Chapter 2

Lucille smiled without answering Harold. She turned to head to the elevator but stopped after a few steps. She turned back to look at Harold and said, "Oh, right. Everything I just said will remain valid forever."

Then, she headed into the elevator without a backward glance. Harold remained where he was. He was frowning. He watched her leave.

…

In Central Hospital's garden, there was a stone bench underneath a towering tree. An old man with snowy hair sat there with a young, debonair man.

"You're already 28, Spencer, yet you don't have any women in your life. I'm almost ashamed of you," the old man, James Layton, said.

The young man, Spencer Layton, leaned against the bench as he listened without batting an eye. He crossed his legs and placed his interlaced fingers atop his knee. He looked elegant and regal. His flawless face and chiseled features looked like they had been carved by the gods themselves.

James asked cautiously, "Do you have some unspeakable condition?"

He'd introduced Spencer to countless beautiful socialites, yet the latter hadn't been interested in the least. Could it be… there really was something wrong with him?

Spencer's gaze darkened at that. He frowned slightly as a trace of helplessness flashed in his eyes. He said, "You look like you're pretty healthy, Grandpa. If there's nothing wrong with you, I'm gonna get going."

James huffed. "You brat. Don't tell me you want to spend the rest of your life alone!"

Spencer straightened his suit elegantly. It was easy to see that he was a perfectionist. He didn't let a single wrinkle go. He said calmly, "That was exactly my plan, Grandpa."

James felt like something had lodged itself in his throat and refused to go down. He was rendered speechless.

"Alright, Grandpa. I need to head to the company to deal with some work, so I'll have Kent take you back." Spencer was helpless when it came to dealing with James, who would occasionally pretend to be sick so he could force Spencer to go on blind dates. "Kent, take Grandpa back to Layton Manor."

Kent White had been waiting silently this whole time. "Yes, boss."

…

Lucille didn't drive away from the hospital. She strolled along the tree-lined road leading away from it, not knowing where she was headed.

That morning, Harold called her. He asked her to return to the Johnson residence so they could discuss calling off the engagement. If she refused, Harold and Sabrina would never be able to be together in public.

Harold adored Sabrina, so he tried to think of everything he could do to call off the engagement. It was too bad Lucille refused to budge. That was why Sabrina had committed suicide.

It was supposed to be Sabrina's way of giving Lucille and Harold her blessing, but it was actually a scheme to push the blame on Lucille. That way, the Johnson family would force Lucille to call off the engagement. After all, they wouldn't bear to let their precious Sabrina suffer such a grievance.

All Lucille could say was that Sabrina had made the right move. Since they were children, Sabrina had always acted like a kind, understanding older sister, whether at school or at home. Lucille had always been made out to be a cruel, heartless younger sister.

Lucille never would've expected Horace and William, for whom she'd held the utmost respect in the past, to be the ones to hurt her deepest. She'd gone from not understanding them to being disappointed in them. Ultimately, she'd become numb.

She was only 24 this year, yet she'd never experienced an ounce of familial love. Prejudice and cold shoulders were all she knew. This had taught her one thing—to never overestimate a person's humanity.

As she strolled along, she stopped beside a lake. She stared at the bottomless water and found that it was like her. Her heart had long since been sealed in a deep, dark cave where no light could enter.

…

An expensive car headed in Lucille's direction. Spencer leaned against the window with his head propped on one hand. He stared at the trees outside as they drove past. Suddenly, a slender figure entered his line of sight.

The car was about to drive past her when he inexplicably told his subordinate, Mack Wood, to stop. "Stop the car."

Mack slammed the brakes, making the car skid to a stop. He turned to look at Spencer in confusion. "What's wrong, boss?"

The only answer he received was the sight of Spencer getting out of the car. He was stunned. He turned to look out the window and saw a slender woman standing by the lake.

Her long hair cascaded down her back, and her all-black outfit made her look particularly thin. She stood there, looking like she was about to jump into the lake. Then, he saw Spencer head toward her. Was he going to save a damsel in distress?

At that moment, Lucille was in her own world. She didn't notice Spencer behind her.

"Miss, you can always talk to someone if you're facing any issues." When his voice suddenly rang out behind her, she jolted in shock. She was about to turn to see who it was when she accidentally stepped into a small hole and lost her balance. She toppled backward.

Without anything for her to grab onto, she could only accept her fate of falling into the lake. "Ah!"

Mack had just gotten out of the car when he saw this. He cried, "Watch out!"

Fortunately, Spencer was quick to act. He swiftly grabbed Lucille's hand and pulled her into his arms while steadying her.

Mack sighed and patted his chest in relief. Thank God none of them had fallen into the lake.

A pleasant cologne wafted into Lucille's nostrils, and her heart pounded. She was taken aback. Spencer's strong arm was still wrapped around her waist, and he didn't seem to want to release her.

"You can let me go now, sir," she said. Her voice was muffled because she was pressed to his chest.

Only then did Spencer release her. She smelled nice, and he didn't hate it. It had even distracted him for a while.

Lucille looked up. She was surprised by how good-looking Spencer was. He was right up her alley. His deep-set eyes were charming and alluring underneath his bushy brows, and his nose was tall. He was handsome.

He wore an expensive-looking gray suit. Though his expression was cold, he exuded an air of regality and elegance. He also seemed like he was used to being in a position of power. Compared to him, Harold was nothing. How come she had never heard of anyone like Spencer in all of Whiteloop City?

Spencer frowned at her dazed look. He took in her appearance and noticed that she was quite pretty, albeit a little skinny. He asked, "Why did you resort to this?"

"Huh?" Lucille blinked at him. Did he think she wanted to commit suicide? She explained, "You've got the wrong idea, sir. I can't stand being in pain, so I wouldn't choose this method even if I wanted to commit suicide. Death by drowning sounds horrible."

Spencer was rendered speechless. Mack happened to hear this as he approached. He couldn't help thinking about how amazing it was that Lucille would consider how she wanted to die when she was ready to commit suicide.

For some reason, Spencer found himself smiling slightly as he asked, "Which method would you choose, then?"

Lucille said, "I've yet to think about it."

She had too many things to do, so why would she think about taking her own life? No one would be sad over her death. She wasn't Sabrina.

Spencer didn't miss the disappointment and self-deprecation that flashed across her face. He said, "Good. Don't stand so close to such a dangerous place in the future."

The seal on Lucille's frozen heart seemed to thaw just a little at his words. She looked at him in surprise, then averted her gaze. Was he worried about her? But he was just a stranger.

"Thanks for earlier. If not for you, I would've fallen into the lake," she said. Her tone was calm but sincere. She also seemed a little lost on what to do.

"It was nothing. In fact, my sudden appearance is what startled you in the first place." Spencer's expression was cold, but his tone was relatively gentle.

Mack was dumbstruck. When had Spencer become so gentle?

Spencer asked, "Do you need us to send you home?"

Lucille shook her head. "No, it's fine. My car's parked at the hospital."

Spencer's gaze dimmed slightly. Then, he smiled faintly and said, "Alright, then. Take care. I have something to attend to, so I need to go."

"Oh. Okay."

…

Lucille remained where she was as she watched the black Maybach leave. It was a limited edition, so anyone who could afford to drive it had to be rich or powerful. She took a few seconds to collect herself before heading back to the hospital.