd once been so proud of - all his so - called achievements - had been thanks to Xanthe . He looked both humiliated and furious . " If you did all that for me , why didn't you ever tell me ? " Xanthe gave a faint , scornful chuckle . " What for ? To me , all of that was just a few favors with my old folks . I don't need to parade that around for credit . That's not who I am . " That lowered Barrington's eyes as he realized that Vionnet was the complete opposite of Xanthe . Every little thing Vionnet did for him , she made sure he knew - so he'd feel grateful . His lips parted slightly , a touch of red rising in the corners of his eyes . " Xanthe , honey , you did so much for me . You loved me so much . Now that everything's been cleared up , can't we start over ? " He reached out , trying to pull her into an embrace . " I swear , from now on , I'll only ever treat you right . " But before he could touch her , Xanthe struck him - hard . A crisp slap echoed through the room , and a red handprint bloomed across his face . She took a step back , her voice threatening . " I'll press charges for sexual harassment next time you dare touch me , Mr. Connolly . Don't forget -you're in my company . In my city . Mess with me , and it won't end well for you . " 12:42 pm A Chapter 17