After heading downstairs, Lucille prepared a glass of warm milk and took it to the study. She pushed open the door and found Spencer finishing up with his last document.The seriousness and exhaustion on his face immediately vanished and transformed into gentleness when he saw her.Since the heater was on, he wore only a white shirt, with the top two buttons unfastened, revealing his enticing collarbones. He seemed alluring and seductive with his air of sophistication, and he had his usual mature and composed demeanor, along with the tenderness that was uniquely reserved for her."Drink this." Lucille walked to his side and passed him the glass. She knew he'd been having some rough nights lately.She'd always been one to sleep through the night, but perhaps because she was used to his presence, she would wake up in the middle of the night if he was missing from the bed.No matter how stressed or frustrated Spencer was because of work, he would always present her with his best self
Lucille remained calm. Of course, she recognized how implausible it was. She was a researcher, after all. Still, she couldn't deny that many strange things had happened that had challenged her belief.Now that she thought about it, she found it ironic because it had been more than 20 years. It simply was impossible.…At the Johnson residence, William had been calling Lucille repeatedly. However, she'd neither answered nor declined his calls.Since she'd blocked all their numbers, he'd assumed that she would pick up if he used another number. He would've known she refrained from answering a stranger's calls if he knew her well enough.Besides, the call was still from Whiteloop City, where she only had a few acquaintances. She would've saved the contact numbers of everyone she was close to.Johnson Group had been losing a few long-time clients lately. It was the end of the year, and they couldn't afford to be financially unstable. They needed to ensure the following year's revenue
The next day, Lucille sought out the two individuals George had mentioned the day before. Their address wasn't in the city but in the suburbs.She arrived at Villa No. 9 and rang the doorbell. Soon, an unfamiliar middle-aged man, possibly in his 50s, emerged behind the door.Andrew Callaghan was visibly startled when he saw the figure outside the iron gate. He wasn't shocked to see Lucille, given they had exposed the news. What caught him by surprise was how quickly she'd shown up.His son, Tobias Callaghan, and nephew, Draco Ferguson, had been summoned to the police station three days ago. They'd taken advantage of the situation and revealed their existence to Lucille through the police, hoping to avoid drawing attention from others.Lucille took in his subtle expression. After entering the villa, she discreetly scanned the living room and found it full of life. It seemed like Andrew had lived there for a long time.It was Andrew's first close encounter with Lucille, whose facial
Meanwhile, Bethany waited in the car. Lucille had instructed her to stay behind before leaving the vehicle.More than 30 minutes had passed, yet Lucille hadn't returned. Worried about her, Bethany descended the car but quickly saw Lucille approaching. The latter seemed occupied by her thoughts, judging from her solemn expression and lowered head.What happened to Lucille?"What's the matter, Mrs. Layton?" Bethany called out as she watched Lucille walk past her.Snapping back to reality, Lucille lifted her head and glanced at Bethany. She grunted in response and said, "Nothing. I was lost in my thoughts. Let's go home."…The soft morning glow penetrated through the gaps in the branches outside the villa and streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor, casting itself on the floor.A person sat in the wheelchair before the windows, while Andrew stood beside them. Their eyes were glued on the Mercedes-Benz G Class driving away."Just give her some more time
"Mrs. Layton, the car behind us has been tailing us since we left the residential neighborhood," Bethany remarked solemnly after glancing at the rearview mirror.At that, Lucille also looked into the rearview mirror but remained calm. "Ignore it. They won't do anything to us."Although Bethany was confused, she refrained from probing. On the other hand, Lucille sealed her eyes shut to rest after feeling some discomfort in her stomach. She wouldn't have left the house had she not taken the injection last night.About an hour later, they arrived back at Sparrow Residence. Lucille immediately went to bed to get some rest, only to have a long, dreadful dream. Her body felt like it was sinking, as if something were trying to drain out of her.She also heard someone frantically calling her name. However, the person remained faceless even though their voice sounded particularly familiar. No matter how hard Lucille tried, she couldn't open her eyes.In a ward at Central Hospital, Lucas
It only natural for Bailey to behave like so. After all, Lucas had been very vague over the phone earlier. Hence, she'd been panic-stricken ever since she'd heard that Lucille had passed out and been taken to the hospital."How's Lucy? Is she okay? Why is she here at the hospital? I was just on the phone with her… Why didn't I notice anything wrong with her voice? I'm so—"Lucas was slightly startled at the sight of her teary eyes. Bailey had always been a happy-go-lucky type to him; he had never seen her upset or cry over anything.He interrupted her with some comforting words. "It's okay. You can calm down. She's fine. All she needs is a couple of days of rest." His gentle and steady voice immediately calmed Bailey's anxious heart.They headed to the ward, where Bailey saw Lucille lying serenely on the bed. She was troubled with countless thoughts at that moment. Truth be told, she'd never seen Lucille this frail and vulnerable."A-Are you sure Lucy is fine?" she anxiously asked
"Previously, we only tested Luce's special blood type. This time, I had a thorough re-examination done."Lucas gripped the report and explained, "Coagulation disorders are classified into two—hereditary and acquired. And this report…" He passed the document to Spencer, continuing, "shows that her condition was caused by the latter. More importantly, her blood now contains a rare component I've never seen before.""What does that mean?" Spencer knitted his brows. "What does it have to do with the incident this time?""To put it simply…" Lucas tried his best to speak in Layman's terms. "Her blood has started producing antibodies, so her specially formulated medicine is no longer effective. That's why she's bleeding more compared to before."But don't worry; she's not in immediate danger. She's losing more blood than usual, but it can be replenished."Despite Lucas' attempt to speak in simpler terms, he was met with a cold, warning glance from Spencer. As such, he cleared his throat
Bailey entered the ward with crossed arms while staring at the couple on the bed. She scoffed, and her voice dripped with mockery. "And here I was, worrying about how weak and uncomfortable you'd feel after you wake up. It seems like Mr. Layton is all the medicine you need!"You're not only fine but drenching in honey, aren't you? Gosh, I shouldn't have been worried sick. Are you trying to make me jealous?"Dumbfounded, Lucille was just about to say something when she saw Lucas embracing Bailey from behind.Bailey struggled briefly and glared at him. "What are you doing?"Lucas lowered his gaze and locked eyes with her. His smile seemed gentle, but his words irritated Bailey. "I can be your medicine too, babe. And I promise to be sweeter than Spence. "You don't have to be jealous of anyone; I can give you exactly what you want. Not only will it be sweet, but it'll also be nice and comforting."Bailey was astounded by the switch in his demeanor. Since she'd gotten to know him o