Chapter 454 Lucas Returns
The tension in the hospital room started to ease as the man in black left. I let out a sigh of relief and slumped into the chair next to the bed. I wiped the sweat off my palms on my cashmere sweater, wincing as the torn fabric scraped against my scraped skin.
"Careful."
Lila knelt down to pick up my shattered phone, her eyes lingering on the red marks on my neck. Her hand hovered in the air before she pulled it back, concern evident in her voice.
"Do you need a doctor to check your wounds?"
I shook my head, my throat tight.
"It's just a scratch, I'm fine."
Lila carefully wrapped the phone fragments in a handkerchief, speaking softly.
"The screen is completely shattered. I'll contact customer service later to see if we can recover any data. You have a lot of important information stored on it; it would be a shame to lose it."
I nodded slightly and turned to look at Lucas, who had a serious expression on his face.
"Why are you..."
Before I could finish, Lucas interrupted me. His tie hung crookedly around his neck, his suit sleeves were wrinkled, and the hem of his shirt was untucked. His bangs were damp with sweat, and his breathing was still heavy.
"The Zephyria exhibition ended, and there's an art show back home next week, so I came back early."
He spoke while fumbling with his tie, making it even more crooked. Frustrated, he unbuttoned his collar, his voice tinged with exhaustion.
"I heard about Dad as soon as I landed and checked the hospital surveillance to find you."
Lucas suddenly stepped closer, the scent of cedar and tobacco wafting over me.
"But why are you here?"
I clenched the hem of my sweater, the metal buttons digging painfully into my palm.
"Edward asked me to come. He..."
The sharp beeping of the monitor suddenly pierced the air, making me jump. Lila stood up quickly, her knee hitting the bedside table hard, causing the metal tray and water cup to rattle noisily.
She pushed her slipping glasses up, her eyes bloodshot behind the lenses.
"Are you crazy? Nicholas's men dared to go after Lucas, and you came here alone?"
Lila's trembling fingers hovered over the red marks on my wrist before gently pressing a cotton ball soaked in iodine against the wound. The stinging smell mixed with the cold touch made me shiver.
Lucas tugged at his crooked tie, the tie clip falling to the floor. He unbuttoned his shirt collar, the hem of his suit brushing against the bed rail with a dull thud.
"Edward's got some nerve, hiding in the hospital to recover while sending a woman to take the hit?"
Lucas let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with mockery.
"I'd like to see how badly he's hurt that he can't handle this himself."
I clenched the hem of my sweater tighter, my nails digging into my palm. My gaze fell on the bouquet of red roses on the bedside table. The petals were vibrant and dewy, but they felt like a blazing fire, burning my eyes.
"Edward got shot in the shoulder protecting me, and he took another bullet in the leg. He's wrapped in thick bandages and needs help just to turn over." I nodded towards the roses on the bedside table, speaking softly.
"Anne had the nurse bring these flowers, saying they symbolize 'passionate love.'"
I scoffed, grabbing the roses and scattering the petals over Anne's blanket.
"I sent them back just as they were. If someone wants to disgust me, they need my permission first."
The sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose as I leaned against the bed. Lila's cold fingers pressed on my shoulder, and the tweezers holding the cotton ball scraped over my wound, making me flinch.
"Don't move," Lila's voice was strained, "So you just ignore everything? Always taking everything on yourself. What does your life mean to you?" She threw the bloodied cotton ball into the trash, the metal clanging loudly in the quiet room. I looked down at Lila's slightly red eyes. Despite her scolding tone, I could hear the hidden concern.
At that moment, Lucas bent down to pick up the fallen tie clip.
"Deal with the consequences of your bravado yourself."
Lucas straightened up, his gaze falling on my injured arm.
"Next time, make him crawl over here himself. Don't use others as shields."
I met Lucas's scrutinizing gaze without flinching. The pain in my palm was nothing compared to the defiant fire in my heart.
Lila's hand paused as she tore my ripped sleeve, her fingers trembling above my bloody wound before she resumed. She silently pulled out her phone from her suit pocket and played an audio recording.
"We came because Edward sent me this recording."
Lila's voice was choked with emotion.
"We heard it just as we got off the plane."
She quickly wiped her eyes, but tears still fell.
"What happened?"
I looked at my scrapes and sighed.
"Nicholas and Jeffrey's conspiracy. They're not satisfied with normal business operations anymore; they've started smuggling weapons."
Lila was shocked.
"You told me Jeffrey was a good lawyer. How could he do something like this?"
"Who told you that?"
Lucas glanced at Lila, his brow furrowed, his expression serious.
"Anne."
I looked at Anne, lying unconscious on the bed, her face pale and bruised.
"She was Nicholas's mistress before she followed Jeffrey. But for some reason, Nicholas imprisoned her and made her a sex slave. Because of this, Nicholas and Jeffrey didn't hide their dealings from her. She told Edward about these horrifying things when she was gravely injured."
Lucas put his phone back in his pocket, his gaze sweeping over Anne on the bed. His voice was firm.
"Don't worry, my father's men won't have another chance."
Lucas said, deftly wrapping his tie around my bleeding arm.
"To Lila, your safety is the most important thing. We'll see this through. Right, Lila?"
I looked at Lucas, confused by his words.
The sky outside was still gloomy, but the small space surrounded by the two of them gradually warmed. I watched Lucas's tense jawline, the lightning outside casting shadows on his face. The family crest that glowed faintly now seemed like an insurmountable chasm. Looking at Lila's red-rimmed eyes, I suddenly realized that in this cold, ruthless world of power struggles, there were still people who saw me as their most precious treasure.
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